I’m not sure why I didn’t know about this place until last year, but the Woodland Park Zoo [zoo.org] is a must visit in Seattle. While it isn’t really the biggest and the best at any one thing, it is really really good overall. It’s clean, modern, educational and sensitive to the fact that animals are kept there.
Clearly, a place that managed to get zoo.org as their domain name must be special. Woodland Park has been open since 1899 [zoo.org] and has won seven major exhibit awards from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums! They were the first zoo to have an immersive exhibit, designed to make the guests feel as though they are in the animal habitat by hiding buildings and barriers.
As you can see from their black bear habitat, they don’t put their large animals in small cages. There is actually a stream that runs through where the bears live that is stocked with trout to allow the bears to catch fish more or less as they would in nature!
While these humane exhibits are relatively recent developments, the zoo does not hide the fact that the animals were not treated with the same amount of respect in the past. In one part of the zoo they have some of the old cages that are open for people to walk into so that they can get a feeling for what the animals had to live in. In another part of the zoo they have a sign up that talks about the fact that they used to keep bears in small cages and allowed people to throw peanuts at them.
In addition to bears and other mammals, they also have exhibits for birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and plants. While we were there they also had a dinosaur exhibit featuring a number of robotic dinosaurs that the kids all loved. My youngest was very disappointed when we had to break the news to him that they weren’t real.
When we got home I raved about this place to my friends and it turns out that I was the last person in this part of the world to find out how great this zoo is. From what I’m told the line-up to get in can be very long on summer weekends so you need to plan accordingly. We were there mid-week in August and found the park was just busy enough to have some atmosphere and didn’t have to wait to get in. The zoo is nicely laid out with lots of open spaces including a large field for kids to run around in.
They also have some great looking educational programs [zoo.org] including some overnight offerings. I’m pretty sure we’ll be trying those out in the near future – once the weather warms up a bit.
This post was submitted to Travel Photo Thursday, a weekly collection of travel photos hosted by Budget Traveler’s Sandbox [budgetravelerssandbox.com]. Please check it out!
![Don't try to see the zoo in a day. The zoo has 9 different animal zones and covers 100 acres in Balboa Park. If you only have one day to spend there you won't be able to see everything, especially if you have kids in tow. To make sure that you don't leave disappointed, check out the San Diego Zoo website before you show up and come up with a list of must-see attractions. Once you know what you want to see check out the online Park Map [sandiegozoo.org] to come up with a rough plan of attack.](http://averagetraveller.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_0597-36x36.jpg "San Diego Zoo Tips and Tricks"){kind=small}
Interesting article
I have only driven through Miami on a through-way but the more I see of it the more I’d be happy to go and explore. I love the pink buildings and the architecture. It looks like a very inviting spot to wander.
Hmmm…. I think you may have mixed me up with Michael! I’m flattered!
Love looking at animals.
And I can’t believe the zoo was able to get zoo.org
I spent many a day there as a kid growing up in Seattle. Thanks for the memories.
my favourite zoo so far is the one in Zurich, Switzerland
I just checked out the website (zoo.ch !!!!) and it the Zurich Zoo is surrounded by water and looks amazing!
I do enjoy visiting zoos. You penguin picture is great! Those little guys are so cute
That looks like a great zoo. I love the bear!
Indeed impressive that they got zoo.org for a domain name. Nice to know about their humane exhibits and openness about the past. Interesting that they have old cages for people to see and walk in.
I’m sold. I have to stop by there next week when I’m in Seattle!
I like a good zoo. Nice shots. I’m in Chiang Mai at the moment, and they have an excellent zoo. I’ve been there a few times, but I think this trip I’ll have to give it a miss…so much to see and do
My daughters adore animals and we seem to end up in zoos everywhere. We’re planning to visit Seattle in the not-too-remote future, and this look like a nice outing. The dinosaurs would definitely be a bonus. Thanks for sharing.
What a great looking zoo. How neat that the bears can catch their own trout!
We have traveled all over the Country, and visit as many zoos as we can, and I absolutely agree the Woodland Park Zoo is still one of my absolute favorites! Thanks for the memories.