The LA Zoo is a great place to spend the day with the family. It will always be compared to its world renown neighbour to the south but it's a fraction of the cost of the San Diego Zoo and compares admirably. The orangutan, gorilla and chimp exhibits alone are worth the price of admission. I make a habit of visiting zoo's in every city I visit and the LA Zoo is aging quite gracefully thanks to some recent upgrades and ongoing improvements. I don't think that I have encountered a better primate display anywhere. Best time to visit is spring - March through May - the weather is cooler and the animals are active. It can get pretty hot at Griffith Park in the summer and if there are promotions during the weekend it can become crowded. The park is hilly, but not any more so than San Diego. A family of 4 can get in for $30 - San Diego will run you about 4-5 times that (depending on which package you opt for). A couple of small exhibits not to be missed include the snow leopard and kamodo dragon . The park is not well set up for the small tram that they have on site; so I don't recommend it. Food is the normal tourist expensive fare - if on a budget bring your own bottled water and head to the Mahale cafe for a chibata sandwich (filling enough for two adults), two bags of chips and a pizza for the kids to share - feed the family for under twenty bucks!

The L.A. Zoo is great. If you love animals, being outdoors and exercise, this is the perfect place to go. The only downfall are the onslaught of obese America in herds pushing their adult children in strollers and looking miserable. If you can get around them, you'll have a wonderful time!

We went to the Los Angeles zoo on our final day of our LA vacation last week. It was a really nice day in the 60's. They had many different kinds of animals. If you are looking for something different to do In LA especially after doing alot of the more popular attractions try the zoo. In my opinion this is good with kids or without.

I love it so much, I visit it often ... very often. First, I need to walk ... so, I figure, why not walk at the zoo?! It keeps my interest, and there is always something for me to learn or see. There is not only some very interesting creatures, there are pathways with beautiful greens, trees, and flowers.

I am particularly fond of the primates, especially the great apes, as well as the lions, tigers, snow leopards, Desert Bighorn Sheep, Maned Wolf, and Snowy Egret. Campo Gorilla Reserve and the Red Ape Rain Forest that houses the orangutans are musts for me. I've gotten to know all the Gorillas and Orangutans by name.

Kelly is the big silverback and troop leader of the gorilla family group which also consists of Evelyn Rapunzel, and his daughter Glenda. Auntie Evelyn and Glenda can be very social, while Rapunzel keeps a motherly eye on Glenda, and Kelly keeps tabs on the "goings on." There is also a bachelor gorilla pad which houses Hasani (a new silverback) and his younger half-brother Jabari.

The Rain Forest is home to six Orangutans. Bruno is a very large male Bornean-Sumatran Hybrid. Minyak is a large who came to the zoo several years ago very ill with a chronic lung infection and very depressed. Minyak has since had surgery and gets regular breathing treatments, and he is doing so well that he fathered 4 yr old Berani with Kalim. Minyak is now paired up with Rosie, who is Kalim's half-sister. Rosie's mother, Eloise (40 yrs old) was born at the zoo. She has cerebral palsy and mental disabilities, but does incredibly well. She is such a joy to watch. Though she does things slowly, she does most of the things the other adults do. She also had several other off-spring. Berani often keeps crowds busy with her antics ... but, then again, so does her very mischievous mother Kalim.

The 13 chimps can really be a handful. They are quite a dynamic group. As in the wild, the males are always fighting for the alpha spot.

Individuals can get full year memberships for as low as $45, couples for $60, and families for $75.

The best days to come are weekdays during the fall, winter, and spring when the children are in school. There are only a few visitors at those times with whom to contend. School groups normally leave by 1 or 2 pm, and so there are even fewer by 2pm.