Oklahoma City Zoo

Took my 2 year old to the zoo for the first time today and was really disappointed. Almost every exhibit was closed. The only exhibits that were open were the exhibits that you had to pay extra money for, for the most part, go figure! I really do think that they should have to disclose which exhibits are closed on their website so visitors know what to expect prior to their visit. I feel like they do not disclose this so they gain money regardless of what’s opened or not. I know they do not feel bad about this because all that they care about is your money. That’s why they state that there are no refunds. Well, I honestly think everyone that went to the zoo should get half off their admission fee because over half of the zoo was blocked off completely! I spent 40 dollars for a visit that lasted an hour. That’s how long it took to see every exhibit that was not closed. So I fell like I paid to walk around instead of viewing the animals. This zoo has really gone down hill since 2012. I promise I’ll never be back.

My husband and I did the Bear Encounter, Sea Lion Encounter, Elephant Encounter, and the Galapagos Tortoise Encounter. We drove 5 hours 30 minutes for them, and it was more than worth it. They really are once-in-a-lifetime experiences. What a fabulous way to get people to connect with these animals, such personal interactions inspire people to care about their wild friends and conserve them. The guides and the zookeepers are all AMAZING! Super fun to talk to, educational, great energy, people of all ages had a great experience. The animals have lovely enclosures and the importance placed on enrichment made me happy. These folks dedicate their lives to ensure the animals here all live a great quality of life. The animals are greatly respected and everyone made sure the animals were comfortable and safe, nothing forced, everything is positive reinforcement and on their terms. Highly recommended.

This zoo was pretty nice. It was clean and not too busy. We saw pretty much all the animals. We stopped and ate at the food place near the lion area and ate some chicken fried steak sandwiches that were pretty tasty. The other food location next to the rhino's serves some delicious soft-serve ice cream. Reminded us of Dairy Queen. We had a lot of fun. I'd recommend stopping by the children's area and carousel too if you have kids.

Considering the demographics and population, they did a really good job with this place. Much larger than I had anticipated, I was impressed by the quality and quantity of their exhibits, as well as the unique variety of specimens in each. My niece enjoyed the opportunity to interact physically with both flying and aquatic elements as well. The waterfall and water fountain area offers visitors a fine reprieve from the Oklahoma heat. For those a bit more more rambunctious, several structures are available to either climb, spin, slide or scramble about on to expend that excess energy, while those wishing they had a bit more instead can appreciate the convenient seating placed throughout where one might enjoy some rest or a refreshment from a nearby vendor. Overall, I feel the environment offers up some quality entertainment and would prove to be an enjoyable experience for anyone with an appreciation for the biodiversity sharing this planet, whether they be young in years or young at heart.

What can I say? It's the zoo! This place just invokes good feelings and happiness. The zoo has been going through some wonderful upgrades and I am happy to see bigger and better enclosures for the animals and more spacious exhibits. The zoo has been wonderful with their fund raisers. From Wine in the wild to the Lights festival, there is always something new going on at the zoo.