Presentation. Who has the best zoo entrance?

[Daktari JG]

I've been to dozens and dozens of zoos /etc and I can honestly say that none of them
have/had an entrance that definitely stands out (at least to me). Who are nominations for leaders of the pack and what makes them so?

 

[TeaLovingDave]

There is one option which strikes me as head-and-shoulders above all others - Zoo Berlin:



...but here are three other high-end contenders:







Antwerp, Budapest and Leipzig respectively.

 

[Aardwolf]

It’s not to everyone’s taste, but I’d certainly say that Memphis has one of the more dramatic zoo entrances

 

[USZOOfan42]

Toledo zoo by far imao (American)



credit to @Neil chace

 

[Toledo Zoo Guide]

It’s not to everyone’s taste, but I’d certainly say that Memphis has one of the more dramatic zoo entrances

Memphis has an incredible entrance it doesn’t look real.

My favorite entrance would probably be the Brookfield zoo’s entrance.

Not my photo.

 

[Toledo Zoo Guide]

Toledo zoo by far imao (American)

View attachment 762402

credit to @Neil chace

Always!

 

[Astrotom3000]

Not sure if any of these would qualify as the "best", but here are a few zoo entrances I like.

Virginia Zoo

A large 3-story and aesthetically pleasing building greets visitors at this small-mid-sized zoo in Norfolk, VA.

Turtle Back Zoo

In my opinion, this is a fantastic entrance, especially for what is otherwise a very average zoo.

Bergen County Zoo

Simple, yet elegant.

New York Aquarium

Not technically the actual entrance, but this archway on the boardwalk is an excellent way to greet visitors.

 

[AndyJ08]

Not technically a zoo, but Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s iconic animal-themed ticket booths and garden areas are gorgeous. The Tree of
Life could also count I suppose.

 

[Toledo Zoo Guide]

Not sure if any of these would qualify as the "best", but here are a few zoo entrances I like.

Virginia Zoo

A large 3-story and aesthetically pleasing building greets visitors at this small-mid-sized zoo in Norfolk, VA.

Turtle Back Zoo

In my opinion, this is a fantastic entrance, especially for what is otherwise a very average zoo.

Bergen County Zoo

Simple, yet elegant.

New York Aquarium

Not technically the actual entrance, but this archway on the boardwalk is an excellent way to greet visitors.

I forgot about how good Virginia’s entrance is. I haven’t seen Turtle Back’s before, but that is a cool one.

 

[JVM]

I really liked Indianapolis' entrance:

Entrance

• pachyderm pro
• 14 Jul 2024

Lincoln Park Zoo has multiple entrances and the east entrance looks good, but the zoo does not hold kudu and it's not the entrance I usually use so I forgot to even consider it at first.

Omaha is also pretty effective although I do really wish they had a bigger 'statue' element to the outside-facing part like some of the other entrances in my post.

Entrance Plaza

• Pleistohorse
• 13 Jun 2023

View attachment 762406

My favorite entrance would probably be the Brookfield zoo’s entrance.

Not my photo.

I'll always have a soft spot for Brookfield's entrance but it feels hard to pick only because it isn't used as an entrance anymore.

 

[Mickey]

I don't want to be that guy but...
This is how you do an entrance (and just that, as the rest of the zoo is pretty much a monument rather than a zoological facility).

 

[Nix]

Zoo Entrance

• Nix
• 6 Dec 2024

The National Zoo of South Africa has a spectacular entrance.

 

[NNM.]

Saint Louis has a relatively minimalist but commanding entrance followed by a beautiful interior.

 

[Tim May]

I'm rather surprised that nobody has mentioned the spectacular entrance gate to Hagenbeck's (Hamburg) Zoo: although it is no longer used as the zoo entrance, the impressive structure still remains on view.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

I'm rather surprised that nobody has mentioned the spectacular entrance gate to Hagenbeck's (Hamburg) Zoo: although it is no longer used as the zoo entrance the impressive structure still remains on view.

It's in critically-poor condition now, and nowhere as impressive as it was even a decade ago between the scaffolding, tarpaulins and missing stonework otherwise I'd have mentioned it myself.

 

[biggest_dreamer]

Dallas World Aquarium immediately came to mind. Very strong building design, but beyond that I'd consider the dozen or so species you get to see before you even pass through the ticket booth to be a part of the entrance as well, so major points for that.

 

[DavidBrown]

Saint Louis has a relatively minimalist but commanding entrance followed by a beautiful interior.
View attachment 762499

Giant squid for the win.

 

[Mickey]

I'm rather surprised that nobody has mentioned the spectacular entrance gate to Hagenbeck's (Hamburg) Zoo: although it is no longer used as the zoo entrance, the impressive structure still remains on view.

Hagenbeck was also an ethnologist right?
I remember reading a few things about the human exhibits he also did, most famously the Arctic panorama with Inuit people.

 

[Jurek7]

Warsaw zoo is more unusual than most, even if both are 70+ years old. Even before entering the zoo, leaving a tram stop at the edge of a public park which is the major way towards the zoo, there is a brown bear exhibit.

Brown Bear Enclosure (Oustide the Zoo) with New Waterfall - ZooChat

Then there is a gate with bars shaped like a zebra:

https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/warsaw-zoo.140239/full?d=1300658141

 

[Daktari JG]

Where is that Mickey? I'd toss up a wild guess of Rome?