Any Zoos you plan on visiting next year?

Next month, I will be visiting several nature centers in Northern Virginia, Calvert Marine Museum, and possibly Greenville Zoo, Serpentarium Magic, and Team Ecco Aquarium or West Virginia State Wildlife Center.
 
Oh exciting, which places are you planning on visiting? In a way this takes the pressure off me, you'll do a much better job of reviewing things than I would! Also jealous that you're actually there!

My hypothetical list for the area is:
Mitchell Park Zoo
Umgeni River Bird Park
uShaka Marine World
Durban Botanical Gardens
Durban Museum (for the dodo skeleton)

In the end I went to Mitchell Park zoo, Umgeni river bird park, uShaka sea world and 'dangerous creatures' in uShaka, which I highly recommend too. I thought the extra hour I had alone in the uShaka aquarium after closing was stolen time, but it turns out an evening ticket would let you stay until 8pm, which is worth enquiring about (nobody checked if mine was an evening ticket) - I could have ideally done with a bit more time there. :)
 
I am planning a two-day visit to Pairi Daiza in early October (with a night at a hotel). Weather-wise it's a risk to plan it that late (then again, in this country it really is kind of always a risk to plan something outside way ahead) but cheaper tickets were only available for that time via the source I got them unfortunately.

In Belgium I am planning to do at least a few more visits to my two local zoos, the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp's Zoo Antwerpen and Zoo Planckendael. I also would like to revisit the Olmense Zoo.

As far as the Netherlands go I would like to visit GaiaZoo, Ouwehands, Apenheul, Burgers' Zoo, Blijdorp, Zie-Zoo and Best Zoo.

I would also like to visit some Western German zoos again this year as it has been a while. Duisburg, Wuppertal and Gelsenkirchen are high on that list, but it is unsure whether that will work out.

Given that I generally have to take things day by day and that this will also for a large part depend on weather conditions and other factors, it remains to be seen how much visits I'll really be able to get to do.
 
Last edited:
It's not only planning far ahead that is a risk weather wise. I keep seeing sunny forecasts for Dierenrijk and Wuppertal for a week ahead, only to cloud over a couple of days later. I was hoping to head over tomorrow, but Monday now looks like it could be a washout, with better weather later in the week ... when I should be working.
 
Hopefully, I'll try to visit these zoos:
  • Reserve Africaine de Sigean
  • Return to Cabarceno (and finally see the dammed gaurs)
  • Parc Animalier Des Pyrénées
  • If we go to Germany I'll try to visit the Tierpark or the zoo (not sure which to choose)
 
The only zoos I 100% know I'll visit this year are Sacramento and Oakland. However if this is like most years, I'll visit at least 3 or 4 additional zoos/aquariums.
So far this year I've been to the Sacramento and Folsom Zoos. I now know I'll be going to the Sequoia Park Zoo for the first time next month (and I'll be able to cross bush dog off my bucket list!), I'll probably be going to the Fresno Zoo for the first time over the summer, and I may be going to the San Diego Zoo again in October
 
Last edited:
I've already visited the Buffalo and Central Park Zoos this year, along with the usual visits to the Toronto Zoo and high Park Zoo. There's a 50/50 chance I'll make it to Omaha sometime in the summer, after that I'm really not sure but hopefully I'll visit some zoos around Christmas time.
 
I know I'm for sure visiting Zoo Knoxville and Potter Park, both of which are new facilities for me. I'll also probably be revisiting Milwaukee this summer. And assuming my summer travel plans fall into place I'll get to go to the Oregon Zoo, Woodland Park, Roger Williams, Franklin Park, and the New England Aquarium.

Potter Park and Knoxville both fell through. I accidentally double-booked myself the weekend I was supposed to go to Potter Park and I can't bail on my other commitment, and thanks to unexpected medical bills I can no longer afford to travel to Tennessee.

Milwaukee and Henry Vilas are probably the only two zoos outside the Chicago area that I know I'll likely be able to visit this year. Everything else I mentioned is very questionable now due to my not so great financial situation.
 
As for new parks, my followers have requested several zoos for me to cover. The most mentioned are the Philadelphia Zoo, Henry Doorly Zoo, and the Bronx Zoo. I promised myself I would make my way to at least two of them. Since my only means of far transportation are limited to comfortable driving distance or family vacations, those are a bit of a stretch. However, I will be going to more aquariums (Ripley's in Tennessee, SEA LIFE in Michigan), I'll be returning to SeaWorld Orlando, and going to the Disney Animal Kingdom for very first time.
Cincinnati, Columbus, the Wilds, Louisville, Cleveland, Akron, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Nashville, Knoxville, Brookfield, Lincoln Park, Newport Aquarium, Shedd Aquarium, Saint Louis, Toledo, Indianapolis, and Fort Wayne, will always be part of my annual lineup.
Sounds like you are in same area as my family. We have passes for toledo, indy, coulmbus, cincinnati, binder park zoo and potowatomi zoo. Really hoping to save up this year and road trip to the national zoo, the bronx, then hit cleveland on my way back home.
 
In terms of new zoos I'll be going to Prague and Berlin zoo for definite over the summer while I do interrail. I might go to the Tierpark too but I'm only in Berlin for 2 1/2 days and I want to see the city too as I've never been.
 
Aside from the zoos I visit frequently (National Zoo and Columbus Zoo), I will be visiting San Diego Zoo and their Safari Park, Philly, Toledo (OH), and Cincinnati. I would also love to go down to Zoo Atlanta before the twins are sent to China.
 
Once I get my driver's license this summer, I'm seriously considering going on vacation around France with my girlfriend to visit:
- Reserve Africaine de Sigean (revisit; the first time was in 2004)
- Ferme aux Crocodiles in Pierrelate
- Marineland Antibes
- Lyon Zoo
- Parc des Felins
- Paris Zoo
- Menagerie des plantes
- Zoo de la Flèche

We're not quite sure how many we'll be able to visit; driving from Barcelona to Paris and back, and fitting in visiting other places and such will take up time. But in any case, we would love to hear recommendations from you guys to tell us which zoos are the most worth visiting. :)
 
Last edited:
Might not have mentioned this earlier, but within the first two days of January 2019, I visited both San Diego Zoo institutions. There's always a possibility I might go to other out-of-the ordinary zoos within Ontario or Quebec, but that's all for now.
 
Back
Top