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Miami MetroZoo
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
24 reviews for Miami MetroZoo
The Metro Zoo does a very good job at educating the visiting public, the enclosures and displays are very well kept and they are always hosting informative and didactic events.
Double kudos for support the Miami Man Half Iron Man race and allowing us to run through the zoo in the half marathon portion- it creates a unique experience.
It is obvious that the animals are well kept and taken care of and it provides for a very good overall experience for kids and adults alike-
Local or tourist, this place is for you !
I love this zoo! i go to the DC zoo often since I am originally from VA and this blows that one out of the water!! You see the animals up close and they have large enclosures to roam around in. There's a wide variety of animals and the park exhibits are done very tastefully. It is very well landscaped and very spacious.
The only downside is for those coming during the peak of the heat in the summer. I went in October and it was very nice, but you just might pass out in the summer if you don't bring your own water because vendors are spaced pretty far apart. This zoo is pretty much huge, so bring your own cold water!
Regional Areas:
Africa
Asia
Amazon
Australia (not very big--basically singing dogs, koalas, kangaroo, tree kangaroo--only small region in zoo)
And I'm not a tourist, but i agree that this is certainly the best tourist attraction in Miami aside from the beach.
I'm a huge fan of Miami Metro Zoo.
It's one of the best tourist attractions in Miami- I've lived here my entire life and go at least once a year.
A couple of months ago they opened up a HUGE new section of the zoo called Amazon. It's amazing! Everything from anacondas to neon blue frogs, it'll add at least 2 hours to your visit.
Be prepared to do a lot of walking. I usually spend about 5-6 hours here, but for $5 you can take an air-conditioned tram...but that's cheating.
Over the years they have come to their senses about the food options they provide for their guests. It used to be all about french fries and hot dogs, now they have added everything from veggie burgers to fresh fruit!
My boyfriend thought it would be great to go to the zoo for Valentines. I personally hate the heat so I was not a happy camper going to the zoo cause it was so hot that day.
Apart from the heat they have improved a lot of things from the last time I went a long time ago. They now have bicycle you can rent so you dont have to do so much walking. They added mister throughout the zoo to cool down. The also have the new Amazon exhibit that was truly amazing. I started to worry a little cause they have lots of poisonous little blue frogs and this is Florida and hurricanes can spread them quickly throughout everywhere. I hope they have a good evacuation plan for those little blue frogs.
The tram needs upgrading, but maybe budget doesn't allow for that expense.
I would like to come back in the Winter and enjoy the zoo.
So its still a zoo but this zoo has grown on me. Its not the Bronx Zoo with pay-what-you-wish (aka free-ish) weekly admission, but they do have their days. For earth day they celebrated by offering free admission to all those who brought old cell phones on the weekend to help save the gorilla habitats in africa (long story, but look up coltan on wiki), and a go back in 5 days for $5 promo, and/or free train museum admission with ticket stubs. Saving the earth and our wallet.. always a plus!
They now have this cool phone thing, at certain exhibits they have a question that you can call in a certain number and get the answer. By far my favorite was the gorilla question "What's that awful smell?" called in and the beginning of the answer starts off "Sure its not the guy next to you??" i hung up and busted out laughing there...aside from that the questions are pretty interesting, and for me and my friend we turned it in to a fun trivia, calling in and seeing who was right.
The amazon addition was pretty cool, but smaller than i thought it would be, they have all this space still around it. The clouded forest had all these misters which cooled us down and a mini walk in aviary. in the Amazon part had a stingray touch tank, and a gi-nourmous aquarium! this area of the zoo different from the rest which makes it kinda odd man out, which isnt a bad thing. It has a plaza in the front and connects all 3 parts. I just wish the rest of the zoo was like that now. It wouldn't make it seem so long.
Giraffe feeding station is a nice addition, although the accompanying line this weekend wasn't. I'm glad i took my sister for her birthday last year, so this year she didn't care much for feeding them, and we were all happy about that one.
Wings of Asia is always my fave, although that new mini aviary in the amazon part gives its run for its money. I always find new birds there, that a really cool looking. The best bird tho is not in either aviary.. TUCANS!!!! yes now there are tucans in the amazon area...all they need is a toucan feeing station and this place will win my 5 stars over!
Food and drink still kinda over priced, and they wont sell water at their food places? My mom asked for water (bottled or tap, w/e) and the lady was like we don't sell any here, if you want you can go over there and pointed in the back area. My mom and i went thinking it was a vending machine (they have plenty) and it was a water fountain! Lame! Vending machines are also pretty pricy soda bottles are $3 and water is $2.50...
If you like the safari bikes, and want something new, they now have segway tours of the zoo... i think its a bit pricy, and i always think half of the fun at the zoo is the walking, but hey if its your thing then go for it.
My once a year trip, although later this year, didn't disappoint. Cant wait to go back next year with a new pair of walking shoes!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/29/2008
A zoo is a zoo is a zoo, and zoo in miami is exactly what is its...maybe a little better
Best time to… Read more »
I just had the most amazing day at this zoo! By far the best zoo experience I've ever had. And it's August.
If you think you can stand the heat, it's quiet in the summer. There are well-placed water stations, ice cream vendors, misters, umbrellas and indoor exhibits.
We got SO lucky with the animals we saw. They were mostly all alert and moving, and in large, attractive enclosures. We bumped into three zookeepers, all of whom were happy to answer our 15 minute barrage of questions! We caught feeding time with the otters, Asian bear and African wild dogs.
The most amazing part for me was the giraffe platform. For $2 you can buy some lettuce that the giraffes will EAT out of your hand with their long black tongues! It was incredible! And again, the zookeeper was knowledgeable, patient and even gave us extra food and feeding tips.
The new Amazon section was so lovely, well organized, lots of indoor areas and lovely enclosures. The river otter exhibit was so cool, we actually saw them slide down their little slip n' slide waterfall! Made my day!
Anyway, the giraffe is pregnant and is due in December 09, so I will be back in January for sure to see that little guy!
Oh, and it was only $15/adult, What an amazing bargain!!
Some of my friends who have kids think it's funny when I tell them I have an annual pass to the Zoo- because I have no children of my own.
But you don't need kids to enjoy this place. My inner child loves going there.
One of the beautiful things about Metro Zoo is that there aren't alot of cages. I've been to quite a few depressing zoos where animals are caged and trapped in small spaces. As an animal lover, it is very important to me that my local zoo gives the animals plenty of space to roam- Metro Zoo does just that!
As a member you can ride the bicycles around the place for a discounted price, and it's GREAT exercise! They're also shaded so they're a great alternative to walking the zoo on a hot day.
I finally saw the new Amazon exhibit last time I went, and it was pretty, but I was expecting more. I won't take away any stars for that, though, since I still enjoy the zoo so much. It's a great place to walk around and take pictures, especially when the tigers are out waiting for their food! I need to invest in a good telephoto lens to get them up-close and personal.
The Zoo!
After getting my fiance a digital SLR for Christmas, we decided that Metro Zoo would be a great place to stretch those picture-taking muscles.
I hadn't been to the zoo in probably 10 years or so, and my memories all included: 1) Extreme heat, 2) Expensive entrance fee for my parents, and 3) Animals were too far away to be seen.
Well, none of these preconceptions turned out to be true. The weather was FANTASTIC (but it's January, so the heat wasn't an issue at all) and it only costs $15.95 to come in. Bring your AAA card for a $1 discount.
I'm also quite a bit taller than I was when I was in grade school, so they aren't as difficult to see as I remembered - I could definitely see over the fence now ;-)
A couple of things that were also new to me:
1) They sell beer! Yay for being an adult!
2) They have these little carts that you can bike around with about 4-6 people. Gone are the days of walking for miles and being utterly exhausted by the end of the trip.
My only disappointment was with the time we arrived. We got there at about 3PM thinking we had about a good 2 hours or so before they closed. Enough time to see all the animals right? Wrong!
They took all the cool animals back into their cages at around 4PM. So we got to see a bunch of boring birds and missed the gorillas, tigers, and orangutans. :( Don't come late!!
Regardless, they will let you mosey around the park very close to 6PM... it's just really, really boring at that time.
Last complaint - they have a new "Amazon" section of the park, but... it really sucks. Most of it are indoor exhibits with frogs and snakes. But mostly birds. I'd skip it if you're pressed for time. The best stuff is in the Asia section, so hit it up first before you get too tired.
I love it here! I've been going since I was a kid and it's a lot better than it use to be. You can feed animals, take a walk in the museum and go in the bird aviery are among many things to do. Something that really bothers me is that you have to wait to be 21 to check out a family bike. I went with my bf and his two cousins in middle school came in from out of town but we were only 19 at the time. I think they should change it to 18 years old. The other think is there's lots to do and you'll want to go back! I recommend buying a membership if you live animals. That's what my family has. Otherwise the admission price is too much money just for one day.
I like this zoo! Its in the middle of no where, but its nice. Please Please Please don't go here during the hot summer months. The Zoo is huge of course, so don't play around with the heat. It was pretty darn warm and draining when we went, but we sill had a good time. The tram that circles the zoo is awesome. It gives you an areal view of the grounds so that when you have chosen the animals you want to see, you can go straight to them. It is also Air Conditioned. The reptile house was very nice and the Eagles are huge. There is a bird cage with these awesome yellow humming birds...its a must see. The tigers are beautiful of course. The botanicals in the zoo are also very nice. The flamingos were sleeping but they did have the Miami Vice one foot up stance going. We had a good time and even got some snacks. The food there isn't great, but who goes to the zoo to eat anyway right?
Whenever the sun is out and I have a free weekend, I take my niece to the Miami Metro Zoo. We have a new tradition. we rent a 4 person bike, and start our trek around the zoo grounds. We usually eat by the elephants and continue our journey. We always eat an ice cream by the lake and feed the giraffes. I love that we can get so close to those beautiful animals.
I get a year pass and go several times a year. Even if only for the workout on the bikes and taking pictures of the animals.
We really enjoyed our time at this zoo, so much that we visited twice! The misting stations and interactive sprinklers were a really popular way for the kids to cool off. The sirenetta bicycle carts were a really big draw and both times we pedaled around the zoo in style. The animal exhibits were great. The giraffes at this zoo seem to be really fickle and weren't hungry either visit :-(
We brought plenty of cold drinks which came in quite handy. I ended up buying frozen lemonades for bocu bucks despite the drinks we brought. The guy at the counter was really nice and complied with my request to top those frozen lemonades with a little soft serve vanilla ice cream. The kids loved it!
Check for coupons in the guides or just buy a membership like we did. It has more than paid for itself in entry fees for the Miami zoo and reciprocal member institutions.
This is a really nice zoo. We have gone plenty of times, and when my hubby is racing Miami Man we always head over to hang out while he races.
Its a great place to take out of town guests, especially those with kids. They have different special exhibits going on all the time ("VENOM" was pretty cool). The kids can feed the Giraffes for a fee, its a lot of fun.
There is a great variety of animals, the white Tiger is always a hit.
Now, one important thing as pointed out by other Yelpers, its a long, long walk, especially when it is hot. Get a Monorail bracelet. You will not regret it - or get the bicycle for 2 or 4. The Monorail is a life saver when everyone is just DONE.
We try to go to the animals most of our group wants to see first, that is where having the Monorail bracelet the bracelet helps. Then we hoof it the rest of the way. Once we can't do anymore we hop on the Monorail again.
Although you aren't supposed to, we take H2O and snacks. Very important as it will be a long day.
The zoo, great for kids because they get to walk around a lot and see & experience new things. For adults it can be a bit frustrating because caged animals sometimes don't cooperate with the viewing public as much as you would like. The Tiger exhibit is wonderful along with the giraffe feeding area those can not be missed. If it's a hot day I would recommend getting a multiples bicycle, and avoid the monorail, it looks like a bunch of tin cans being pulled along an over sized handrail. The New Amazon exhibit was interesting it's nice to see animals from the largest ecosystem in the world, but it could have been a lot larger there was a lot of wasted space around the area.
I went as a photographer and a bit later in the afternoon then was planned so arrive early for a more relaxing afternoon. There were a couple of empty exhibits and strange things to waste your money on, but it's a fun zoo and it's job is to educate and it does a good job.
LOVE THE ZOO!!! i always have a good time. i go on weekdays when its almost empty, i love the new amazon and beyond exhibit its really nice.
Go here! NOW! I used to volunteer for metrozoo when i was in high school and this place is one of the sweetest gems that south florida has to offer. Don't skimp on the exhibits, either. The bug house is super cool and informative. Be sure to show up early in the day (wear sunscreen) and grab a map. Try to see as many shows and feedings as you can, then work your way to the other side of the zoo and take the tram back.
We spent the day at Metro Zoo getting around the park on one of their Safari Cycles. It's $22.00 to rent one for two hours and $11.00 for every additional hour. That was well worth it. We peddled our way through Africa, Asia, the Amazon and much more! We parked and walked when we needed to, like when we strolled through the aviary. That was my favorite part. I could watch those birds for hours.
We saw a lot of animals doing nothing. It was surprising to see how still and inactive all the wildlife was. Even the chimpanzees were just lying around. Many of the animals were totally out of sight. Many people were disappointed that they didn't get to see the Jaguars or the bears. We didn't make it over to the Australian exhibits so we now have a reason to return. Compared with other Wildlife parks like the Bronx Zoo, I found this park to be far smaller with less animals, less interesting exhibits and a feeling that it was geared toward small children rather than an educational center for all ages. It became more obvious with the discovery of an interactive sprinkler play area, a playground and jungle-esque music, like something from the Lion King, being pumped through speakers around the animal cages. I didn't get the feeling that it was a modern research zoo at all.
One negative point I must make: Why do they feel the need to charge $2.50 for a bottle of water from a vending machine?
I liked the porcupine. I never realized how big those suckers are!
Went here two days ago and had a great time. It's a bit of a drive for me but well worth it. I went in the middle of the week so the park was relatively empty. Parking was a breeze, free. A gentleman was kind enough to give us a two for one coupon but even without it I think it reasonable priced (AAA discounts available as well) We entered just as the park open and initially thought there weren't any animals- I assume they were in their pens but who know maybe they were just sleeping in like I like to :-). Loved the elephants. One of the really awesome parts was feeding the Giraffes. For just two buck you get a bunch of Kale (I think they also use lettuce and other greens) which are a treat for the Giraffes. The Giraffes just come right up and its snakelike tongue grabs the food right from you.... trust me it'll will win the Tug-O-War.
We did get the monorail band (just a couple buck for unlimited rides), but never used them. I think the park is reasonable for adults but am sure you'd appreciate the monorail if you were with kids. Next time I go back I'll get one of the Segways to tool around the park. (If you've never been on one it's a blast- and very intuitive and easy to master)
I've been to a lot of zoos. It could be a love of animals, sheer boredom, or an odd hobby like collecting pictures of Richard Nixon. I haven't quite figured out my compulsion, but I've been to them from Singapore to Albuquerque. A top ten zoo this might be sheerly by location and by size, but in terms of zoo experiences, it's not a top ten.
The size thing: This is a blessing and a curse. The zoo has old-school exhibit spaces that are large and allow visitors the ability to see the animals pretty well all across most enclosures. That's the blessing.
You will see the animals. Cooler days or mornings will be bearable for both you and them, and you will see them move about.
The zoo is surprisingly light in animals for a facility of its size and "stature." Not too many cold-weather animals here (No polar bears, penguins, etc.). Quite a few African and Asian animals, but not nearly the variety that you see at other zoos that should compare. The staff highly touted the new reptile exhibition. It was nicely done, but only came up to about average compared to most of the zoos that I've been to before.
The best thing at the zoo was the Giraffe feeding station. You pay $2.00 to get some branches to feed the giraffe at the top of a large ramp where they eat right out of your hand.
There will be a new forest exhibit space where many of the animals will be moved that opens in November, 2008.
The curse? The walking path is just over 3 miles in length. It isn't looped completely, so you have to double-back over part of it.
They have several offsets to all of the walking.
The super-pricey route: You can rent a pedicab for 3, 4 or 6 people at $22-$42 for two hours. Pluses are that you can stop where you want and move at your own pace of discovery.
When the monorail is working, this is your best way to get around quickly. It is another $3-4 per person and has good drop points around the park. IT WILL BE OFF LINE until "further notice" due to the construction of the new exhibit. Given the overhaul that is going to be needed to bring this zoo into the 21st century, I would expect it to be off line again in the near future as they rework exhibits and bring the place up to modern standards of exhibition and habitat.
There are guided tours of the zoo by tram for $4.95 per person but the tram will be out of commission through much of 2008 as it is covering the route of the monorail.
The nice cosmetic banners and the super-clean, nicely landsaped grounds can't mask the aging facility in need of a big $$ renovation.
The place needs paint and repair of all kinds of broken concrete surfaces, water that's running out of a lovely display in front of the otter house, etc.
Food services and choices are about 30 years behind the times for most metro zoos of this size. They need to overhaul this BADLY. Even the sleepy little Palm Beach Zoo has them beat hands down.
Bathrooms: Front area, reptile house, and food court. They need more.
Likewise for the gift-shop inclined, having been to San Diego, the National Zoo, and even Palm Beach nearby, this zoo store is really an embarrassment and limits their ability to raise money to run the place.
Membership is antiquated if you're a local. Coupons are still a better bet, even for my large party that went. That doesn't raise funds well, which seems to be a big problem here, since all things around the zoo show a focus on keeping in shape things kids can climb on, but a lot of run-down stuff everywhere else.
The cost: Parking is free, but from there it goes down hill. Food, particularly for as lousy as it is, is grossly expensive. Admission is $12.95 for adults over 12 yrs and $9.95 for children. You can get 50% off of admission with a reciprocal zoo membership from a participating zoo. There are also lots of coupons available in local print publications. You can buy tickets online, which is nice too.
Bottom line: There are a lot of zoos and animal parks in the greater area. It was a nice afternoon. If you like smaller zoos, go to the Palm Beach Zoo, which is overall a much better experience. The drive through zoo is the Lion Country Safari about 45 minutes north (Not as nice, more expensive, but more kept up, with some amusements for the little ones.) Even more low rent than this is Jungle Island nearby.
If you can spend the money to tool around on the bikes, which doubles your admission effectively, or you don't mind all of the walking in the heat, then this may be the zoo for you. It's nice for locals. Even 45 miles away, as I am, I wouldn't put it on my frequent visit. It could be a destination zoo like San Diego or the National Zoo in Washington with a lot of upgrades.
Great zoo! We took a tram tour but since there were only 4 people doing the tour at that time, we went via golf cart instead. Guide was friendly and informative. Don't bother with monorail unless you are tired of walking. The view stinks and the A/C is barely on. I love how most animals are out in the open and not in cages. All the animals were mostly awake when I went even though it was so hot outside. The only ones sleeping were in the petting zoo...They also offer giraffe feedings ($2) & camel rides ($5). Not a lot of people on a weekday which was good.
Really nice Zoo. Open places, you rarely see cages, it makes you feel you are with the animals.
The distances from one exhibit to the other is way to long. And there are instances where you walk for minutes without seeing anything.
I strongly suggest you rent a Tandem Bike. It is expensive, but well worth it.
The Miami Metrozoo claims to be one of the top 10 zoos in America. I believe it. This is one of the best zoos that I've been to.
Now, people may complain that it's too big and that the animal displays are spread out too far apart. Actually, I kinda like it like this. I've never seen large land animals been given such a large amount of land to roam around. Miami knows how to make their animals feel at home as much as possible. In addition, they "cute" it up by placing random iguanas in these displays.
Another thing that I like about this zoo is that they provide opportunities for exercise. You can tour the whole zoo and know that you've walked 4 miles. Or you can rent a "bicycle cab". 2 or 4 of you can get in a covered cab and pedal your way around the zoo. I thought this was a fantastic idea.
Again, beautiful zoo...
Beware of this zoo because the day I went all the animals were sleeping!!!. They weren't playful at all, so it wasn't as much fun as it could have been. There weren't very many people at the zoo either. I did have fun feeding the giraffe, something different. The tigers were playful when we were leaving, and soooo beautiful. They were the best part of the trip to the zoo.
This is a really big zoo, my only complaint would be that the exhibits are very spread out, which makes it feel rather empty at times. It's so big that they built a mono rail, like at Disney, to help you get from place to place. All of your standard zoo animals live here. Special features include an aquarium, an amphitheater with a live animal show, an aviary, and a petting zoo.
