The zoo is free for all and closes at 1700. The staff are friendly and helpful. Restrooms and pathways are well maintained given the zoo is free for all. We went on a Sunday with an infant and a toddler. We couldn’t find parking near the zoo so we parked in the street near turtle park across the zoo. It was about 5-7 mins walk to the zoo’s south entrance. Almost every area we went to had a wheelchair/stroller access which was amazing. There are lots of eating options but you may have to stand in line for long depending on the crowd. We didn’t get the adventure pass and paid separately for the train ride, 4D theatre, and carousel ride. That was our mistake and could’ve saved some dollars there. We were there for 4 hours and still couldn’t visit all areas but we were also with kids and ate at one of the restaurants in the zoo. Also, the turtle park is great for kids.
We went during a cold rainy day, so not all the animals were out. But the ones that were looked healthy. Great enrichment and enclosures. A few look like they need updated. And that's why we purchased in the gift shop to help fund improvements and the animals.
To say this zoo is amazing is an understatement! It’s free to get it! If you have kids, I recommend getting the adventure pass. It’s $12.95 a person at the zoo and includes ALL of the extra expenses. You would spend WAY more that $13 on those. This zoo has a great flow to it. We went when Oktoberfest was going on, so it was definitely fun for the whole family!!
We’ve been to the Louisville Zoo and Cincinnati Zoo...but STL Zoo is by far our fav!! The exhibits are well maintained, clean restrooms and clean park, pleasant staff, the adventure pass is accurately priced...the food was a bit pricey, more so than expected, but it is what it is. The animals seem cared for and when we went, they were so active and enjoyable to watch!
We all loved the St Louis Zoo! Parking is $15 or you can stop at Turtle Playground and park there for free and just walk a very short walk to the zoo. Admission is free but I highly recommend the Adventure Pass for $12.95 epically if you have small children ( we have a 6 year old). With the pass you get to ride the train & carousel, and you get to visit the children's zoo, 4d theater as well as watch the sea lion show and pet the stingrays. No one ever scanned our adventure bracelets so I think we could have done everything multiple times if we would have had time. We spent most of the day here and probably would have stayed till they closed at 5 had it not been for the rain. All the staff we encountered were so friendly and helpful in helping us get to where we were looking for. We ate at the Lakeside Café, we had the chicken strip basket, Bacon Cheeseburger basket and nachos. Everything was good. The line was kind of long but we got our food quick. The quesadillas looked really good. The zoo seemed to be well maintained and clean. Overall a great time, we will definitely be back to visit!
