Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
4.7(38,951)4.7 out of 5 stars, 38951 reviews Columbus, OH
About Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium offers a diverse range of animal exhibits, interactive experiences, and educational opportunities, making it a top choice for family outings. Unique highlights include the manatees and the ability to touch stingrays, along with well-maintained facilities.
What parents should know
Summarized from real visitor reviews.
Best for: Families looking for educational and interactive experiencesChildren who enjoy animals and outdoor activitiesToddlers to teens enjoy the interactive experiences and diverse animal exhibitsEducational opportunities appeal to school-aged children
Why families love it
- Beautiful exhibits and enclosures
- Interactive experiences like touching stingrays
- Educational opportunities with good signage
- Indoor areas for extreme weather
- Season passes offer great value for frequent visitors
- Manatees and stingray touch pool
Insider tips
- Visit early in the day to see animals active
- Check the zoo's website for seasonal closures and construction updates
- Consider a season pass if planning multiple visits
Good to know before you go
- Visiting during off-season if expecting full access to all exhibits
- Cold or extremely windy days as many animals may be inside
- Many exhibits and food stands closed during off-season
- Limited animal visibility due to construction and seasonal closures
- Parking fee of $10
- Crowds
- Off-season visits may have fewer crowds, but some exhibits may be closed
- Value
- General admission pricing not specified, but parking costs $10. Season passes are highly recommended for frequent visitors, providing better value compared to single-day admissions.
- Food
- Food stands may be closed during off-season; check availability before visiting
- Accessibility
- Walking distances may be challenging for those with mobility issues due to construction
- Safety
- Bag checks upon entry for safety
What parents say
"Grown so much! Beautiful exhibits and enclosures! Some animals were off exhibit with the construction and expansion projects but that's understandable. Loved the manatees! Went early, so we saw all the animals active or eating. Spend 3 hours. Good signage to get you where you want to go and information on animals was interesting."
a week ago
"Ok first off I want to say that I do know we visited on a cold windy day in April and a zoo can be either a hit or miss but we were quite disappointed with our visit. First off you have to pay $10 to park, then you pay a lot to get into the Zoo. They do search your bags if you bring any. After we entered we felt like we were at an amusement park but during off season. There are little stands with stuff you can buy but none of that was open. We decided to go into the Asian section first and were very disappointed, I think the only animals that were great to see there were the elephants. My son "
2 weeks ago
"I've been going to the Columbus Zoo since I was a kid. Now that I have a family, we recently decided to buy season passes (ABSOLUTELY worth it if you plan on going at least a few times a year, even if you don't live in Columbus). My son loves it, I enjoy it. There are so many indoor areas for extremely cold or hot days, lots of animals and educational opportunities. I enjoy the events that they host, and obviously, the holiday lights are great. No other zoo I've been to compares (but I've been fortunate enough to live near Columbus my whole life). Cannot recommend enough. Great for family fun,"
a month ago
Reviews sourced from public Google data.
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