Woodland Park Zoo Seattle

A great park and a great zoo!

Woodland Park Zoo Seattle is one of my favorite places! The main loop is wide and sunny, but walking down some of the paths that lead off to the exhibits is like taking a path through the forest - or the jungle, depending on which "bioclimatic zone" you happen to be in! There are six of these zones. Each comes complete with the sights, sounds, plants, and animals that you might see in that part of the world. The Seattle zoo may be over 100 years old, but it has led the way in creating exhibits that try to mimic each animal's natural habitat.

Australasia Zone

Welcome to the Outback! A must-see is the Willawong Station. This is an indoor aviary filled with over 100 free-flying Australian birds such as parakeets, cockatoos, lorikeets, and lovebirds. It's a great place to take photos because you are right in there with the birds, up close and personal! You can pay $1 for a seed stick - a popsicle stick covered with birdseed - and have the birds eating right out of your hand!

African Savanna Zone

Wide open grassland where lions, giraffes, zebras, and hippos live. On most days, depending on the weather and how hungry they are, you can feed the giraffes from a raised platform. The African Village is a fun place to take photos of the kids. Have them climb into the huts made of branches and look out the window! Check the daily schedule for activities like storytelling or making beaded bracelets.

Northern Trail Zone

Update: The bald eagle exhibit is now closed. Stellar's sea eagles will take their place beginning February 2011. Sometimes you can see wild bald eagles nesting in the elk yard from the Elk Overlook or near the gray wolf exhibit.

You don't have to go to the zoo to see a bald eagle. In fact, I frequently see them circling high in the air above the interstate on my way to work. But you will probably never get this close to a bald eagle's nest anywhere else! It's huge - at least 6 feet across! The pair of bald eagles who live here were brought to the zoo injured. They have been nursed back to health but can no longer survive on their own in the wild.

Tropical Rain Forest

My personal favorite! I love to hang out in the forest enclosure where it's hot and muggy, the plants are dripping, the orchids are colorful, and the tropical birds fly around over my head!

Zoo Tunes

This is a popular series of outdoor concerts held in the zoo during the summer months of June, July, and August. Check the Zoo Tunes Concert Schedule for more info.

Other stuff to know about Woodland Park Zoo:

All through the zoo there are places to stop and sit for a while. Large rocks and bronze sculptures to climb on, small caves to crawl into, benches in the shade, and trees to climb - Woodland Park Zoo Seattle has them all. If you get hungry, the Rain Forest Food Pavilion serves sandwiches, salad, pizza, and burgers. There are snack huts and vending machines here and there as well. It's a little pricey - a soda is $3. They do allow you to bring in food from outside the zoo, so to help keep the cost down we pack a lunch and eat at one of the many picnic tables.

Look for new exhibits to appear at Woodland Park Zoo now and then. They recently added a flock of flamingos and remodeled the penguin exhibit.

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Save money on the Zoo and other attractions

• Space Needle
• Pacific Science Center
• Seattle Aquarium
• Experience Music Project
• Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour
• Woodland Park Zoo OR The Museum of Flight

I recommend the Seattle CityPASS - it will save you 51% off these 6 attractions, plus you can skip the lines. You'll save money if you go to at least three.

If you have other places on your list too, try the Entertainment Book for Seattle.

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For more information:
Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, WA
206-548-1536
www.zoo.org