A bit mundane and dated as far as zoos go, with not perfect conditions of the animals but still acceptable. A small bit pricey, but I would still recommend it. Will be busy most days, plan in advance.
Awesome zoo great wildlife the zoo keepers are so nice i love feeding the kangaroos and the kids did to I loved the souvenirs shop although it was a little pricy but it was a day out and who didn't spend money this is a wonderful place
Approximate cost: $500
Great Zoo, One of our fav places to visit in Melbourne. We do a round day trip just to go to the Zoo. Always super clean and Staff are welcoming.
Been to a number of zoos around the world and this is by far the the best one around. Animals seem well looked after and all staff are friendly and corteous.
One of the best zoos in the world. Melbourne Zoo offers an interactive zoo without putting the animals through demeaning displays. They host talks and have lots of enclosures where you can learn about animals, their unique traits and what we can do to help them in the wild. The gift store is wonderful too. Over the years they have increased their focus on highlighting lots of Eco friendly and fair trade gifts.
Love this zoo it's my kids favourite place to visit when in the area the lions are always a hit and the butterfly house is so enchanting best zoo in Aus by far
Best zoo in Australia. All the staff are really courteous and nice. Join the membership program as it pays for itself after three visits and the kids are free!
Love love love takin the kiddies to the zoo! They have such a fantastic range of animals and wildlife.
Approximate cost: $100
This is the massive & huge Zoo in Melbourne I guess. I had visited three zoos in Melbourne & this one i like the most as it is nicely planned & one find the Australian animals which are Kangaroos, Koalas, Emu here. I had taken a yearly membership as I have a kid & she enjoys the most.
Approximate cost: $210
My whole family loves coming to the zoo. It is still a great day out but the food is expensive and the parking time allowance isn't adequate for a day out.
I was at a function in the Leopard Room last night & between the function organisers & the Function Centre staff it was fabulous. Great spot, easy parking with entrance from the rear entrance. Well worth considering for any event especially the way the Zoo Functions team handled themselves.
I would only say that the value of this zoo is 4 stars is because I have a membership which allows me entry to 3 zoos, and allows my son to be on it for free. Otherwise the zoo is quite expensive. However getting the the zoo has always been easy with either going by car or train (which is just at the door step of the zoo) With parking only costing $2 for 5 hours this is great value and shows they are not willing to overcharge on parking. The staff here are great and personable. The elephant enclosures are great displaying 3 sections to have a look from. The zoo is currently under maintenance (August 2013) which made the zoo not as fun to get round or sitting down for lunch (with noisy tools) The last 3 times I have gone the hippos have always been laying down in the far distance, would be nice if there was a way to see these animals better (especially when Master 3 is dying to see certain animals) Some of the walking tracks isn't really pram friendly, with the wheels sometimes getting caught in holes etc. As a member I would like more information delivered to my email about activities going on at the zoo. Or even a suggestion of a schedule of events so we don't miss out on feeding times etc.
fantastic place we had a great day here took some friends kids along and they loved it we were able to walk around all the place and giggle at gorillas and have photos taken. Took our own lunch or it would have been too expensive parking was ok we went early by the time we got out it was jam packed.
I remember going to this zoo as a child, with my children and also with them now being adults. They have attended many a school excursion here & alwayas had an amazing day. I feel the map is easy to read, there are wheelchairs, prams for hire, plenty of eating places & lovely park areas if you opt to bring your own food. The zoo also offers twilight nights & has various bands playing from time to time. A great day to be had for the whole family.
We recently became zoo members. What an awesome place this is. the kids simply adore it. We always have a great time their. There's always something new to do or see. The staff seem invisible which is kinda nice
I am a "Friend of the Zoo" and I just love Melbourne Zoo. There is always something different to do (no matter how many times I go) and the exhibit are always changing. The emphasis on animal conservation is fantastic, and with each visit I always learn something new. I love the new indoor area for the kids, that allows them to pretend to be animal experts / professionals. The new playgrounds are also excellent fun.
My favourite part of the Zoo at the moment is the seal show. It is so educational and still very entertaining. I never grow tired of hearing Tarwin's amazing story.
With friend entry for kids under 4 all year round, and free entry of other children under 16 on weekends and school holidays is a very cheap day out.
Approximate cost: $100
pretty big space given that it's near the city, lots of areas to choose from - am a massive fan of the australian area, which is where i usually bring whenever i have someone new to melbourne
they have a penguin enclosure too which i found pretty nifty!
I did like this place before it was refurbished. I must be the only one, I know! But I find the more add ons the less you can actually view the animals. Other than that I do love it here and its the best place to take kids and/or tourists for a gander. Expensive but worth it.
I agree no longer a cheap/reasonable family outing but expensive and you can hardly see some animals in some of the exhibits.
I love Melbourne Zoo. It never gets old, and the atmosphere is always good. Situated not too far from Melbourne CBD, it sits on a slight hill and has many paths winding through the property, leading you to weird and wonderful (and some quite normal) animals. My favourite area is always the butterfly enclosure where you roam around with them as they randomly run into your face. There are plenty of monkeys and anything you could think of really. Well worth a visit, and is a family friendly venue. Bring your wallet though, it's not cheap to get in.
How lucky we are to have such a beautiful zoo so close.
The staff were great, helpful and friendly. Very clean, and great value as the kids were free on school holidays. A brilliant day had by all!!
Approximate cost: $26
Yes I agree. It's a great place to take the kids.
This Zoo is great. I've been to a fair few zoos in the world including Singapor'es acclaimed Singapore Zoo and I prefer this one. The animals are well cared for and they have lots of different shows where they demonstrate natural habits rather than forcing them to behave un-naturally. We enjoyed it
I found this to be a great experience to visit and take an opportunity to get away from the city and be surrounded by animals. It's probably a good idea just to take a day out to visit the Melbourne Zoo, they have a huge number of exhibit and cover a great area so it's nice to make a lovely, leisurely excursion out of it.
I love visiting Zoo ... I have been visiting Melbourne zoo about 3 - 4 times now ... Its a good zoo for tourist to pay a visit for .. because it has variety of animals .. easy to get around .. and there is a place for visitors to grab a bite ..
An excellent experience and well worth a visit.
lots of animals, great enclosures, easy to get around and a really great family environment.
We loved the elephants and butterfly house the best!
Pack lunch and snacks; there is food and drink there but is
pricey.
As with all zoo's it can be expensive to take the family but kids are free on weekends/ public/ school holidays. Of course it's quieter during the week but the great initiative of making free time means that its more affordable for families.
Pretty good parking and a good, reasonable priced shop.
Take your kids - they'll love it! and you will too ;)
Approximate cost: $26 Adults
I thoroughly enjoyed my most recent visit to the Melbourne Zoo! There were so many animals to view with my favourites being the butterfly house and the asian elephants.
The animals appeared relaxed in their spacious enclosures - I wasn't sure if the animal enclosures would be adequate enough for the animals to be in good condition but was impressed.
I would definitely recommend allowing a whole day to enable you to wander around exploring the animal exhibits at your own pace. Also, they have cafes there that you can purchase food from however it is quite overpriced. You'd be better off bringing your own drinks and snacks from home.
Approximate cost: $26
We love the zoo, and have been members of the Friends Of The Zoo for years. The range of animals on display is quite large, though some of them you'll struggle to see (like the tigers, and the Pygmy hippo for instance). The enclosures are amazing - particularly the elephant, orangutan, and the new seal enclosure. It's a big day, so if you've got really young ones then make sure you've got something to wheel them around in because they'll get tired and you'll end up carrying them otherwise. Plenty of places to buy food and drink but it's all really expensive so you're better off bringing a packed lunch. The Zoo is a great place to spend a few hours with the kids. Love it.
I love the Zoo, and it's so close to the city. It's pretty good now with the renovations. I enjoy the Lion enclosure the most.
for something different how about having your wedding photos taken at Melb Zoo? great experience we had! :)
enjoyable day out for families and everyone
lots of walking to do, so wear sneakers
lovely grounds for picnics or lovely cafe serving nice meals
The Zoo Twilight Series if fantastic. Get there early and bring a comfy chair. Great entertainers on stage and wonderful setting with the animals in the background. On a warm night, a glass of vino and seeing a great show it's terrific
I went to Melbourne Zoo once last year. I love animals, so I am always concerned about the treatment of the animals. Well, I can say this place looks clean and very well organized.
I enjoyed our visit. We got lucky as we had a good view to experience the lion feeding, which was quite exciting. Also the new monkey enclosure seems to be a fantastic playground for the animals. Personally I found the most interesting part to be the gorillas.
Unfortunately the entry fee is a bit expensive, but it is alright. I'd definitely recommend the zoo to every Melbourne visitor.
Approximate cost: $AUD 19