List and Rank The North American Zoos You Have Visited!

Zoos:
  1. Bronx Zoo
  2. San Diego Zoo
  3. North Carolina Zoo
  4. San Diego Zoo Safari Park
  5. Denver Zoo
  6. Rosamond Gifford Zoo
  7. Riverbanks Zoo
  8. Philadelphia Zoo
  9. Maryland Zoo
  10. National Zoo
  11. Lincoln Park Zoo
  12. Greensboro Science Center
  13. Roger Williams Park Zoo
  14. Queens Zoo
  15. Prospect Park Zoo
  16. Central Park Zoo
  17. Six Flags Great Adventure - Wild Safari
  18. Cape May County Zoo
  19. Western NC Nature Center
  20. Staten Island Zoo
  21. Museum of Life and Sciences (Durham, NC)
  22. Zoo America
  23. Franklin Park Zoo
  24. Beardsley Zoo
  25. Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat
  26. Magnolia Gardens
  27. Long Island Game Farm
  28. White Post Farm's (Melville, NY)
  29. Claws N' Paws Wild Animal Park
Aquarium:
  1. Shedd Aquarium
  2. National Aquarium in Baltimore
  3. Georgia Aquarium
  4. Adventure Aquarium
  5. Mystic Aquarium
  6. Long Island Aquarium
  7. Boston Aquarium
  8. NC Aquarium - Pine Knoll Shores
  9. New York Aquarium (have not been since hurricane sandy, likely will rise when I revisit)
  10. Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay
  11. Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk
  12. South Carolina Aquarium
  13. NC Aquarium - Fort Fisher
Hard to Rank:
  1. Sylvan Heights Bird Park
  2. Seaworld San Diego
  3. NC Museum of Natural Sciences
  4. Duke Lemur Center
  5. Reptile Oasis (SC)
  6. Busch Gardens Williamsburg
 
nczoofan said:
Zoos:
  1. Bronx Zoo
  2. San Diego Zoo
  3. North Carolina Zoo
  4. San Diego Zoo Safari Park
  5. Denver Zoo
  6. Rosamond Gifford Zoo
  7. Riverbanks Zoo
  8. Philadelphia Zoo
  9. Maryland Zoo
  10. National Zoo
  11. Lincoln Park Zoo
  12. Greensboro Science Center
  13. Roger Williams Park Zoo
  14. Queens Zoo
  15. Prospect Park Zoo
  16. Central Park Zoo
  17. Six Flags Great Adventure - Wild Safari
  18. Cape May County Zoo
  19. Western NC Nature Center
  20. Staten Island Zoo
  21. Museum of Life and Sciences (Durham, NC)
  22. Zoo America
  23. Franklin Park Zoo
  24. Beardsley Zoo
  25. Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat
  26. Magnolia Gardens
  27. Long Island Game Farm
  28. White Post Farm's (Melville, NY)
  29. Claws N' Paws Wild Animal Park
Aquarium:
  1. Shedd Aquarium
  2. National Aquarium in Baltimore
  3. Georgia Aquarium
  4. Adventure Aquarium
  5. Mystic Aquarium
  6. Long Island Aquarium
  7. Boston Aquarium
  8. NC Aquarium - Pine Knoll Shores
  9. New York Aquarium (have not been since hurricane sandy, likely will rise when I revisit)
  10. Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay
  11. Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk
  12. South Carolina Aquarium
  13. NC Aquarium - Fort Fisher
Hard to Rank:
  1. Sylvan Heights Bird Park
  2. Seaworld San Diego
  3. NC Museum of Natural Sciences
  4. Duke Lemur Center
  5. Reptile Oasis (SC)
  6. Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Click to expand...
You mean Reptile Lagoon?
 
1. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
2. San Diego zoo
3. Cincinnati zoo
4.saint Louis zoo
5. Detroit zoo
6. Shedd Aquarium
7.San Diego Safari park
8.Disneys animal kingdom
9. Indianapolis
10 Milwaukee zoo
11. Brookfield zoo
12.Lincoln park zoo
13.sea world
14 Racine zoo
I forgot the rest
 
Last edited:
I might as well jump in here with the few zoos I’ve been to:
Zoos:
  1. San Diego Zoo
  2. San Diego Safari Park
  3. Cincinnati Zoo
  4. Brookfield Zoo
  5. ZooTampa
  6. Milwaukee County Zoo
  7. Lincoln Park Zoo
  8. Henry Vilas Zoo
  9. Racine Zoo
  10. Miller Park Zoo
Aquariums:
  1. Shedd Aquarium
  2. Monterey Bay Aquarium
  3. Mote Marine Laboratory
  4. Alaska Sealife Center
Theme Parks:
  1. Disney Animal Kingdom
  2. Seaworld Orlando
 
The Speeding Carnotaurus said:
I might as well jump in here with the few zoos I’ve been to:
Zoos:
  1. San Diego Zoo
  2. San Diego Safari Park
  3. Cincinnati Zoo
  4. Brookfield Zoo
  5. ZooTampa
  6. Milwaukee County Zoo
  7. Lincoln Park Zoo
  8. Henry Vilas Zoo
  9. Racine Zoo
  10. Miller Park Zoo
Aquariums:
  1. Shedd Aquarium
  2. Monterey Bay Aquarium
  3. Mote Marine Laboratory
  4. Alaska Sealife Center
Click to expand...
Oh ya forgot about the San Diego Safari park and the Racine zoo!
 
The Speeding Carnotaurus said:
I might as well jump in here with the few zoos I’ve been to:
Zoos:
  1. San Diego Zoo
  2. San Diego Safari Park
  3. Cincinnati Zoo
  4. Brookfield Zoo
  5. ZooTampa
  6. Milwaukee County Zoo
  7. Lincoln Park Zoo
  8. Henry Vilas Zoo
  9. Racine Zoo
  10. Miller Park Zoo
Aquariums:
  1. Shedd Aquarium
  2. Monterey Bay Aquarium
  3. Mote Marine Laboratory
  4. Alaska Sealife Center
Theme Parks:
  1. Disney Animal Kingdom
  2. Seaworld Orlando
Click to expand...
How was zoo Tampa is it worth the trip from Illinois their
 
Micah Satvedi said:
How was zoo Tampa is it worth the trip from Illinois their
Click to expand...
I was down in Tampa for other reasons not explicitly related to zoo visits, but the trip was great. I found ZooTampa to be a surprisingly good institution. I hadn’t really heard of the zoo before and was pleasantly surprised. The Florida and Africa exhibits in particular were my favorites.
 
The Speeding Carnotaurus said:
I was down in Tampa for other reasons not explicitly related to zoo visits, but the trip was great. I found ZooTampa to be a surprisingly good institution. I hadn’t really heard of the zoo before and was pleasantly surprised. The Florida and Africa exhibits in particular were my favorites.
Click to expand...
I did do some research and it seems fun
 
I remember Lowry Park being a pretty mixed zoo overall. I recall the walkthrough aviary, African exhibit, and Florida exhibit being excellent, the Asian and Australian exhibits having some good and some bad enclosures, and the primates exhibit being awful. Overall, I would say it's worth visiting and I would visit again if I was in the area but I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to visit.

~Thylo
 
ThylacineAlive said:
I remember Lowry Park being a pretty mixed zoo overall. I recall the walkthrough aviary, African exhibit, and Florida exhibit being excellent, the Asian and Australian exhibits having some good and some bad enclosures, and the primates exhibit being awful. Overall, I would say it's worth visiting and I would visit again if I was in the area but I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to visit.

~Thylo
Click to expand...
Thanks
 
Animal Amusement Parks
  1. Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Bay Lake, Florida)
  2. SeaWorld San Diego (San Diego, California)
  3. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo, California)
Aquariums/Marine Parks
  1. Monterey Bay Aquarium (Monterey, California)
  2. Aquarium of the Pacific (Long Beach, California)
  3. Steinhart Aquarium and Osher Rainforest (San Francisco, California)
  4. Sea Life Park (Waimānalo, Hawaii)
  5. Mandalay Bay Aquarium (Paradise, Nevada)
  6. The Seas with Nemo & Friends (Bay Lake, Florida)
  7. National Aquarium (Washington D.C. (Closed)
  8. Aquarium of the Bay (San Francisco, California)
Traditional Zoos
  1. Sacramento Zoo (Sacramento, California)*
  2. San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Escondido, California)
  3. San Diego Zoo (San Diego, California)
  4. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (Tucson, Arizona)
  5. Houston Zoo (Houston, Texas)
  6. Memphis Zoo (Memphis, Tennessee)
  7. Oregon Zoo (Portland, Oregon)
  8. Oakland Zoo (Oakland, California)
  9. Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens (Los Angeles, California)
  10. National Zoological Park (Washington D.C.)
  11. Santa Barbara Zoo (Santa Barbara, California)
  12. Cameron Park Zoo (Waco, Texas)
  13. Wildlife Safari (Winston, Oregon)
  14. San Francisco Zoo (San Francisco, California)
  15. Sequoia Park Zoo (Eureka, California)
  16. Honolulu Zoo (Honolulu, Hawaii)
  17. Franklin Drive Thru Safari (Franklin, Texas)
  18. Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden And Dolphin Habitat (Paradise, Nevada)
  19. Ostrichland USA (Solvang, California)
  20. Scipio Petting Zoo (Scipio, Utah)
*I'm very biased because this has been my home zoo since I was 2

Sanctuaries and Rescues
  1. Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary (Folsom, California)
  2. Clearwater Marine Aquarium (Clearwater, Florida)
  3. Animal Ark (Reno, Nevada)
  4. The Marine Mammal Center (Sausalito, California)
  5. Suisun WIldlife Rescue Center (Suisun, California)
  6. Pacific Marine Mammal Center (Laguna Beach, California)
Facilities I Went To When I Was To Young To Really Remember
  • Ocean World (Crescent City, California)
  • Utah’s Hogle Zoo (Salt Lake City, Utah)
 
*AZA Facility
[NOT RANKED IN ANY ORDER]

Arizona
Phoenix Zoo*
Phoenix, AZ

Reid Park Zoo*
Tucson, AZ

California
California Academy of Sciences*
San Francisco, CA

San Diego Zoo*
San Diego, CA

San Diego Zoo Safari Park*
Escondido, CA

San Francisco Zoo*
San Francisco, CA

SeaWorld California*
San Diego, CA

Colorado
Denver Zoo*
Denver, CO

Downtown Aquarium
Denver, CO

District of Columbia
National Zoo*
Washington, DC

Florida
Busch Gardens – Tampa Bay*
Tampa, FL

Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Clearwater, FL

Disney’s Animal Kingdom*
Orlando, FL

Epcot (The Seas)*
Orlando, FL

SeaWorld Florida*
Orlando, FL

Georgia
Georgia Aquarium*
Atlanta, GA

Zoo Atlanta*
Atlanta, GA

Illinois
Brookfield Zoo*
Chicago, IL

Lincoln Park Zoo*
Chicago, IL

Shedd Aquarium*
Chicago, IL

Indiana
Indianapolis Zoo*
Indianapolis, IN

Iowa
Blank Park Zoo*
Des Moines, IA

Maryland
The Maryland Zoo*
Baltimore, MA

National Aquarium*
Baltimore, MD

Massachusetts
New England Aquarium*
Boston, MA

Minnesota
Como Park Zoo*
St. Paul, MN

Minnesota Zoological Gardens*
Apple Valley, MN

SeaLife Aquarium Minnesota
Bloomington, MN

Missouri
Kansas City Zoo*
Kansas City, MO

Nebraska
Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari & Conservation Park*
Ashland, NE

Lincoln Children’s Zoo*
Lincoln, NE

Omaha Zoo & Aquarium*
Omaha, NE

Nevada
MGM Grand Lion Habitat
Las Vegas, NV

Shark Reef @ Mandalay Bay*
Las Vegas, NV

Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Gardens
Las Vegas, NV

New York
Central Park Zoo*
New York City, NY

North Dakota
Red River Zoo*
Fargo, ND

Ohio
SeaWorld Ohio*
Aurora, OH

South Dakota
Bear County USA
Rapid City, SD

Marine Life Aquarium
Rapid City, SD

Reptile Gardens
Rapid City, SD

Tennessee
Memphis Zoo*
Memphis, TN

Nashville Zoo*
Nashville, TN

Texas
Dallas Zoo*
Dallas, TX

San Antonio Zoo*
San Antonio, TX

SeaWorld Texas*
San Antonio, TX

Utah
Hogle Zoo*
Salt Lake City, UT

Washington
Pointe Defiance Zoo & Aquarium*
Tacoma, WA

Seattle Aquarium*
Seattle, WA

Woodland Park Zoo*
Seattle, WA

Wisconsin
Milwaukee County Zoo*
Milwaukee, WI

NEW Zoo*
Green Bay, WI
 
I may be late to the party, but wanted to add mine:
  1. San Diego Zoo
  2. Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo
  3. Saint Louis Zoo
  4. Georgia Aquarium
  5. Columbus Zoo
  6. San Diego Zoo Safari Park
  7. Shedd Aquarium
  8. Woodland Park Zoo
  9. Sedgwick County Zoo
  10. Disney's Animal Kingdom
  11. Minnesota Zoo
  12. Dallas Zoo
  13. Kansas City Zoo
  14. Denver Zoo
  15. Nashville Zoo
  16. Memphis Zoo
  17. Epcot's Living Seas
  18. Seattle Aquarium
  19. Sea World San Diego
  20. Sea World Texas
  21. Rolling Hills Zoo
  22. SeaLife Kansas City
  23. Topeka Zoo
  24. Pueblo Zoo
  25. Reptile Gardens
  26. Lee Richardson Zoo
  27. David Traylor Zoo
  28. Hutchinson Zoo
I'm hoping to add a few more soon since I moved to a different part of the country recently, but I don't want to miss out on indoor exhibits so it may be awhile before I visit another zoo for the first time.
 
Here is my new ranking. Only a few zoos added but I switched a lot of the zoo around in the order. Note that most of the zoos towards the bottom are simply extremely small, not bad.

1. Shedd Aquarium
2. Toledo Zoo
3. Saint Louis Zoo
4. Columbus Zoo
5. Minnesota Zoo
6. Brookfield Zoo
7. Milwaukee County Zoo
8. Detroit Zoo
9. Lincoln Park Zoo
10. The Wilds
11. Binder Park Zoo
12. Henry Vilas Zoo
13. NEW Zoo & Adventure Park (A little biased, it's my home zoo)
14. Indianapolis Zoo
15. Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary
16. Racine Zoo
17. Como Park Zoo and Conservatory
18. SEA LIFE Minnesota
19. National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium
20. International Crane Foundation
21. Special Memories Zoo (now closed)
22. Animal Haven Zoo
23. DeYoung Family Zoo
24. Animal Gardens Petting Zoo
25. Glacier Ridge Animal Farm
26. Manitowoc Lincoln Park Zoo
27. Timbavati Wildlife Park
28. Wildwood Zoo
29. World Aquarium (now closed)
30. Reiman Aquarium
31. Grant's Farm
32. Doc's Zoo
33. MacKenzie Center
34. Ochsner Park Zoo
35. Butterfly Gardens of Wisconsin
36. Menominee Park Zoo
37. Ararat Ridge Zoo
38. Wisconsin Rapids Municipal Zoo
39. Lone Elk Park
40. Stevens Point Herptological Society
41. Alligator Alley
42. Anello's Torch Lite Petting Farm

World Bird Sanctuary is not listed here as I only got to see about half of the facility and really don't feel like it is fair to rank it based on that.
 
Alrighty, let me give my list so far (haven’t been to TOO many parks but I have a few good notches in my belt):

1. St. Louis Zoo

2. Disney’s Animal Kingdom (haven’t been in a LONG time though)

3. Denver Zoo

4. Dallas World Aquarium

5. Dallas Zoo

6. Indianapolis Zoo

7. Kansas City Zoo

8. Memphis Zoo

9. Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium

10. John Ball Zoo

11. Dickerson Park Zoo

12. Gulf Breeze Zoo

13. Topeka Zoo

14. St. Louis Aquarium

15. Wild Animal Safari

16. Promised Land Zoo

17. Branson Wild World



(Note the only zoos I’ve been to that I consider actually bad and horrific are the last three)
 
Edited list:
Zoos & Aquariums (Excluding Animal Theme Parks)
1. Columbus Zoo
2. San Diego Zoo
3. Memphis Zoo
4. San Diego Safari Park
5. Louisville Zoo
6. Cincinnati Zoo
7. Saint Louis Zoo
8. Nashville Zoo
9. Indianapolis Zoo
10. Detroit Zoo
11. Brookfield Zoo
12. Shedd Aquarium
13. Milwaukee Zoo
14. Lincoln Park Zoo
15. Peoria Zoo
 
Micah Satvedi said:
Edited list:
Zoos & Aquariums (Excluding Animal Theme Parks)
1. Columbus Zoo
2. San Diego Zoo
3. Memphis Zoo
4. San Diego Safari Park
5. Louisville Zoo
6. Cincinnati Zoo
7. Saint Louis Zoo
8. Nashville Zoo
9. Indianapolis Zoo
10. Detroit Zoo
11. Brookfield Zoo
12. Shedd Aquarium
13. Milwaukee Zoo
14. Lincoln Park Zoo
15. Peoria Zoo
Click to expand...
Indianapolis Zoo above Shedd!?
 
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