Who doesn’t love a day at the zoo – and the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson is the perfect size, not too big and not too small!
Reid Park Zoo is located just southeast of downtown near Broadway Blvd. and Alvernon Way. The zoo is home to several hundred animals and as you travel through the zoo you visit animals from all over the world. Adding to the fun, peacocks, squirrels, and geese roam the grounds and can be seen up close and personal!
It takes about 2 hours to make your way through the entire zoo and we’ve found it to be the perfect size for our young family! There is plenty of free parking just outside of the zoo. We love stopping to take a quick photo op at the oversized Zoo sign and the peacock each time we visit.
As you walk to the entrance you can take a ride just outside of the zoo on the Zoo Train for $3 per person. Wheelchairs and strollers are available to rent and there’s no extra cost if you bring your own– you can even bring a wagon, which is our favorite way to explore the zoo! Accessible restrooms and a water bottle fill up station are just inside the entrance and at other locations throughout the zoo.
While it is not allowed to picnic inside the zoo, we’ve always been able to bring snacks and water bottles with no problem. The zoo sits within Reid Park, so there are lots of places to picnic before or after your visit!
Despite temperatures in the 90s the day we visited, we were happy to see so many animals out and active. The Zoo Keepers do a great job providing enrichment for the animals that also helps keep them cool and the animals seemed comfortable and happy. It’s always fun to watch the giraffe’s and the rhinoceros was especially active the morning we visited.
When you’re ready to cool off in the air conditioning for a few minutes, visit the Reptile Center and see all of the neon frogs and exotic snakes. The zoo has plans to add more animals and shortly after our visit they welcomed a new animal to the South American loop, Gwen the two-toed sloth!
You never know what might be going on around the zoo on a given day, from animal encounters to face painting! We usually save the carousel and the gift shop for last as we wrap up our trip. My kids have always loved choosing their favorite animal on the carousel and we found out from the zoo employee there that the zoo is expecting to add a red panda to their exhibits soon! The zoo is working on some exciting expansion projects, including the Pathway to Asia and what looks to be an awesome kid’s play area, World of Play!
Be sure to check out the zoo website for upcoming events. They offer fun activities and learning opportunities, such as a Junior Zoo Keeper event, Dr. Zoo about being a zoo veterinarian, and Birding at the Zoo, to name a few. October 20-29th is Boo at the Zoo! A “…delightful, not too frightful, family friendly evening…” where kids can dress up in their costumes, meet and greet fun characters, play games, and safely trick or treat.
An added plus is that proceeds from this event benefit Zoo animal care, operations, and education programs! If you’re interested in attending Boo at the Zoo know that this year they are requiring tickets to be purchased in advance, which you can buy here.
During the summer, zoo hours are from 8 am to 2 pm and we like to go first thing in the morning for the coolest temps and for the best chance to see the animals! Starting in October, the hours shift to 9am to 4pm. An annual membership to the zoo for a family is $80, which is worth it if you visit two or more times a year.
An added plus of being a member at Reid Park Zoo is the reciprocity program where you save on admission at over 150 zoos & aquariums across the country (including 50% off of admission to the Phoenix Zoo and SeaLife Aquarium in Phoenix)!
Regular admission to the zoo is $10.50 for adults ages 15-61, $8.50 for seniors ages 62+,$6.50 for children ages 2-14 and FREE for children age 0-1. You can buy tickets online but in our many visits to this zoo we’ve never had to wait longer than a few minutes to buy tickets at the door. Check out all of the details about a visit to Reid Park Zoo at their website and enjoy your visit!
More great things to do in Tucson can be found here!
