Your Top 10 Zoos

The ranking doesn’t necessarily indicate quality, but these are my personal favorites:

1. Toronto
2. San Diego
3. San Diego Safari Park
4. Columbus
5. Cincinnati
6. Bronx
7. Cleveland Metroparks
8. Lincoln Park
9. Detroit
10. Toledo
 
Half of these rankings I missed a portions of the zoos, for example lied jungle at Omaha or the children’s zoo at SDZ. They are each in order of personal ranking:
1. Omaha Zoo
2. San Diego Safari Park
3. San Diego Zoo
4. Columbus Zoo
5. Saint Louis Zoo
6. Memphis Zoo
7. Indianapolis Zoo
8. Atlanta Zoo
9. Cleveland Zoo
10. Cincinnati Zoo
 
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1.Rotterdam zoo (blijdorp) Great collection
2. Burger zoo, The indoor rainforrest and indoor desert are amazing
3.Randers Regnskov Tropical Zoo , The indoor rainforest
4.pairi daiza , collection and theme
5. Duisburg zoo , river dolphin
6. Old emmen zoo (closed), collection
7. Prague zoo , collection
8. Bush gardens zoo , first theme park zoo I visted
9.Universeum (Gotenburg zoo/ science center idk ) , the diffrent climate zones
10. Singapore Night Safari
 
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gerome said:
1.Rotterdam zoo (blijdorp) Great collection
2. Burger zoo, The indoor rainforrest and indoor desert are amazing
3.Randers Regnskov Tropical Zoo , The indoor rainforest
4.pairi daiza , collection and theme
5. Duisburg zoo , river dolphin
6. Old emmen zoo (closed), collection
7. Prague zoo , collection
8. Bush gardens zoo , first theme park zoo I visted
9.Universeum (Gotenburg zoo/ science center idk ) , the diffrent climate zones
10. Singapore Night Safari
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Although I like your list and there was a lot to commend about the old Emmen Zoo, imo the collection was never it’s strongpoint? Although the new Emmen is (of course) much worse in that regard…
 
Out of the fifteen total facilities I have visited, and excluding the Shedd Aquarium.

#1. Chester Zoo
#2. Whipsnade Zoo
#3. Denver Zoo
#4. Saint Louis Zoo
#5. London Zoo
#6. Lincoln Park Zoo
#7. Yorkshire Wildlife Park
#8. Hamerton Zoo Park
#9. Birmingham Nature Center
#10. Milwaukee County Zoo

#3-#7 could all jump around fairly easily based on the results of follow-up visits to Denver, Saint Louis and Yorkshire. The latter in particular seemed like an excellent facility but I visited at a particularly awkward time that skewed the experience. I'm also biased some towards smaller species that use their space well.
 
jwer said:
Although I like your list and there was a lot to commend about the old Emmen Zoo, imo the collection was never it’s strongpoint? Although the new Emmen is (of course) much worse in that regard…
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just old memmories I guess
 
JVM said:
Out of the fifteen total facilities I have visited, and excluding the Shedd Aquarium.

#1. Chester Zoo
#2. Whipsnade Zoo
#3. Denver Zoo
#4. Saint Louis Zoo
#5. London Zoo
#6. Lincoln Park Zoo
#7. Yorkshire Wildlife Park
#8. Hamerton Zoo Park
#9. Birmingham Nature Center
#10. Milwaukee County Zoo

#3-#7 could all jump around fairly easily based on the results of follow-up visits to Denver, Saint Louis and Yorkshire. The latter in particular seemed like an excellent facility but I visited at a particularly awkward time that skewed the experience. I'm also biased some towards smaller species that use their space well.
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Honoured to see that you have ranked Whipsnade above Saint Louis. Was this an assessment of the quality of the actual zoos, or a personal decision based on how much you enjoyed your visit? Either way delighted to see that you enjoyed it.
 
Kalaw said:
Honoured to see that you have ranked Whipsnade above Saint Louis. Was this an assessment of the quality of the actual zoos, or a personal decision based on how much you enjoyed your visit? Either way delighted to see that you enjoyed it.
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Thank you! Personal experience was definitely a deciding factor. Both visits were really positive, but for Whipsnade, it felt like I was there at the perfect time and saw nearly everything include some species I've seen aren't always seen by regulars; for Saint Louis, there were some of my favorite exhibits of all time (Herpetarium, Sea Lion Sound, Cypress Swamp) but a few I found a little underwhelming and River's Edge seemed to be on a bit of an off day, and I nearly missed Red Rocks too. I think they're both world-class but I felt the flaws more at Saint Louis, whereas my only complaints about Whipsnade were barely there. I am eager to revisit Saint Louis for some added experience though.

JVM said:
I'm also biased some towards smaller species that use their space well.
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I just noticed I combined two intended sentences into one very funky one. I meant to say I was biased towards smaller mammals and separately towards smaller facilities that use their space well, which is part of why London and Lincoln Park rate so favorably.
 
JVM said:
Thank you! Personal experience was definitely a deciding factor. Both visits were really positive, but for Whipsnade, it felt like I was there at the perfect time and saw nearly everything include some species I've seen aren't always seen by regulars; for Saint Louis, there were some of my favorite exhibits of all time (Herpetarium, Sea Lion Sound, Cypress Swamp) but a few I found a little underwhelming and River's Edge seemed to be on a bit of an off day, and I nearly missed Red Rocks too. I think they're both world-class but I felt the flaws more at Saint Louis, whereas my only complaints about Whipsnade were barely there. I am eager to revisit Saint Louis for some added experience though
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Delighted to hear an outsider say this. I have always been of the opinion that Whipsnade is the second best zoo in the country after Chester, and is quite far ahead of any genuine competition (Colchester and Cotswold coming closest for me, although I haven't visited Yorkshire, which looks great), and it is the only other British zoo that is genuinely comparable to Europe's elite, or at least what I have seen of it, being ahead of Antwerp and Magdeburg, and not all too far behind Beauval in my opinion. That said, I have always admitted that my strong sentimental connection to the place was a factor, so an equally positive outsider's perspective is very welcome.
 
Malayan Tapir said:
Mine are:

10. Living Coasts
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Oh how I miss Living Coasts!

1. Currumbin Wildlife Park (Aus)
2. Chester Zoo
3. Paignton Zoo (it may not be anything super special but it’s our zoo and we love it so much)
4. Living Coasts
5. Taronga Zoo
6. Highland Wildlife Park
7. Longleat
8. Marwell Zoo
9. London Zoo
10. Bristol Zoo Project

I feel I should mention Loro Parque, as a parrot fan it was my favourite for years and years.
And then they got Orcas :-(
 
Kalaw said:
Delighted to hear an outsider say this. I have always been of the opinion that Whipsnade is the second best zoo in the country after Chester, and is quite far ahead of any genuine competition (Colchester and Cotswold coming closest for me, although I haven't visited Yorkshire, which looks great), and it is the only other British zoo that is genuinely comparable to Europe's elite, or at least what I have seen of it, being ahead of Antwerp and Magdeburg, and not all too far behind Beauval in my opinion. That said, I have always admitted that my strong sentimental connection to the place was a factor, so an equally positive outsider's perspective is very welcome.
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The sentimentality factor can be tricky. Brookfield did not make my final list and I am sure someone may find I am overcompensating for my fondness for it. ;)

I'm personally not always fond of how often discussions of exhibit design default to questions of scale but Whipsnade felt like it proved me very wrong. The enclosures were massive but also very well-stocked - seeing a true crash of rhinoceros together or seeing several oryx against the sun were lovely experiences. Despite the scale, it felt like animals were usually relatively easy to see, and the layout was well organized with fully-formed Africa and Asia regions that covered a lot of ground, with some great mixes, and still spots where multiple enclosures could be seen. Even the barns seemed very well-designed. Yorkshire has some really excellent exhibits (especially for neotropical species) but the layout is much less neat, although I do feel both facilities compliment each other in a nice way without a ton of species overlap.

I have not visited Colchester or Cotswold (came very close to making the latter!) yet, but hoping to make them on a future UK trip.
 
I've changed my list to an extent after a few more zoo visits recently.

1. San Diego Zoo
2. San Diego Zoo Safari Park
3/4. Bronx and or Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo
5. Fort Worth Zoo (a large portion was closed when I visited)
6. Zoo Miami
7. Smithsonian's National Zoo
8. Dallas World Aquarium
9. Pittsburgh Zoo
10. Minnisota Zoo
 
Now that I am less than three weeks away from my trip to Europe, I think it will be interesting to consider what I would consider to be my Top 10 Zoos now and then compare that to what I would consider to be my Top 10 Zoos after I return.

Traditionally, I have always ranked zoos, safari parks, aquariums, and other animal facilities separately, as I find it too difficult and unfair to compare such fundamentally different institutions; however, for the sake of this thread, I will also take a stab at compiling my Top 10 Animal Facilities, overall.

My Top 10 Traditional Zoos:
1. San Diego Zoo - San Diego, CA - July 2024
2. St. Louis Zoo - St. Louis, MO - March 2022
3. The Living Desert - Palm Desert, CA - December 2023
4. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium - Powell, OH - May 2022
5. Sedgwick County Zoo - Wichita, KS - February 2023
6. Kansas City Zoo - Kansas City, MO - March 2022
7. Dallas Zoo - Dallas, TX - March 2023
8. Houston Zoo - Houston, TX - March 2021
9. Nashville Zoo at Grassmere - Nashville, TN - May 2022
10. Fort Worth Zoo - Fort Worth, TX - January 2023

My Top 10 Animal Facilities:
1. San Diego Zoo - San Diego, CA - July 2024
2. San Diego Zoo Safari Park - Escondido, CA - July 2024
3. St. Louis Zoo - St. Louis, MO - March 2022
4. Monterey Bay Aquarium - Monterey, CA - August 2023
5. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum - March 2023
6. The Living Desert - Palm Desert, CA - December 2023
7. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium - Powell, OH - May 2022
8. Sedgwick County Zoo - Wichita, KS - February 2023
9. Kansas City Zoo - Kansas City, MO - March 2022
10. Dallas Zoo - Dallas, TX - March 2023
 
Here are mine so far

1. Columbus Zoo & Aquarium
2. San Diego Zoo
3. Toledo Zoo & Aquarium
4. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
5. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
6. Louisville Zoo
7. Nashville Zoo
8. San Diego Zoo Safari Park
9. National Aviary
10. Akron Zoo
 
TNT said:
I'm sorry if you've posted about this elsewhere, but where do you intend to visit?
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No worries! I will be visiting Tiergarten Schönbrunn, Haus des Meeres, Zoo Praha, Zoo Dresden, Zoo Leipzig, Zoo Berlin, Tierpark Berlin, Tiergarten Nürnberg, and Wilhelma, for sure. Depending on time, weather, how we’re feeling, etc., I might also visit Zoo Plzen, Tierpark Oberwald +/- other Karlsruhe collections, and/or Zoo Frankfurt.
 
My top 10, in no particular order:

GaiaZoo (Kerkrade, Netherlands)
Safaripark Beekse Bergen (Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands)
Burgers' Zoo (Arnhem, Netherlands)
Zoo Planckendael (Muizen, Mechelen, Belgium)
Zoo Antwerpen (Antwerp, Belgium)
Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Walsrode, Germany)
Pairi Daiza (Brugelette, Belgium)
Domain of the Caves of Han Wildlife Park (Han-sur-Lesse, Rochefort, Belgium)
ZooParc Overloon (Overloon, Boxmeer, Netherlands)
Zoo Duisburg (Duisburg, Germany)
 
Forgot that I had already posted on this thread, and when I found my previous list, I wasn't too happy with both the order of it and the explanations I provided. :p Couple that with the fact that I have visited a few new top ten contenders since, and I feel an update is necessary, this time trying a new format.

For what it's worth, I have visited 58 zoos in total, granted that I am using a fairly generous definition of 'zoo' to get the above number (for example, aquariums within museums are included, but farms or other domestic-centric places are of course not).

My top ten favourites, if I allow myself to show bias towards zoos that I have a strong sentimental connection with, although there are other reasons that I may take to a zoo more fondly than another, of course:

1. ZSL Whipsnade Zoo (very close to my heart)
2. ZSL London Zoo (sentimental connection and Blackburn Pavilion)
3. Zoo Zurich (amazing exhibits, brilliant ambience with futuristic buildings and good conservation links)
4. Prague Zoo (pangolins, birds-of-paradise and gharials with many nice aviaries)
5. ZooParc de Beauval (first world-class zoo I visited when I was quite young, so an emotional pick)
6. Exmoor Zoo (rare species, beautiful location, many visits)
7. Tierpark Hagenbeck (great to be immersed in the history, and to see a walrus)
8. Zoo Dresden (exceeded my low expectations, great exhibits and a homely feel)
9. Oceanopolis Brest (first world-class aquarium I visited, so a very exciting experience for me)
10. Antwerp Zoo (beautiful architecture and the Eastern Gorilla)

Honourable mentions should go to the following, roughly in order of how close they were to making the cut:

Highland Wildlife Park - gorgeous setting, good specialist focus and amazing enclosures
Shaldon Zoo - very charming
Parc Zoologique de Paris - my first manatee
Horniman Museum - close to where I live so countless visits over the years
Chester Zoo - very high quality of enclosures, could be top ten without some key exhibits closed

And here is my attempt at making a list of the top ten best that I visited. What I mean by this is not that this is the objective list (I believe there is no such thing), but that I wasn't taking sentimentality into account and was ranking solely on quality, which in and of itself is a subjective thing and quite difficult to define. ;) But, using my own definition of quality with regards to zoos, here are the 'best' that I have visited:

1. Prague Zoo
2. Zoo Zurich
3. Burgers' Zoo
4. ZooParc de Beauval
5. Chester Zoo
6. ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
7. Antwerp Zoo
8. Zoo Dresden
9. Highland Wildlife Park
10. Cotswold Wildlife Park

For what its worth, deciding between Prague and Zurich was all but impossible and a decision that I have been reversing just about daily in recent times. Leaning towards Prague at the moment, but tomorrow (or in a few minutes, for that matter) my answer could be different. That doesn't just apply to the above list. Even ignoring quality and judging it solely from enjoyment on the previous list makes the decision difficult.
 
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