Spurred by the discussion on the Pairi Daiza 2019 thread, I have been pondering what zoos of the world cannot be fully toured in a single day. Of the 420 different zoos and aquariums that I've visited, I would estimate that perhaps 3 of them would need more than a day to properly see. I'm basing my thoughts on an average visit from a zoo enthusiast, although we must all bear in mind that for some people a typical zoo visit is only a few hours...while for others they like to camp out for an interminable amount of time watching specific animals.
In North America:
San Diego Zoo - This zoo is definitely a two-day facility, especially with its winding canyon pathways and long treks up and down steep roads. One day is clearly not enough.
Bronx Zoo - A zoo that really does require two days, partly due to its immense size of 265 acres but also because of the enormity of the animal collection.
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium - I was at this zoo from open to close last summer and I comfortably saw everything. However, it was my 3rd visit in a decade and it didn't include any back-tracking into the large animal buildings near the entrance. A first-time visitor would need two days and the zoo heavily advertises that fact at the admission booths with a discounted, two-day ticket.
Of all the other major U.S. zoos, there is never an issue of missing anything in a single-day visit. I know of individuals who have spent a full day at Columbus, Cincinnati, Saint Louis, Denver, etc., and those days might have been lengthy but there was never any chance of missing anything and there was even time for backtracking in an attempt to spot 'no-shows'. A zoo that could easily become a two-day facility in a few years would be North Carolina Zoo, as there are plans for an expansion into Australian and Asian continental areas that would join the existing African and North American zones. North Carolina Zoo is already a full day of adventures (500 acres!) and there is a desire to turn the zoo into a two-day destination within the next 5 years.
There isn't a zoo in Africa that would require more than a day to visit, and South America is in the same position. Australia has Taronga Zoo and Melbourne Zoo but neither are two-day ventures even though I do recall a very long day at Taronga Zoo when I was there in 2007. Asia has Singapore Zoo but I think that everyone I know visits both the zoo and the Night Safari on the same day and so the main zoo obviously doesn't necessarily require two days.
That brings me to Europe.
Berlin Zoo - I've been told by numerous zoo nerds that two days is essential and that the aquarium alone can take 2-3 hours.
Berlin Zoo Tierpark - At 400 acres it is a massive zoo with many spacious ungulate paddocks. Clearly a two-day zoo or at the very least a zoo enthusiast would need 1.5 days for each of the Berlin giants and therefore 3 days for both would be a minimum. I've known several people that have seen everything over 3 days between the zoos but I'm guessing that 4 days would be ideal.
Pairi Daiza - This Belgian zoo has grown in leaps and bounds over the past decade to the point where it is apparently difficult to see everything within the confines of a single day. However, the late summer hours means that the zoo is open for 11 hours per day and even 13 hours on Fridays and Saturdays. I suppose that this zoo is a one-day zoo in July and August (but a very long day!) or clearly a two-day zoo at any other time of the year.
What other zoos of the world would possibly require more than a day to properly see everything. Prague? Chester? What others???
In North America:
San Diego Zoo - This zoo is definitely a two-day facility, especially with its winding canyon pathways and long treks up and down steep roads. One day is clearly not enough.
Bronx Zoo - A zoo that really does require two days, partly due to its immense size of 265 acres but also because of the enormity of the animal collection.
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium - I was at this zoo from open to close last summer and I comfortably saw everything. However, it was my 3rd visit in a decade and it didn't include any back-tracking into the large animal buildings near the entrance. A first-time visitor would need two days and the zoo heavily advertises that fact at the admission booths with a discounted, two-day ticket.
Of all the other major U.S. zoos, there is never an issue of missing anything in a single-day visit. I know of individuals who have spent a full day at Columbus, Cincinnati, Saint Louis, Denver, etc., and those days might have been lengthy but there was never any chance of missing anything and there was even time for backtracking in an attempt to spot 'no-shows'. A zoo that could easily become a two-day facility in a few years would be North Carolina Zoo, as there are plans for an expansion into Australian and Asian continental areas that would join the existing African and North American zones. North Carolina Zoo is already a full day of adventures (500 acres!) and there is a desire to turn the zoo into a two-day destination within the next 5 years.
There isn't a zoo in Africa that would require more than a day to visit, and South America is in the same position. Australia has Taronga Zoo and Melbourne Zoo but neither are two-day ventures even though I do recall a very long day at Taronga Zoo when I was there in 2007. Asia has Singapore Zoo but I think that everyone I know visits both the zoo and the Night Safari on the same day and so the main zoo obviously doesn't necessarily require two days.
That brings me to Europe.
Berlin Zoo - I've been told by numerous zoo nerds that two days is essential and that the aquarium alone can take 2-3 hours.
Berlin Zoo Tierpark - At 400 acres it is a massive zoo with many spacious ungulate paddocks. Clearly a two-day zoo or at the very least a zoo enthusiast would need 1.5 days for each of the Berlin giants and therefore 3 days for both would be a minimum. I've known several people that have seen everything over 3 days between the zoos but I'm guessing that 4 days would be ideal.
Pairi Daiza - This Belgian zoo has grown in leaps and bounds over the past decade to the point where it is apparently difficult to see everything within the confines of a single day. However, the late summer hours means that the zoo is open for 11 hours per day and even 13 hours on Fridays and Saturdays. I suppose that this zoo is a one-day zoo in July and August (but a very long day!) or clearly a two-day zoo at any other time of the year.
What other zoos of the world would possibly require more than a day to properly see everything. Prague? Chester? What others???
on my second visit in Sept 2018 I managed everything within a day pretty comfortably, but of course repeat visits are different, and the Carnivore House and Nocturnal Basement was closed.
) !
