Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

We were visiting from Hawaii and decided to stop by the Columbus Zoo, and it was an incredible experience! Coming from Honolulu, I can honestly say the Honolulu Zoo doesn't even compare to what this zoo offers. From start to finish, the staff was amazing--friendly and helpful throughout our visit. The zoo was impressively clean and well-maintained. It didn't even smell like a typical zoo, except near the monkey enclosures. The animal habitats were beautifully designed, and you can tell they really care for the animals.One of the highlights was the opportunity to feed the giraffes--such a fun and memorable experience! My toddler is still talking about the zoo, and it's been two weeks since we returned home. He was also so excited about the dinosaur exhibits; he's a huge dinosaur fan!We had such a great time, and I can't wait to come back. Highly recommend visiting if you're in the area!

Overpriced tickets and memberships; food is way over priced and lacking. Half the exhibits are either blocked off or closed. Will not be renewing my membership next year.

The Columbus Zoo is a must atleast once. I've been a few times and enjoy it each time I visit. The one time that sticks out to me is going with my friend's five year old nephew. We went through the petting zoo, rode a camel and fed the giraffes! It is fun to see the zoo through the eyes of a child. Of course we stopped to eat and the food is blah and overpriced but what would one expect.It is always a different experience depending on who you go with. I'm looking forward to the holiday lights this year.

Don't go in fall / winter if you want to optimize animal viewing.Beautiful Friday afternoon in November in Ohio - about 60 and sunny. Went to zoo with my brother, dad, and 9 year old nephew.First, disappointed at the huge North America exhibit c construction and seemingly missing animals as a result. Next, nearly all of the Africa exhibit was closed as animals are inside for the winter. Where inside do they go? Can humans not see them there? Third, the special behind the scenes tour options are a massive waste of money at $100 per on top of expensive entry and parking costs, considering the number of animals we could not see. Even the petting zoo section was closed - why??!!!??Other exhibits were quite cool. It's neat that the zoo had people at various exhibits talking about the animals to further educate visitors. The string ray tank where you can pet them was super cool. It was also nice to walk around as it's a bigger zoo so you get some good exercise.

Love coming here for special events or even just for a couple hours to enjoy the animals. Every time we visit its a different experience but always enjoyable. If youre going to visit multiple times in a year, look into the membership. It could easily be worth it.

We recently visited Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo, and it was such a wonderful experience! The unseasonably warm weather made it even more enjoyable to stroll through the zoo and take in the breathtaking light displays. Every corner of the zoo was illuminated with vibrant, festive colors, creating a truly magical atmosphere. Our family had so much fun exploring the different sections, admiring the creative displays, and taking in the holiday cheer.

Two words... Zoo Lights. Traffic issues turned what could have been an enjoyable night into a nightmare. 2 hours of traffic to get in, two hours of traffic to get out. Unfortunately it was so crowded once we were inside it was not an enjoyable experience. Better traffic management is needed. Would not go back for this event.

My friends and I had a wonderful day at the Columbus Zoo! They came in from out of town and this was a must visit. It was a warm day and school had just gotten out, so it was busy, but I never felt crowded or annoyed because the place is so large. The only downside was quite a bit of construction which somewhat took away from the experience at times. Other than that, you really need the entire day to see all there is to see. We bought our tickets and parking ahead online which I would recommend! There are many keeper talks and several shows such as the Cheetah run during the summer. It was also nice to find many knowledgeable volunteers near exhibits. We were at the lion exhibit and the volunteer told us so much about each animal... names, personalities, dynamics, and it really enhanced our experience. At every turn the animals had a ton of enrichment items, which is important and nice to see. They all seemed very well cared for. There are plenty of places to stop and cool off or grab a drink, food, or a gift. The bathrooms were clean. We did not spend any time at the amusement park section as thats not our thing. We were just there for the animals. Make sure to go to that side of the park though, for the Jack Hannah building as well as the sting ray touch building!

Review Visit: April 6th, 2013This may be my first blog post where I don't give a score. Read why.In my years of traveling and now in my years of writing blogs, I have been to many great places and I have been to many places that aren't great. I have also been to many more that fall in between those two. It just so happens that the Columbus Zoo gets a unique rating of 'unrated'.Our visit to the Zoo was less than stellar. It was a cold and blustery early-April day. The sky was overcast. The cost to get in was higher than we expected. All of that can be overlooked. What can't be overlooked is having most of the exhibits closed.Yes, I fully understand it was cold. I understand they need to protect and keep the animals safety in their best interest. Because of this, I refuse to rate this Zoo/Aquarium out of fairness. While it sucked that a lot of the animals were put away due to the extended winter, I can fully respect their decision to not put the animals out until it was warm enough.With all that in mind, I will give Columbus Zoo a proper rating after a proper visit. My friends and I had fun while we were there despite the cold and lack of animals. I have confidence that a revisit will bring us many awesome animals to see.In the mean time, if you visit a Zoo or Aquarium, please donate beyond the admission fees. Big or small, a lot of these places operate on the generosity of everyday citizens. $5 could go a long way to help feed a few animals that day.

This is my second time visiting the zoo in the last two weeks because there was so much more to see. The Columbus zoo is a must for all families. We all must do our part to support these beautiful and amazing animals. If you're interested in doing volunteer work you only need to commit 45 hours within a full year. And the benefits are rewarding. This is a wonderful place to spend with friends and family. Host your next celebration here.