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Saint Louis Zoo
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Forest Park
1 Government Dr
St Louis, MO 63110
(314) 781-0900
1 Government Dr
St Louis, MO 63110
(314) 781-0900
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
65 reviews for Saint Louis Zoo
The first love of my life.
An amazing zoo. And it's FREE. If you wanna eat, it's atrociously expensive, but bring your own damn food! And look at all the beautiful animals for free.
I love the bird house....walking through there is amazing. And the PENGUIN AND PUFFIN EXHIBIT! You don't even know unless you've been there. It's awesome. It's always really cold in there which feels awesome in the middle of July after you've walked around the rest of the zoo. Penguins are the ultimate divas of the animal kingdom. They're all fighting for the attention of zoo-goers and caretakers who make them beg for raw nasty fish. It kinda smells in there too, but whatever. I could spend hours.
I L-O-V-E this zoo. #1 - It's free. #2 - It has what I think is the best penguin exhibit ever. #3 - you can find beer at all of the food stands.
I have been here quite a few times with the in-laws. I am planning on going back a few more times when we take our daughter up there to see her grandparents and once she is big enough to appreciate the zoo. I really think that it is a good zoo and is really kept up.
Wow! All of the museums and attractions around Forest Park are free!!
Ok, so you have to pay to see a few extra things at the zoo or to ride the train, but I'm not going to complain.
The zoo is quite large, with the modern type of natural habitat exhibit. I think was almost as impressive as the San Diego zoo.
It was a hot day and many of the animals were hiding and napping even in the morning. The black bears were hiding, but one of the grizzly bears was pacing and seemed quite concerned that he couldn't reach all of the tasty tourists.
I didn't get to see the mountain lion. It was hiding. I'm afraid of mountain lions anyway...
The water around the penguins and other birds smelled pretty bad.
This is as good as it gets for a zoo though, and it was free!
I would give it 5 stars.
But a bird had to dookey on my shoulder.
So there's no way on Earth i can give a 5 for now. I will say the zoo is very large and will most definitely take you at least 3 hours to get through it, and that's if you go at a fast pace. Try to set aside some time for the butterfly garden and the penguin exhibit.
I personally found the camels to be quite entertaining.
I would love to visit the St. Louis Zoo again. Preferably when it's not freezing and when the animals aren't hiding or visiting the vet. Every other exhibit seemed to be empty. Still, admission was free and parking was just $11 for me and my two companions so I can't give the zoo too much grief. The hippo pool was pretty awesome and the snake building was a nice and warm place to escape from the cold. For this Florida boy, that was an appreciated surprise. I want to go back. Spent almost an hour there and still only saw maybe two thirds of the zoo. I bet in good weather this place would be really nice. Minus one star for the partial absense of real animals and the assortment of fake ones found throughout. They may think they're being cute, but they're not.
Do NOT waste your time going to pet stingrays! You have to pay extra and stand in a line (about 1/2 of it is unshaded). Then you listen to indepth instructions on how to wash your hands, remove jewelry, hats, etc. So you go in and lean over a concrete wall which is too high for my 5 year old and then you WAIT for a stingray to come by.
The pool they are in isn't that huge, but it seems like there are only a few stingrays. All in all it was a HUGE disappointment.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/2/2006
I go here every year at Easter and always have a great time! Free admission, but everything else… Read more »
Its a zoo...it's free...animals are cool...does anyone know where those people walking around with large beers get those from?
Phil Novara
http://www.urbanbacon.com
Nestled in the middle of Forest Park, this was one of the highlights of my STL trip last week. I'm not a huge wildlife person, but I enjoyed casually walking around the zoo and checking out what they had to offer. I particularly enjoyed watching the okapi eat leaves from an overhanging branch with its exceptionally long tongue. The penguin exhibit is also very cool, literally. We happened to catch the feeding of the Visayan warty pigs. It's interesting that they eat frozen strawberries.
By the way, did I mention that it's free?!?
I will preface this review by stating that I am not a zoo person (please refrain from throwing things--I still consider myself a friend to the animals :). Having not experienced much of the zoo itself, apart from seeing the penguins (interesting fact--they actually prefer to nest in seagull guanao) and grizzlies, I will focus on the STL zoo as an event venue. I attended a university alumni dinner there and, while everyone was very attentive and helpful (and the steel drum band was solid) the venue was 1) downstairs, which did not allow much in the way of seeing anything outdoors, and 2) featured a dinner salad that, by all rights, should have been served to one of the zoo's four-legged inhabitants. Yes, I understand feeding a crowd of 150-plus people has its challenges; however, after ponying up for the dinner, I would not expect to be plucking out brown leaves left and right. I would like to return to this zoo under less enforced, formal circumstances, but certainly not again for an event. or meal.
I love the St. Louis Zoo!!! It's free, fun, educational and a good work out. I have never seen an unhappy person at the zoo! The monkey house SMELLS but it's kinda worth it.
... don't forget to get Dip 'n' Dots!!!
The Zoo is amazing. I suggest going early so you can park along the street in Forest Park for free. There is tons of space, and it goes back quite a ways, so as long as you don't mind walking, you can pretty much always find a free space!
The penguin house is a must see! While a little stinky, these guys are personality plus! (Plus its a great place to cool off in the summer!)
Bring your own snacks and drinks, there are plenty of spots to stop and sit in the shade!
The best zoo ever-plus it's free. Again, St. Louis you lucky people you. Free beer tour, free zoo, beautiful Park, great downtown, wide variety of great restaurants, ok crappy sports teams. But you are lucky. Been to Toronto zoo, Washington zoo, Philadelphia zoo, Maine zoo, yada, yada, You have the best zoo-you can touch these animals, they are so close to you. I've never seen penguins that close and didn't know when they poop they poop white liquid! That's how close you are. You need 3 things to have a great day at the zoo. 1st-willingness to parallel park, parking is free outside and it saves you 11 bucks. Second, rest beforehand cause you're gonna walk at least 4-5 miles to see the whole thing and that takes a minimum of 3 hours. Last-drinks or snacks. The food is extremely expensive- I think a soft pretzel-called jumbo but looked regular size to me-over 3 bucks. So bring waters,fruit snacks etc. You will have a wonderful day and get exercise in also. P. S. saw a lion high up in a tree, saw lovely exhibits in the buildings-don't miss the buildings.
I love this Zoo. It's free and all the animals are easily viewable. There is also a train that will take you around the whole Zoo for $5. I really love Sting Rays, so I purchased tickets to pet them in their exhibit. Very cool. This Zoo is beautiful, I will definitely be back!
The zoo and park in St. Louis is great. Except for parking, you can go and visit the zoo for free. You can pay extra for some special events, but just the zoo is great on it's own. I think it's great to offer these family type activities for free, that way everyone can enjoy. I wish we had more time, there were museums in the park that would have been nice to see as well.
Having just been to the Lou and London, I wish other towns would clue in and make these attractions free as well. The Zoo is free. There was a huge line to park and seemed like every school was at the zoo when we were. We had a wonderful morning here and just walked around checking out their many animals and exhibits. Did I mention it was free?
Absolutely awesome place! The animals were very interesting. Comfy shoes are recommended. Bring your own bottled water. They charge $3 for bottled water. There's a lot of food stalls & shops. If I'm not mistaken, there's a Build A Bear place inside the zoo! The baby Amur tigers were soooo cute! The insectarium isn't for those who are scared or disgusted by insects. I got spooked by a few of them. Some parts of the zoo were closed for construction. The monkey house was very cool. They have the cutest toys! There's a baby elephant that is the cutest thing in the world! It makes you want to say "awwwwwww."
Last time I went the penguin exhibit was around.
I always love going here and can't tell you how many field trips I have been on to this place back in the day. Of all the zoos I have been to this is #1 on my list.
Love checking out the tigers, lions, giraffes
And as everyone has already mentioned, yes it is FREE
I spent maybe 30 minutes in here since I had to catch a flight across the country in a few hours time. Thankfully it was free.
I was surprised how great this place was - apparently it's one of Zagat's top rated zoos of 2008!
We made it here at 3:30 when there was a penguin feeding. It was surprisingly interesting to watch the penguins come up from the water and waddle up to the trainer.
Also, this is the first place I've seen a red panda and to me it looks like the Firefox browser icon!
The bears are quite mopey here - but what zoo animals aren't? (Look for the picture I posted above.)
Another place to revisit if I come back to STL.
FREE!!
And their tigers are properly caged so they don't tend to escape and maul visitors like the one in San Fransisco!!!
Have I mentioned it is FREE?!
oh wow, everyone seems to love this zoo. I would too, if the animals looked at least somewhat happy. I know this is a zoo and no animal is happy to be in a zoo but, come on, every animal here looks sad and lifeless.
The pros:
Free. Huge. Clean.
Some of the enclosures (the elephant enclosure) are huge. I am glad they get to roam around in a huge space unlike many other zoos.
The cons:
The lifeless animals. Majority of the animals were around the fences/ walls. It seems like every one of them wants to escape and run for their life. I don't blame them. It is a zoo, after all!
Never have I seen so many strollers in my life. It's like the entire families in St. Louis decided to descend on the zoo the day we went. We may have been the only people without a stroller and 2.5 kids.
The most ridiculous/ inappropriate sighting:
A fake deer hanging from a tree branch. The decoy had bullet wounds and red stuff on it to mimic a shooting. And it was hanging from a tree branch near the entrance. What kind of a sick joke is this? I understand if it is Halloween but, it is April. Shame on you people for laughing at the decoy. I complained to the zoo office but they didn't seem to care. I am insanely angry at the zoo for this.
I would have given the place 3 stars but the fake dead deer was just too much.
Someone needs to be fired over this. Disgusting.
Awesome.
You get MORE than you pay for. This is the BEST zoo I've ever been to (Ok I haven't been to many) and it's FREE!
But really, I've never seen so many animals in my life, and the whole park is an entire days worth of a trip, unlike some zoos that you can get through in a few hours. I was only passing through St. Louis with the goal being to stop at the "free zoo" and I was really blown away.
Oh and SO MANY MONKEYS!
When we moved back to St. Louis, after twelve long years of living in other cities, this is the place we came to first, and we immediately became members. (As all good and decent St. Louisans should.) The big ol' sign out front always takes me back to being a kid and getting jazzed up to go see Phil and the monkeys.
Did anyone mention this place is FREE? Yeah, I've seen all the bitching about prices for water and stuff. Buy the Zoovenir bottle for six bucks, but get your refills for a dollar (water is FREE.) Also, since it's FREE, the zoo has to get cash money to feed those lions and tigers and bears. So buy some popcorn and feed an elk. I have been to many other zoos and the STL truly isn't as commercial.
I can spend all day here. The bird house is my sanctuary, and I often sit there for hours with a book, listening to the singing. The prairie dogs are tiny comedians, and my 3 year old niece thinks the carousel is THE shit. Though I think Big Cat Country could use some retooling (the lion and tiger enclosures are large, but the other cats need some space), the hippo exhibit is awesome and the penguins crack me up. I LOVE this place. And it's FREE.
Ya know I grew up on this zoo. My grandpa always made a big deal of taking me here. So when I go now its seems to still be just that magical. (Except I have to pay the outrageous popsicle prices now) Its like carrying on tradition. Its clean, free, big, and we love the peguins and the polar bears.
My only complaints are parking. Its a bit ridiculous. They have a lot but it fills up fast. So then cars begin to line the roads of Forest Park. And when I was breastfeeding my son I had no where to hide. Luckily we found an abandoned reception tent and took over a small corner. But I could have this same complaint for a lot of places. There is no love for the breastfeeders anywhere. Depsite that it is a great family place to go and explore together.
Dudes and dudettes,
If you want a zoo with tons of shades for those sunny and humid days here in STL, the Saint Louis Zoo is for you. It's free, and parking is reasonably manageable ($10 in the lot or free street parking). Do be careful of the spaces right in front of the north entrance. Parking is not allowed there. Unfortunately, we saw at least 3 cars being tickets because they failed to see the no parking arrow signs.
Anyway, back to the zoo. It's free and it's quite lively with a lot of people. The size is small, which makes very good use for spaces. Animal variety is ok. It's nothing to brag about like the one in San Diego. And the big cat exhibit was a bit disappointing as half the animals were either AWOL or just decided to go elsewhere for the day.
Ok, ok...back to the positive. Did I mention it is free admission? Seriously, it's just about the only thing great about the place. Do not misunderstand me, the zoo is ok. And that's what 3 stars is for. By the way, the gift shop is quite lame compared to the Botanic Garden.
The St. Louis Zoo, the place where animals in the wild hear stories about. Passed from animal to animal there is a tale of a magical land, a whole world away where food is brought to them and all they have to do is just lie around all day and enjoy themselves. Now I'm not too sure if the animals talk to each other about such legends, but I'm sure that if I could talk to animals over in Africa, they probably would.
Well anyways, the St. Louis Zoo is a fantastic zoo. One of the best things about the place is that it is completely free. No charge at all. Inside there are more than just a couple of animals. The zoo actually has a nice variety of animals from across the globe. There are tigers, bears, Galapagos turtle, baby elephants, pumas, and penguins. That is only just hardly the beginning of what you can see.
The St. Louis Zoo is also in the process of updating all the environments for their animals to make sure that they are as comfortable as possible. One example of this is the new primates exhibits that they made for them. All the gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans and all have wide-open spaces that resemble their homeland.
The St. Louis Zoo is a wonderful place to go that is open year round. You can go in the dead winter and watch the animals our in the snow or the breezy days of spring to watch the animals enjoys the weather.
I haven't been to a zoo in a looong time, so decided it was about time for a family reunion.
Pros:
1. Free
2. $10 front side parking, but option for street parking. I saved $10 by walking 5 min.
3. I got to tag some animals on facebook under my friends' names.
4. Sea Lion show was only $3 and it was awesome!
Cons:
1. Really confusing map, easy to get lost.
2. $3 bottle water, but I guess that's standard now at any amusement park or zoo. But, you can bring your own squeeze bottle!
As a mom I have to have ways to entertain my kids that doesn't always cost a lot. And that is where the STL Zoo comes in. It's free. If you park along the road to the Art Museum, you don't even have to pay to park. The kids grab a water bottle and I throw snacks in my bag and we are good to go.
The love looking at all the animals. Although we feel so bad for the lone polar bear. The penguins are always a hit. One day we saw the snow leopard pacing and pacing and then it hacked up a hairball! My kids thought that was a riot (you know kids and body functions!). It was just like their kitties at home do, but on a larger scale!
To make it educational, we always pick one animal (can't be the same as the last one) and we go home and research that animal. The kids will draw pics and compare what they learned.
Their gift shops have some pretty cool things in it. My daughter found a pair of leopard rain boots and was the envy of her class with them!
IF I COULD GIVE IT SEVEN STARS I WOULD IT WAS OFF THE HOOK OMG!! NO ADMISSION!? SCORE!!
we were here for like 5 hours and we still might not have seen everything. its huge and they have animals that actually move and do things. the penguin exhibit is especially interesting. there is no tax on anything. if its 3 bucks (which is high for water and soda), than its really 3 bucks. the end. we spent around 50 bucks at the park and we got 2 shirts, an umbrella, 2 stuffed animals, some souvenir pen, and a few refreshments (don't look at me like that, we were tourists).
we didn't take the train, but they offer one and the place is huge! walking from one side to the other took a while. the weather wasn't even that nice actually. it rained on us when we got there (with thunder and everything) but the zoo is so well put together, you didn't care as long as it didn't continue to rain... which it didn't!
there was a lot of foot traffic that day too, they had some dinosaur exhibit that i wasn't about to pay for, having been spoiled by the lack of admission and excessive animal excitement. the area was nicely spaced out and though it was full, it didn't feel full. and it was clean. except the animal poo, which is to be expected.
Yet another free thing to do in STL! If you're visiting from out of town or just looking for something to do on a nice day, the zoo's a good choice.
Of course, when it's really nice out, especially on the weekends, things can get a little crowded, meaning, if you can avoid driving, it's a good idea. Make use of your bike or take the Metrolink to Forest Park. You can pay for parking, but that does take away from the free factor.
The penguin exhibit is fun and a good way to cool off when walking around on a hot day. The lines can be a bit long sometimes to get in, but if you like penguins, it's pretty fun to see them swimming, eating, and doing other penguin things.
The reptile house is also pretty cool. Also fun, the prairie dogs are often among the more amusing critters, as they scamper around their little habitat and sometimes look at you while standing on two legs.
You can also get some overpriced snacks and beverages when you get thirsty or hungry while looking at the animals.
The best free zoo in the U.S. (in my very humble opinion), and it's in St. Louis. Makes me proud to be a Missourian!
Honestly, I have never been to a better, bigger zoo. I've also never been to another free zoo. Yeah, parking costs, but it's easy as pie to find a free spot on the street. A little walking is good for you!
The new River's Edge section is so much fun--from the African safari-feel to the fake-yet-extremely-real-looking snakes peering out from the corners--I love it! The new penguin house is also great. You feel so close to the penguins; you can almost touch them.
All the traditional parts of the park are superb, as well. I love looking down the ledge at the gorilla--it's a thrill even as a twenty-something. I also love the bird house. Again, it's a completely intimate experience.
I'm also a fan because, as a former nanny, I can tell you this is the perfect place to spend the day with kids. You can bring in snacks, spend a small amount to get in the Children's Zoo and just have a blast. You can hardly make it through the whole zoo in one day!
One tip: Don't go during mating season. Please. Well, unless you're into that kind of thing...
This was recently rated the top zoo in America by Fodor's, so we had to check it out the last time we were in the "Lou". I have to admit, they were spot on with that. Only the Memphis Zoo seems to compete with it....and in a tie, you have to give it to this zoo b/c it's FREE!! How many good things are really free nowadays?? The best things in life are not always free....but I suppose the best zoo may be. :)
When it comes to ape exhibits, this is second to none...the reptile house was awesome....they had all the large animals you've come accustomed to seeing at the better zoos....I guess I'm trying to say they had it all, and the price was right.
Where else can you go in St. Louis and see REAL penguins for free? The St. Louis Zoo is often mentioned as one of the best Zoos in North America and it's no coincidence that it has a large number of unique animal exhibits. There's a separate amphibian house, a monkey house, a butterfly house, and not to mention rhinos, bears, lions, tigers, elephants, and even hippos. The newer penguin exhibit is pretty nice on a hot day because it is fairly cold inside. I kind of wish I was a little kid again so I can run around and appreciate the exhibits.
There's a mini-train which can take you around the zoo for a fee. It's worth it for the experience and the chance to relax because you'll be doing a lot of walking!
As a side note, the Zoo charges for their parking lot, but it's very easy to find a free spot in Forest Park.
I once saw a black bear giving himself a blow job here. No kidding. A crowd gathered and we tried to figure out how the bear got a hold of a hot dog, and then we saw that it was attached and he wasn't eating it so much as licking it. I even got pics! I would have thought a bear penis would have been bigger.
But that's beside the point. :)
I LOVE animals. Love them. So I've been to a ton of zoos. Cincinnatti, San Antonio (very good zoo), Kansas City, San Francisco, Memphis, Nashville, San Diego, and on and on and on.
I argue to everyone I know that this is the best zoo ever. EVER.
Okay, so I've only been to American zoos, but still, BEST zoo in American.
The primate house is incredible. We used to go there for classes when I took primate biology. The penguin display is very fun. The orangutan and chimp house really let you watch the animals very well. The habitats are extraordinary, and the staff are super knowledgeable.
AND IT'S FREE!!!
I used to stop by the tiger pit to rest midway through my run. Yes, I got to run through a zoo, because it's free, and it's in Forest Park, and it's FREE. After the hot dog incident I switched my rest stop to the bear habitats. Never got another glimpse, though. Too bad.
Let me preface this review by stating that, I am from a town near San Francisco. You know...the zoo that is often compared to those you would find in a third world country and within the last 6 months had a tiger fatally maul someone.
So. At my hometown zoo, my favorite thing to do is to visit the hippos becuase they're my favorite animals. Our hippo sits in his concrete enclosure with his 3 ft deep puddle of water and doesn't move...occassionally spits water out his nose, and then resubmerges in his all too shallow pool.
TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN IN ST LOUIS!!!
Thank you, St. Louis zoo, for having the happiest hippos I have ever seen. Not only have i never seen a hippo actually move in any direction at all, but these guys were running, swimming, and darting to and fro between the glass so that i could witness all of the action! The enclosures of every animal clearly have the welfare of the creatures as first priority and provide as natural of a habitat as possible for wild animals that are enclosed in a freakshow. The designs and layout allow maximum viewing by the public, which allows for more of a peek at what's goign on that the full out gaping at my hometown zoo
A fabulous experience that i would have paid a bundle to have had, but the icing on the cake was that the whole experience was free! I can't wait until my next visit so I can go to the zoo!!
Saint Louis Zoo is rated one of the best in the Country. They have an amazing conservation program, the zoo is beautiful (I think the bird cage dates back to the world's fair and it's architecturally important for some reason...check my facts on that though), the newly updated primate area is expansive and luscious, and best of all it's FREE! That's a wonderful thing about living in St. Louis--many of our museums are free and our zoo is free. They treat the animals very well at the St. Louis Zoo. Other zoos I've been to have been unbelievably depressing but going to the St. Louis Zoo is a wonderful experience. Plus, I always learn something new when I visit. They're wonderful about making sure their guests have consistent exposure to wildlife education without throwing it in your face. As a native St. Louisan, I'm very proud of our zoo.
The Zoo is a great activity for the family, and it's a great place to take someone on a date, too! Free entry and hours of enlightening animals chalk up a great afternoon. Parking is sometimes cumbersome, but that's to be expected. It's a pretty big zoo, and bringing walking shoes is a good idea. Also keep this in mind on the humid summer days we love so much in this area. As for the animal exhibits... get out and find out for yourself! haha
My toddler serenaded a grizzly bear. When she stopped singing, the bear woke up, popped his head up and stared at her - "Entertainment and dinner all-in-one."
Huge, stunning zoo. The zoo entrance may be free...but that's because you pay up the wazoo for everything once you are inside. Branding and sales opportunities at every corner, but many locals are staunch member supporters. It was hilarious that an entire circle around the zoo on the mini train only passed by one or two actual animal habitats. The insect area is quite amazing. Imagine every zoo and critter exhibit you have ever been to on one property.
Part of the American Zoological and Aquarium society, so get a membership to a partner zoo to take advantage of member benefits. There are also packages to cover the main attractions.
A world-class zoo, much more complete than you might expect for St. Louis. Some of the historic areas are nearly a century old, but most of the park is modern and pleasant to walk through. Our zoo also engages in internationally-significant conservation programs, so please consider donating assistance in some manner.
Although there are many smoke-free areas, be warned that as of 2006 they are still allowing smoking in most of the outdoor areas. (That may change soon.)
Entry is free, but some attractions (e.g. the train) have a nominal charge.
Consider visiting the Central West End neighborhood for a meal while you're in the area, and don't neglect the rest of Forest Park!
I'm from Wash U, and we love to take Saturday strolls to the zoo and check out all the crazy things that go on there. For basketball conditioning, we would run to the zoo, check out the bears section (go bears!) and be inspired by a savvy speech from our coach about how we should be like the bears.
Lots of animals and they actually do stuff, not just lay around and waste life. Check out the bears when they're being fed. They wave and do tricks, it's pretty cool.
If you have nothing to do on a beautiful Saturday morning, definitely go check it out, you won't be disappointed.
