Smithsonian National Zoological Park

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The Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute demonstrates leadership in animal care, science, education and sustainability. Twitter: @NationalZoo #WeSaveSpecies

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Address: 3001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA

Phone: (202) 633-4888

Website

State: District of Columbia

City: Washington

Zip Code: 20008

Opening Hours

Monday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Update Info

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Reviews

Visited in October. Very much worth it (especially since it's free). Lots of wonderful exhibits on display. Especially enjoyed the farm animal exhibit where the worker was nice enough to let us see the Donkey up close and talk to us about caring for the animals. All the staff were very friendly. My only complaint was given it was weekday there were tons of school children, and unfortunately, many of the teachers / chaperones seemed more interested in socializing than keeping an eye on the students. On a few occasions we were nearly knocked over by kids running around... Not so much a reflection on the zoo itself, but on the teachers that can't be bothered to do their jobs. Overall, the zoo is a wonderful Treasure we are lucky to have.

 9 years ago (01-02-2018)

A pleasant zoo though several animals were hibernating or just "not home." A good portion of the zoo needs a facelift with small confines. The visitor center is very outdated. I did however appreciate some of the renovations that were made to areas like the seals area. Very nice! Some of the new signage, like the zebra signage, is very well done. 

Zoo staff we encountered we're all very helpful and friendly.  

I'll definitely go on one of our next trips.

 8 years ago (26-02-2018)

I love the zoo! If you go during feeding time, you get to see the animals interact. It's great that all the Smithsonian museums and attractions are free. It's kind of out of the way from the National Mall but if you have a chance to go, I would recommend it. But if your only in DC a few days, I would say that your experience to see new things would be better off going to the different monuments and museums. The zoo is like any other zoo you can go to at any major city. It would be great for kids if kids find the museums boring, but experience wise, you might want to check out places that you'll only be able to find in DC!

 8 years ago (11-02-2018)

I am generally not a fan of zoos, so I have issues with some of the exhibits, the small mammal house is my least favorite. However, there are some great educational opportunities there at the National Zoo. Having spent some time in Africa and understanding the pressures that elephants in the wild face from poachers, I do not mind the elephant exhibits and I support the Zoo's conservation efforts. It is worth the trip to the Zoo to see the Pandas. The exercise you gain by having to walk up the hill to the back of the Zoo to see the Pandas are a plus! The Zoo is well maintained and the exceptional staff are really focused on caring for the animals there at the Zoo and supporting conservation efforts for their counterparts in the wild. So take the whole family for a great educational experience!

 9 years ago (21-01-2018)

It was super cold when we went but still it was easier to navigate cause not a lot of people. The tiger and lion exhibits were amazing. The staff was walking around the entire zoo and if they would see you with a particular animal, they would approach and give you the facts about them. It's was great when you have 8year old twins asking about the animals. The new huge tiger that they have is super imposing and beautiful. The panda area is great, you could see the mom, the dad and the teen baby, while we were there they got snacks and it was super cute how they came by being called by their name and they knew about the snacks just like a doggie. Just adorable! The inside of the House of Ape was great, so intense to be able to get that close to them. The kids had a blast, but there is a lot of walking and at the beginning at least they have a shuttle that will take you back to the parking lot instead of having to walk it all over again, so that was kudos for me!!

 8 years ago (18-02-2018)

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