Zoo Bucket List

AlmightyKingPrawn

AlmightyKingPrawn

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
What zoos do you want to go to that you haven't yet? Personally, I was going to go to the Georgia Aquarium and Zoo Atlanta (as well as other things in Atlanta) the week after everything shut down in March. I still wanna go. The more likely upcoming trip (no need for flights, just a 2 day road trip) is the Henry Doorly Zoo. It looks incredible and I may very well be heading there soon.
Other places that aren't set in stone yet:
Binder Park Zoo: an AZA place in my home state I haven't been to yet. This takes priority over the Potter Park Zoo and Sea Life Michigan as apparently those places are quite small. I've never actually fed a giraffe before, maybe I'll do it here.
Toronto Zoo: my mom has an enhanced licence, yet I've only been to Canada once when I was 5. Might be cool to check out.
African Lion Safari: idk how to feel about this place despite the closeness to my house due to the elephant rides. With many zoochatters reassuring me that for these specific guys it's not unlike a horse in terms of how they're trained I think I will go with my mom someday.
Cincinatti Zoo: gotta see Fiona someday!
Akron Zoo: dad stated he wanted to take me to Akron someday for all the weird novelty stores. Cue me mentioning there's a zoo, albeit a small one. Dad said it's definitely happening.
National Zoo/Philadelphia Zoo: one of my possible trips with dad is a joint DC/Philadelphia trip. Gotta check out those zoos! Zoo360 looks insane.
Saint Louis Zoo: free, and one of the best in the country apparently. We have to check it out.
Zootampa/Lowry Park/Whatever ya wanna call it and the Florida Aquarium: yet another possible trip is to Tampa, not for the theme parks (we probably can't afford Busch Gardens) but for the nature! We'll look for wildlife and maybe guarantee seeing some at the zoo and aquarium.
Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum: dad said that if we ever go out west it'll be to see the deserts of Arizona. I've heard good things about this place. It might be cool, especially as I've never been to a desert zoo before.
Tennessee Aquarium: when I mentioned long ago that I was going to Atlanta, one of mom's friends said that she loved the aquarium and thought it was the second best she's ever seen after "one in Tennessee". Idk if she meant the Tennessee Aquarium or the Ripleys Aquarium of the Smokeys, but the former interests me more.
 
Top 10:
  • San Diego Zoo
  • Bronx Zoo
  • Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium
  • Saint Louis Zoo
  • Columbus Zoo & Aquarium
  • Singapore Zoo
  • Zoo Berlin
  • Toronto Zoo
  • Schoenbrunn Zoo
  • San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Zoos near me I haven't been to:
  • Elmwood Park Zoo
  • Lehigh Valley Zoo
 
Mine is certainly extensive, but here goes!

Top 15-

-Columbus Zoo
-Omaha Zoo
-Pairi Daiza
-Burger’s Bush
-Bronx Zoo
-Singapore Zoo
-Georgia Aquarium
-Australia Zoo
-Cincinnati Zoo
-Living Desert
-London Zoo
-St Louis Zoo
-Shedd Aquarium
-Toronto Zoo
-Pueblo Zoo ( So I can have all Colorado AZA Facilities Under My Belt)
 
Zoos near me that I will end up visiting:
-ZooAquarium Madrid
-Oceanografic
-TerraNatura Benidorm
-Selwo Aventura
-Bioparc Fuengirola
European zoos:
-Tierpark Berlin
-Zoo Berlin
-Walsrode Weltvogelpark
-Pairi Daiza
-Praha zoo
Outside Europe:
-San Diego zoo Safari park
-San Diego zoo
-Jurong bird park
-Night safari
-Singapore zoo
-River safari
-Uganda Wildlife Education Centre
 
A lot of the beloved "great" zoos are on my list because I've left my state only a handful of times - fingers crossed that someday that changes! Plus a few oddball picks are mixed in here as well.

Living Desert
The easiest to do by far. I only became aware of Living Desert a few years ago (completely flew under my radar) and I've fallen in love with it from afar. Painted dogs and jaguars are a big motivator for me :)

San Diego Zoo + San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Two of the more achievable zoos, only 4.5 hours away. It's more a matter of having the money + time to really do this pair justice, ideally multiple days.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum / Phoenix Zoo / Reid Park Zoo
My brother and sister-in-law have been planning a Southwest birding/sightseeing/zoo road-trip with me for the past year and if it happens I'd love to hit all three of these in the process.

Bronx Zoo / Columbus Zoo and Aquarium / Georgia Aquarium / Omaha Zoo
Classic "best" facilities that look incredible from afar and would be high priority if I ever get the chance. Congo Gorilla Forest, Heart of Africa, manta rays + whale sharks, Omaha's Desert Dome and wonderful new snow leopard exhibit are all big draws for me.

Cincinnati Zoo / Oregon Zoo / Woodland Park Zoo
Not as high priority, but I really like these regardless. Individual exhibits like Woodland Park's jaguars and Oregon's Great Northwest, Fiona the hippo, more excuses to see Asian elephants, etc etc.

Chester Zoo / Zoo Zürich
I'm not super knowledgeable about zoos outside the USA, but these are the two big bucket listers. Chester is just well loved all around, and Secret Life of the Zoo has endeared me to it. Zoo Zürich has their Masoala Rainforest, and the pictures alone have blown my mind. I love Madagascan fauna and flora so something that dedicated to it really resonated with me.
 
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DaLilFishie said:
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Georgia Aquarium
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
Fukushima Aquamarine
Numazu Deepsea Aquarium
Click to expand...

If you're ever in California, Monterey is really worth the trip. I visited November 2019 for the first time in twelve years, and it was just as enchanting as I remembered. I don't know if it can compare to Georgia Aquarium in terms of spectacle (cetaceans, Ocean Voyager) but when it comes to exhibit design, how cozy and enriching the experience is, and the great location (wild cetaceans from the outer deck on occasion), it's in a class all its own.
 
Xenarthra said:
A lot of the beloved "great" zoos are on my list because I've left my state only a handful of times - fingers crossed that someday that changes! Plus a few oddball picks are mixed in here as well.

Living Desert
The easiest to do by far. I only became aware of Living Desert a few years ago (completely flew under my radar) and I've fallen in love with it from afar. Painted dogs and jaguars are a big motivator for me :)

San Diego Zoo + San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Two of the more achievable zoos, only 4.5 hours away. It's more a matter of having the money + time to really do this pair justice, ideally multiple days.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum / Phoenix Zoo / Reid Park Zoo
My brother and sister-in-law have been planning a Southwest birding/sightseeing/zoo road-trip with me for the past year and if it happens I'd love to hit all three of these in the process.

Bronx Zoo / Columbus Zoo and Aquarium / Georgia Aquarium / Omaha Zoo
Classic "best" facilities that look incredible from afar and would be high priority if I ever get the chance. Congo Gorilla Forest, Heart of Africa, manta rays + whale sharks, Omaha's Desert Dome and wonderful new snow leopard exhibit are all big draws for me.

Cincinnati Zoo / Oregon Zoo / Woodland Park Zoo
Not as high priority, but I really like these regardless. Individual exhibits like Woodland Park's jaguars and Oregon's Great Northwest, Fiona the hippo, more excuses to see Asian elephants, etc etc.

Chester Zoo / Zoo Zürich
I'm not super knowledgeable about zoos outside the USA, but these are the two big bucket listers. Chester is just well loved all around, and Secret Life of the Zoo has endeared me to it. Zoo Zürich has their Masoala Rainforest, and the pictures alone have blown my mind. I love Madagascan fauna and flora so something that dedicated to it really resonated with me.
Click to expand...
Have you been to Shedd Aquarium? I know a lot of ZooChatters consider it to be better than Georgia and I consider it to be the best zoo/aquarium I have ever visited.
 
ThatOneZooGuy said:
-Burger’s Bush
Click to expand...

This is just part of the zoo ;)

Otherwise, SDZ, Columbus, ASDM and Shedd in North America, Prague, Plzen, Berlin Tierpark and Moscow in Europe and Beijing and Singapore (however many zoos they have there now :D) in Asia. :)

If I had to timeline the order in which I think I will visit new zoos:

Next couple of years: Potentially Prague and Berlin Tierpark. A few German zoos possibly.
3-4 years: Bronx, Philly, National. A couple in the Benelux if I'm lucky.
5-10 years: California, US Mid-West maybe. Moscow? Beijing? Singapore? Who knows.
 
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I want to See as Most Zoos in my Life as i can but my number 1 Zoo I want to visit next is Zoo Zürich.
I think the massive masoala hall, the Elephant park, aquarium House and snow Leopard and Siberian Tiger Enclosures are fascinating.
I Hope to visit Zoo Zürich next year. And If i do It i Plan to document the Exhibits and Animals as good as i can.


Other Zoos i want to visit are Hopefully some day

River Safari
Columbus Zoo
Zoo Vienna
Zoo Wroclaw because the fascinating afrycarium
Zoo Berlin because panda cubs, kagus, Kiwis and cassowarys are great

Zoo singapore
Toronto Zoo
Valencia bioparc
Pairi daiza
Georgia Aquarium because Whale Sharks and Giant Manta rays omg


And so much more

I could Talk days about this................





.
 
next 3-4 years
Prague Zoo
Vienna Zoo
Szeged Zoo(revisit)
Veszprém Zoo(revisit)
Bratislava Zoo
Jászberény Zoo

next 10 years
Pécs Zoo
Zagreb Zoo
Leipzig Zoo
Salzburg Zoo
Alpenzoo Inssbruck
Zoo Zürich
Tierpark Friedrichsfelde
Zoo Berlin

next 20 years
Burgers Zoo
Diergaarde Blijdorp
Apenheul
Chester Zoo
London Zoo
Durrel's Wildlife Conservation Trust
Zoo Bojnice
Zoo Zlin
Zoo Kosice
Zoo Ostrava
 
For me it would definitely have to be:

San Diego Zoo
Australia Zoo
Shedd Aquarium
Memphis Zoo
Pairi Daiza
All the Singapore Parks

My family is planning on going to San Diego for Christmas to see family, so fingers crossed we can actually go.
 
birdsandbats said:
Have you been to Shedd Aquarium? I know a lot of ZooChatters consider it to be better than Georgia and I consider it to be the best zoo/aquarium I have ever visited.
Click to expand...

I actually didn't know much about Shedd, but between you pointing it out and the fact that it has popped up multiple times in this thread, I looked into it and wow it's on the list now.

Just goes to show that it's a big world with lots of amazing places. Despite knowing about locations like Osaka and Dubai Aquarium, I somehow was only passingly familiar with a beloved aquarium in my own backyard (by comparison) :D
 
I have quite a bucket list myself. If I had to make a top ten...

Honorable mentions:
• Taronga Zoo (re-visit)
• Orana Wildlife Park
• Leipzig Zoo
• Toronto Zoo

10- Loro Parque Tenerife
Seeing killer whales in the flesh, as well as species-hunting rare parrots, gives this zoo this position.

9- Brookfield Zoo
Something about this zoo draws me in, perhaps the fact that it's both a historical zoo and its very complete collection earn it points. Also, Orinoco crocodiles FTW.

8- Crocodiles of the World
Crocodiles have long been my favorite animal, and I'd love to see how the passion for these animals can result in a fully-fledged zoo.

7- Australia Zoo
Always been a huge admirer of the Irwins (not so much his impersonators, save Nigel Marven), so visiting their very own zoo would be a real gift.

6- Shedd Aquarium
Chicago returns, with more Orinoco crocs and, as far as I can tell, one of the absolute best aquariums on the planet, only topped by...

5- Georgia Aquarium
It has it all. Just thinking about seeing those whale sharks right there in front of me is beyond my wildest dreams.

4- Tierpark Schönbrunn
The oldest zoo in Europe, its combination of quaint vintage architecture and the sheer size of its collection are absolutely irresistible. I would go there in a heartbeat.

3- San Diego Zoo
Known worldwide as the best zoo in America, there is a lot of things that draw me to this place like a magnet; vast amount of animals, unique ideas for exhibits... All amazing. Must admit that Elephant Odyssey is holding it back a spot though.

2- Chester Zoo
The n.1 zoo in the UK is n.2 here! Ever since my thwarted attempt to go there in 2008, I've been positively itching to finally go there, especially considering just how much it has grown since then.

1- TIE: Berlin Zoo-Aquarium and Berlin Tierpark.
I visited the former when I was young, and in a massive hurry, only about an hour. It's honestly a life goal at this point to return and witness arguably the ultimate catalyst of the diversity of animal life in a single city.
 
JigerofLemuria said:
I have quite a bucket list myself. If I had to make a top ten...

Honorable mentions:
• Taronga Zoo (re-visit)
• Orana Wildlife Park
• Leipzig Zoo
• Toronto Zoo

10- Loro Parque Tenerife
Seeing killer whales in the flesh, as well as species-hunting rare parrots, gives this zoo this position.

9- Brookfield Zoo
Something about this zoo draws me in, perhaps the fact that it's both a historical zoo and its very complete collection earn it points. Also, Orinoco crocodiles FTW.

8- Crocodiles of the World
Crocodiles have long been my favorite animal, and I'd love to see how the passion for these animals can result in a fully-fledged zoo.

7- Australia Zoo
Always been a huge admirer of the Irwins (not so much his impersonators, save Nigel Marven), so visiting their very own zoo would be a real gift.

6- Shedd Aquarium
Chicago returns, with more Orinoco crocs and, as far as I can tell, one of the absolute best aquariums on the planet, only topped by...

5- Georgia Aquarium
It has it all. Just thinking about seeing those whale sharks right there in front of me is beyond my wildest dreams.

4- Tierpark Schönbrunn
The oldest zoo in Europe, its combination of quaint vintage architecture and the sheer size of its collection are absolutely irresistible. I would go there in a heartbeat.

3- San Diego Zoo
Known worldwide as the best zoo in America, there is a lot of things that draw me to this place like a magnet; vast amount of animals, unique ideas for exhibits... All amazing. Must admit that Elephant Odyssey is holding it back a spot though.

2- Chester Zoo
The n.1 zoo in the UK is n.2 here! Ever since my thwarted attempt to go there in 2008, I've been positively itching to finally go there, especially considering just how much it has grown since then.

1- TIE: Berlin Zoo-Aquarium and Berlin Tierpark.
I visited the former when I was young, and in a massive hurry, only about an hour. It's honestly a life goal at this point to return and witness arguably the ultimate catalyst of the diversity of animal life in a single city.
Click to expand...
If you like crocs it sounds like you need to visit St. Augustine.

Shedd's only crocodillians are American Alligators. It's Brookfield that has the Orinocos.
 
birdsandbats said:
If you like crocs it sounds like you need to visit St. Augustine.

Shedd's only crocodillians are American Alligators. It's Brookfield that has the Orinocos.
Click to expand...
Right! St. Augustine is also up there... Add it to the honorable mentions. Shedd will keep its place; it still looks absolutely breathtaking! :D
 
Hope y'all don't mind a long list...

In USA
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
Woodland Park Zoo
Zoo Atlanta
Georgia Aquarium
San Antonio Zoo
SeaWorld San Antonio
SeaWorld Orlando
Aquatica Orlando
Busch Gardens Tampa
Oakland Zoo
Oklahoma City Zoo
Nashville Zoo
Memphis Zoo
Minnesota Zoo
Oregon Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo
Sedgwick County Zoo
Kansas City Zoo
Topeka Zoo
Pittsburgh Zoo
Roger Williams Park Zoo
Omaha Zoo
Indianapolis Zoo
Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park
Jacksonville Zoo
Phoenix Zoo
Reid Park Zoo
ABQ Biopark
Denver Zoo
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
North Carolina Zoo

Outside USA
Vancouver Aquarium
Singapore Zoo
Singapore Night Safari
Singapore River Safari
Australia Zoo
Taronga Zoo
Melbourne Zoo
Perth Zoo
London Zoo
Whipsnade Zoo
Edinburgh Zoo
Chester Zoo
Howletts Wild Animal Park
Colchester Zoo
Port Lympne Zoo
Dublin Zoo
Berlin Zoo
Berlin Tierpark
Hagenbeck Tierpark
Hellabrun Zoo
Duisburg Zoo
Cologne Zoo
Leipzig Zoo
Frankfurt Zoo
Tiergarten Schonbrunn
Lisbon Zoo
Lisbon Oceanarium
Zoo Aquarium de Madrid
L'Oceanogràfic
Barcelona Zoo
Loro Parque
Cabarceno Natural Park
Paris Zoological Park
Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes
Marineland Antibes
Zoopark de Beauval
Borås Djurpark
Pairi Daiza
Antwerp Zoo
Planckendael
Natura Artis Magistra Zoo
Diergaarde Blijdorp
Copenhagen Zoo
Wildland Emmen
Bioparc di Roma
Attica Zoo
Zurich Zoo
Zoo Basel
Prague Zoo
Moscow Zoo
Askania Nova
 
These are the only that come to mind / stand out as being zoos I really would like to visit once in my life:

Cali Zoo -Colombia (To see mountain tapir / white footed marmosets etc)

Jersey Zoo-UK (Because of its conservation work)

ZOODOM-Dominican Republic (To see the solenodon)

As you can see it isn't the longest list and is a bit boring but I'm really much more into seeing wildlife in the wild than in zoos (though I definitely don't turn my nose up at visiting a zoo during travels).
 
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