Honolulu Zoo

Came here on a Saturday and as I expected the parking was a bit crowded. I also came on the worst time of day, lunch time. The zoo parking lot is paid parking, with a few pay machines throughout the parking lot. Using the pay machine is super easy, just enter your license plate # & the # of hours you wish to stay. I always paid by CC & I use the text feature to remind me when my time is almost up. You can through text choose to extend your time as well for $1.50/hr. For the zoo admission I thought it was reasonably priced for residents. $10 for adults, $6 for 2yr + and under 2yr is free. So for me, my mother, sister and 4 kids (2 under 2) it was $42. I like that the zoo allows you to bring in your own food, but they do have a "food court" located by the playground outside of the Keiki Zoo. The zoo opened at 10am and offers those buggy strollers for rent, but you can use your own or bring in a wagon because it is a lot of walking for those with little ones. They had those spray mist fans for purchase at $16.99, I passed on that. Overall, my kids enjoyed the zoo looking at all the animals. Some enclosures were closed, but we were able to see the majority of the animals. If possible don't come between 12pm-2pm it is so hot and most of the animals go to hide from the sun so it took us a minute at each space to find the animal. If you have little ones, definitely stop by the keiki zoo and play ground. The keiki zoo had more animals that were easier for the kids to see and at certain times it's a petting zoo. The playground is big with 3 separate play areas under the nice shade of some huge trees. Great place to picnic while the kids play.

This place is huge! I loved seeing all the different kinds of trees *bonus points if you spot the sausage tree*. All the animals were out and the only thing we weren't able to see were the chimps. I recommend bringing a water bottle and comfortable shoes! With two kids, it took us about 3 hours to see everything as we took plenty breaks.

I like this zoo. The fact that Hawaii even has a zoo is already a great thing because there isn't much land available especially in Waikiki! It's not huge which might not be a bad idea because it wouldn't be overwhelming. If you visit everything, it can probably be done in 2-3 hours. If you live here and have kids, it's worth to get the membership because it's very affordable and the zoo has a playground where kids can go get some outdoor time, given there aren't many nice and safe playgrounds in urban Honolulu. The restaurant also serves some delicious and hot chicken strips, surprisingly. The zoo grounds aren't big but there are a lot of animals packed in the small space, given these animals aren't huge ones. I do wish the elephants and rhinos can get more roaming space though, but it doesn't seem like they aren't happy, at least to my non-zoologist perspective. I like how they had a lot of different terrariums for reptiles. They even have axolotls and an albino snake! i also enjoy sitting on the bench eating and waiting for the kookaburras to laugh. There are quite a number of different birds caged in the zoo, but don't forget to look around for the also equally beautiful wild birds living in Hawaii! I also enjoy the free-roaming peacock as the zoo resident by the playground, usually running after kids' fallen crumbs on the ground. Parking is at the adjacent paid lot, $1.50 per hour. If you pay with a cc, you can enter your phone number and have the option to extend your parking when they send you a text as your parking is close to expiration, which makes it very convenient if you wanna stay longer! However paying with cash would not have that option. Some machines look like they don't work with a black screen, but it might just need you to push some buttons and some patience to activate. Parking during weekends can be crazy and it's better to go there before the zoo opens to a secure parking spot.Don't forget to bring a hat, sunscreen and mosquito repellent. I got a few bites at the playground before. :-/

This is a zoo in the heart of Waikiki, easily walkable from most hotels. The exhibits were set up well with one easy path to follow along. The animals seemed well cared for and there was a good spread of different types of animals. This is a family friendly location and fairly inexpensive ($21 per adult). It was not busy on a Monday at opening time (10am). Note: the wild male peacock can be aggressive so take caution when they approach you.

We had a nice time at the zoo and we were not expecting anything elaborate. This zoo is small and there were not a lot of animals to see at the time we went (they were either gone or hiding).It was cool to see all the turtles and koi throughout just a little tougher to see the other animals. The price was a little high for it but there were other things for the little ones to do.

Great recent experience here!Lots of animals to see, cool enclosures, great souvenirs offered. Food and drinks available for purchase. Family friendly, weather permitting.Only $10 for Kama'aina. Perfect for your day in Waikiki!

Honolulu Zoo is a great, inexpensive activity--perfect for little ones! My 18-month-old son had a blast exploring. At first, we were a bit disappointed since we mostly saw birds, but as we walked further, we found plenty of fun animals. Some areas were under construction, but there was still a lot to see. The petting zoo, playground, and snack bar were nice additions, making it a well-rounded experience for families. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area with kids!

This zoo is deceptively larger than it looks. The outside may not look like much, but it looks great on the inside. They have a private commercial lot ($1.50/hour) available to park. There is also metered street parking within a reasonable walking distance as well. If you plan on getting there when they open, also plan on waiting. People start lining up to get in about 20 minutes before the zoo is opening. The line moved pretty well, but still took me about 10 to 15 minutes to get in.The zoo is designed in a circular layout and has just about every animal you would want in a zoo. There are lions, and tigers and bears. You will also find hungry, hungry hippos, giraffes, spider monkeys, komodo dragons, zebras, alligators, turtles, foxes, meerkats, rhinos, owls, tortoise, elephants, iguana, lizards, aardvark, cheetahs, lemurs, chimpanzees, orangoutangs, sloth, warthogs, flamingos, salamanders, storks, tucans, vultures, parrots, and an assortment of birds. The zoo is well laid out, but had a few exhibits closed due to construction during my visit.I really like the arrow signs lists the distance of major zoos that are most near to the Honolulu Zoo, with the closest being the San Diego Zoo at 2511 miles.The zoo has a playground area that has a large play structure with a canopy, bridge, and slide. There is also a small play structure with a canopy and a slide and a giant net climber. You will find benches along the playground paremeter for caregivers to sit and watch their littles. You will find the playground by the Cafe and lion exhibit. The cafe, Kapahulu Market, is small and has outdoor seating. You can order ahead if you like and just pick up. They serve burgers chicken tenders, salads and pizza.There is also an educational area called the Keiki (kids) Zoo, that looks like a farm and has farm animals such as geese, guinea pigs, lizards, turtles, pigs, goats, cow, llama and horse. You will also find a large koi pond in this area and and animal wash. It is billed as a place for kids to climb, touch, smell and experience.I only saw about three restroom areas and one water fountain at the park. I highly recommend bringing you own water bottle with you because it gets really hot here. The water here is way over priced at $6 per bottle.The zoo has picnic areas and green space to sit, eat and enjoy. I do wish they would have had more interactive exhibits and offered animal talks and experience like feed the giraffes or hug a sloth. Of course the zoo has a gift shop. You will find it at the entrance/exit. They have shirts, stuffed animals, toys, pencils, post cards magnets, hats, and much more. The stuff in there is a a bit over priced if you ask me though.The zoo is well maintained and landscaped and the staff there was friendly. There is a lot you see and do I spent about 2 hours there and you could easily spend a half day or so. I recommend checking out this place when you are in Waikiki and want a change of pace from the beach and shopping.

Took my kids here they had a good time burned some energy at the zoo they do have dip in dots and some water drinks for sale while walking

I wouldn't recommend coming here. Even if you had to kill time, i would go to the beach. Unfortunately some of the animal exhibits were closed. Lots of birds, which is cool but not what I'd like to pay to see at a zoo. The best part was it was not to crowed and the tropical environment made the experience a nice afternoon stroll. Gift shop is over priced