Top 20 American Zoos

snowleopard

snowleopard

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Yet another list of the top U.S. zoos has been announced, with a competition to narrow it down to the 10 best. While these lists are usually borderline ridiculous this latest one is better than most. There are some really good zoos missing but there are no absolute stinkers either and I've toured them all.

Vote- Best US Zoo Nominees: 2014 10Best Readers' Choice Travel Awards
 
snowleopard said:
Yet another list of the top U.S. zoos has been announced, with a competition to narrow it down to the 10 best. While these lists are usually borderline ridiculous this latest one is better than most. There are some really good zoos missing but there are no absolute stinkers either and I've toured them all.

Vote- Best US Zoo Nominees: 2014 10Best Readers' Choice Travel Awards
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Based on the representation of zoos I'm guessing that whoever put this list together lives in Ohio.
 
Out of all those zoos that I've been to I enjoyed Brookfield the most, however I feel the need to support my hometown zoo.
 
The criteria are ridiculous. For example 'total acreage' what does that have to do with how good a zoo is? Annual attendance is no indication of how good a zoo is either.
 
Shirokuma said:
The criteria are ridiculous. For example 'total acreage' what does that have to do with how good a zoo is? Annual attendance is no indication of how good a zoo is either.
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I wholeheartedly agree, plus the criteria included admission fees and that alone is a bit silly. There are some major zoos missing (North Carolina, Woodland Park, Miami and Sedgwick County would probably all crack my personal top 10) but it is fun to laugh at such fluff. Maybe all of the Ohio zoos will cancel themselves out when it comes to announcing the grand winner.:)

Also, the article mentions that zoos like San Francisco and Topeka just failed to make the cut. Those two? Really?
 
Shirokuma said:
The criteria are ridiculous. For example 'total acreage' what does that have to do with how good a zoo is? Annual attendance is no indication of how good a zoo is either.
Click to expand...

My favorite zoo is the smallest one that I regularly visit- Capron Park Zoo. The first zoo I ever went to was Roger Williams but it has gotten kind of run down as of late...however the animals are in good condition and the displays are informative and that is what is important. Mystic Aquarium is nice but it has gotten kind of snobby as of late, maybe this is because I am from a lower middle class area and Mystic is not one. Southwick's is nice but... We used to go to a place called the Ecotarium in Worcester MA but the place is kind of oriented towards small children and since Kenda the Polar bear passed away I haven't really had a desire to go. NE Aquarium is nice but expensive (like almost everything else in Boston).

But Capron Park? It is a nice laid back place. The whole place has a relaxing vibe to it. The animals are as happy to see you as you are to see them, and the old nanny goat prefers a nice scratch to being fed (I think a small area with domestic animals that you can pet is a good idea for any zoo, it helps deal with the I want to touch an animal urge). Also, things are set up so you can generally get a good look and things if the animals are amenable. It fits in well with a evening PawSox game and admission is less expensive than some of the other places, which helps.

One of the things my grandmother liked to impress on me are that lists of the best/worst places are opinions, and opinions are just that. I actually don't like best of lists for that reason.
 
The list of America's "best" zoos was narrowed down to 10, with Toledo as the ridiculous choice in the #1 position:

Dallas Zoo named one of the best in country | wfaa.com Dallas - Fort Worth

The complete top 10 list:

1. Toledo Zoo - Toledo, Ohio
2. St. Louis Zoo - St. Louis
3. Cincinnati Zoo - Cincinnati
4. Memphis Zoo - Memphis
5. Columbus Zoo - Columbus, Ohio
6. Henry Doorly Zoo - Omaha
7. Houston Zoo - Houston
8. Brookfield Zoo - Chicago
9. Dallas Zoo - Dallas
10. San Diego Zoo & Safari Park - San Diego
 
snowleopard said:
The list of America's "best" zoos was narrowed down to 10, with Toledo as the ridiculous choice in the #1 position:

Dallas Zoo named one of the best in country | wfaa.com Dallas - Fort Worth

The complete top 10 list:

1. Toledo Zoo - Toledo, Ohio
2. St. Louis Zoo - St. Louis
3. Cincinnati Zoo - Cincinnati
4. Memphis Zoo - Memphis
5. Columbus Zoo - Columbus, Ohio
6. Henry Doorly Zoo - Omaha
7. Houston Zoo - Houston
8. Brookfield Zoo - Chicago
9. Dallas Zoo - Dallas
10. San Diego Zoo & Safari Park - San Diego
Click to expand...
I've visited all 10 of this top 10 and felt the need to rearrange these ten.Well my opinion of it anyways.
1.Columbus
2.SD Zoo
3. Omaha
4.St Louis
5.Dallas
6.Brookfield
7.Memphis
8.Houston
9.Cincy
10.Toledo

Keep in mind that I totally agree with most that the criteria is crazy and this would not be my top 10.

Marty of Team Tapir223
 
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