11/12/08

I love it

by aybin

What a place! I love it. Best service. Unique treatments. I will come again and again Will recomend to every body.

05/11/08

Long lines, poor food, horrible parking, disorganized staff

by ctdan

Our family went to the Zoo on a Sunday. Our visit started with parking on a city street at least a 1/4 mile away. This was the closest parking, with the promise of a shuttle to the zoo entrance.

We were offered no help or information by the parking staff (yes, this is official parking), and asked another family how long they had been waiting. After they rolled their eyes and said "a long time," we decided to hoof it with our two and four year old. Unfortunately, that walk set the tone for a tough day.

We stood in line for fifteen minutes to pay $12 for the priviledge of "parking," admission, and a stroller. We quickly got a stroller, and then stood in another line for the bathroom which was not very clean and did not have a changing station. We later found a family restroom that was clean and had a changing station nearby.

After a couple of hours of viewing animals, in well kept, nice exhibits, we found what appeared to be the largest restaurant in the park. There was easily ten minute, probably fifteen minute, lines and there were many families who found eating spots on the ground due to the lack of sufficient tables. We opted to pass on that, and found a smaller food stand. They had two lunch wraps on the menu as well as breakfast sandwiches with nearby seating. They were out of the wrap we ordered, and while waiting ten minutes for an egg sandwich, we observed the handler sneeze into her hand and continue serving.

We decided to call it a half-day and find a more customer-friendly environment. We stopped by the family restroom and discovered (due to the length of the ladies room line) it was being now being used as a general bathroom. After no help with a return shuttle, we walked the uphill 1/4 mile (past a closed entrance) to our car.

Overall, it seems like a pretty nice zoo. But, on this Sunday, it was horribly underequipped to handle half the number of visitors. Hopefully, that was simply a bad day for the zoo. It was for us.

11/13/06

Great for strollers

by asd4s

I love going here with my kids. It's got wide paved paths that make it easier if you have two stroller bound kids. We'll miss the elephants! I highly recommend getting the membership online before you go. This will allow you to park for free. Parking is VERY VERY EXPENSIVE otherwise.

• Pros: convenient, fun for kids
• Cons: expensive

America's oldest zoo has lions, tigers, bears and a primate exhibit you'll go ape over.

by Contributor

In Short
Despite the quaint old buildings, the zoo works hard to bring in the new. When the primate reserve burned down, the zoo turned tragedy into opportunity by shoveling resources into a new exhibit. Designed to resemble an abandoned timber mill, it offers lots of good vantage points for watching lemurs, langurs and orangutans. The big attraction, though, is the silverback gorilla--a mighty specimen that happily munches lettuce and picks his teeth, mere feet from zoo-goers.

03/23/06

a concrete hole for animals

by angelastar

I visited the Philadelphia Zoo for the first time today and I came out with a bitter taste in my mouth. It is a huge cage with more fences and electric inhibitors than animals. The elephants are stuck in a concrete hole, the monkeys and in the deepest state of depression while the staff of "the first zoo in America" thinks that sheets of paper on strings are great entertainment for those poor souls called "the wild". It is nothing to be proud of and nothing to take your kids to. The experience only got me angry and frustrated.

• Pros: close to city
• Cons: depressed animals, insane animals, concrete and fences

06/18/03

5 Generations

by PatriciaBlack

The Philadelphia Zoo has served 5 generations of my family and each generation has been happily entertained as well as educated.

There is always something new to see and do. I loved taking my grandsons to ride the elephants and the camels and I hope to take my great-grandaughter for the same rides this year!

• Pros: grounds, facilities, exhibits
• Cons: can be costly, handicap access, handicap scooter ren

06/18/03

about the wedding

by orangerudy

i was excited when i thought to get married at the zoo. the 1st time i called i got ahold of their rental depart. (they have a whole rental staff) they took all my info and promised to mail a package. needless to say, i never received anything and i could not get ahold of any person again, even though i left countless voicemails and emails. finally, after 6 weeks i finally got some info via email, but that was only after i stopped calling trying to get ahold of someone. i was very upset by this whole ordeal & would not trust them with something so important as my wedding. i've never experienced such poor customer service. i really hope they can fix this, as it seems like such a great thing. i cannot believe this made a top10 list of anything... (if it was for poor customer service...)

• Cons: customer service

06/18/03

Ceebella

by ceebella

I DO NOT recommend this location for a wedding.

They are unresponsive and highly unorganized. I am an event planner who plans up to 75 events per year. The Philadelphia Zoo does not value your time or your business. Unless you appreciate your phone calls un- returned for weeks, I would not suggest planning any sort of event in their facilities.

11/02/02

rememberthelollipopsandpolarbears

by sran_l

anyone who remembers standing 10 people deep infront of the old polar bear exhibit tossing lollipops in. remembers the excitement and anticipation of the splash. racing there to get in the front. feeding the animals in the childrens petting zoo. riding the elephants and donkeys. watching the balloons escape and float away. climbing on the elephants in the entrance. eating cotton candy. watching the lions and tigers pace. looking at some of the scariest ugliest creatures you'll ever see, safely from behind a glass wall.

• Pros: experience, fun, exhibits
• Cons: expensive, disabled accessablity, crowding

08/14/02

Animals are forever.

by archergurl

By far the best place to take the family in Philly is the Philadelphia Zoo! Where else can you gaze at lions, play with the lemurs and be eye to eye with a man-eating python all in an hour? Plus, baby animals, need I say more???

• Cons: expensive for familie