Plan Your Visit to Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle

It’s fun to watch animals running around, or even just lounging about. The Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle has a wide range of animals, all from different areas of the world. You’ll find penguins, tigers, giraffes, birds, warthogs, meerkats and more. There are also several shows to enjoy, where you can learn about the animals in fun and engaging ways.

If you’re looking for a fun way to spend a few hours in Seattle, spend it at the Woodland Park Zoo. Our family had a great time there this past summer while on our family vacation.

I’ve pulled from our experiences and have put together a few tips to help you plan your visit to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.

Getting to the Woodland Park Zoo + Parking Info + Tickets

The Woodland Park Zoo is north of downtown Seattle and the Space Needle. Take Highway 99 (Aurora Ave) for about three miles north. You’ll want to enter the Hippo Parking area, which is on the south end of Woodland Park, off of 50th Avenue. There are a few other parking lots on other areas of the zoo, including the Flamingo Parking lot (southwest side), Otter and Penguin lots (northwest side) and the Bear Lot (north side).

Each lot has a pay-by-time payment box. It’s $6 for the first two hours, and $2 for each additional hour. We weren’t sure how long we would be at the zoo, so we paid for about three hours. But as that time came to an end, we realized we weren’t done yet, so I ran back out to the car to add a few more dollars. I would say to err on the side of caution and start with more time than you think you need. Otherwise, you may end up paying more the second round because it’s like you’re starting your reservation all over.

RELATED INFO: Check out Visit Seattle’s “Things to do in Seattle” page

Regardless of where you parked, there are two main entrances to the Woodland Park Zoo – the South Entrance and the West Entrance in the northwest corner. You can enter at either entrance. We entered through the south entrance after parking in the Hippo Parking Lot.

General Admission tickets range from $15 to $25, with rates for adults, children, seniors and military. If you plan to visit other popular spots in Seattle (Seattle Aquarium, Museum of Pop Culture, Space Needle or Chihuly Garden and Glass), considering grabbing the Seattle CityPASS so you can save money on your admissions to all these hot spots.

Check out the Animals in their Habitats

There are so many little trails and walkways throughout the Woodland Park Zoo. When you arrive, grab a map or download one onto your phone so you can be sure and catch all the little areas and animals along the way.

We entered from the south and made our way counter-clockwise through all the habitats. Here’s a rundown of the habitats and some of the animals you’ll be able to see.

• African Savana: Giraffes, zebras, hippos, Patas monkeys, ostrich, lions and warthogs.
• Tropical Asia: Greater One-horned Rhinoceros, Warty Pig, Demoiselle Crane, Tapir and Francois’ Langur. The Trail of Vines area includes Siamangs, a python and the every popular Orangutan. The Banyan Wilds has tigers, Asian small-clawed otters, sloth bears and an Asian aviary.
• Australasia: Wallaroos, wallabies, emus and snow leopards.
• Living Northwest Trail: Wolf, Great Gray Owl, porcupine, brown bear, river otter, mountain goat, elk and Stellar’s sea eagle.
• Tropical Rain Forest: Jaguar, lemurs, Colobus monkey, gorilla, Toucan, poison dart frog, anaconda, tarantula, tamarin, ocelot, and more.
• Temperate Forest: Flamingo, red panda, partula snail, hornbill, kunekune pig, maned wolf and cranes.
• Family Farm (petting zoo): Cows, donkeys, chickens, goats, sheep and pigs.

There are some other random areas of the zoo that aren’t associated with larger habitat areas. But you won’t want to miss the butterfly garden (seasonal) or the Humboldt penguins.

Catch a Show at One of the Theaters

There are two main theaters at the Woodland Park Zoo, each one offering a different type of show. I couldn’t find a rundown of the shows at each theater by browsing their website, but they do have the programs listed at the front of the park and at each theater, along with start times. The Wildlife Theater is at the northeast crossroads of Tropical Asia and Australasia. The Broadleaf Theater is on the east side of the park by Tropical Rain Forest.

During our visit, we watched Once Upon a Time in the Wildlife Theater. It was the perfect show for younger kids and families. The storyline is cheesy, but it’s aimed at keeping the attention of younger kids and showing some usually avoided creatures. For example, there was a skunk that made it’s way into the show – and luckily there were no surprise sprayings. A Peregrine Falcon played a role in the show, and because of where we were sitting, it landed on the rail a mere two feet from us during the show.

RELATED POST: Explore the National Nordic Museum in Seattle

Although the theaters provide two dedicated spots for presentations, there are other presentations that take place at some of the animal areas. For example, we observed a trainer working with the penguins and taking questions from the crowd near the penguin enclosure.

Other Things to do at the Woodland Park Zoo

Beyond wandering the paths and seeing the animals in their habitats, the Woodland Park Zoo has a calendar of events year round. During our visit, Dinosaur Discovery was a hot-ticket item, with a line to get into that designated area to walk among the dinosaurs.

Check out their calendar of events to see what’s happening during your visit.

You can also take a ride on an historic carousel. While it’s only been at the zoo since 2006, it’s more than 100 years old. It’s $3 per person to take a ride. The carousel is located in the northwest corner of the park inside a pavilion.

One other activity to enjoy is shopping. You can find stuffed animals, shirts, books, and much more at the ZooStore. it’s located at the West Entrance, but you can also shop online if you don’t have the chance to hit it up while there in person.

Dining Options at Woodland Park Zoo

There are three primary dining options available at the Woodland Park Zoo. They’ve made it easy to do mobile ordering, but there are also standard “wait in line and order at the register” options. Currently, all of the places are cashless, but they do accept credit, debit, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

• 1899 Grove: We snagged an indoor table (though outdoor tables are also available) and enjoyed some hamburgers and chicken finger meals. There are a variety of options available.
• Gather & Graze Cafe: Located next to the Wildlife Theater is this little cafe. It’s a great spot to grab a little snack or drink while making your way around the zoo.
• Carts and Outposts: While exploring the zoo, you may come across little treat carts or you can find Wild Cup coffee near the Education Center or across from the African Savanna.

You can bring your own food (make it a picnic) and not incur any dining costs. Regardless of which food or snack option you choose, be sure and clean up after yourself and use the appropriate trash, compost or recycling bins located in the Woodland Park Zoo.

The Details:

Address: 5500 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103

Cost: $17 for adults; $11.50 for kids (3-12); $15 for seniors and children 2 and under are free. Consider the Seattle CityPASS if you’re planning to visit other popular spots in Seattle.

How Long to Spend: 3-4 hours is typical.

Parking: There are several paid parking lots – $6 for the first two hours, and $2 for each additional hour. Maximum daily amount is $12.

Hours: Hours vary by season. Between May-Aug, it’s open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. In September it’s open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., but on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) it’s open until 6 p.m. From October to April it’s open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Website: https://www.zoo.org/

Phone: (206) 548-2500

PIN THIS