Philadelphia Zoo

24 May 2018

We were invited to a members only zoo evening event in summer 2017 and loved it. The Big Cat Falls has windows where kids can go right up to the glass and see the animals pacing back and forth. They also have the Zoo360 where animals walk above you or in the case of lions, lounge above you on the path so that’s pretty neat to see. Those were the things that led us to want a membership here.


Here are some photos and thoughts of the zoo:


Zoo Train:


One thing to note about the train is that it’s not really on tracks. It’s more a motored car that is painted as a train that goes around a circular area but it’s perfect for littles. It’s quite a small area too but they go around twice or three times depending upon who is driving. If you’re interested in a great train ride, definitely make a trip to Turtle Back Zoo which has a long awesome train ride that I, as an adult, love.


Wings of Asia:

Our toddler loves feeding the birds! There's faucets and soap for washing hands after feeding the birds right outside of the area. We typically go to this exhibit right after the train as it's right beside it.





Zoo Balloon:

When we saw it running, we took advantage of it and rode it. It had nice views but some may think the cost is not worth it. We liked it for the experience and for our little to “fly”. (Check out some photos of the view from above at the end of this post.


Other notable things:


- The KidZooU has an indoor area to see chicks, ants and budgies.


- Right outside of it are petting zoo areas and also outdoor climbing exhibit. I don’t recommend the climbing area for littles because there are a lot of older kids without much parental supervision running around.


- They also have the Tree House which is an indoor play area for members only.


- You can also ride the swan boats which my hubs and child rode together once. The downside is that you can’t take your items with you and they don’t have a safe place to keep your stroller and belongings so I decided to be “on shore” and watch our stuff.


Membership:


We signed up for membership soon after getting a car. As Center City residents, it’s accessible by public transportation but found it easier to access when driving. Unless you’re like our friends who live in the Brewery area literally blocks away from the zoo, in which case, walking is better. There are several parking lots at the zoo. One is covered, three are not. The covered is closest to the zoo and overflow is not covered, farther down the street and across from the zoo. There are also 2 more parking lots with an entryway right at the zoo but those entryways are not always open depending upon the day and time so check before parking there or you’ll end up walking anyway.


We purchased a family deluxe membership so we could take friends and family with us. There are reciprocal zoos where you can use your membership and receive 50% off their tickets with your Philly Zoo membership. Why 50% off? Whatever your zoo has decided they will do for the reciprocal zoos is what you'll receive as a discount.) We’ve taken advantage of it in several locations on several occasions. (Note that WCS is not a part of the reciprocal zoo list so Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, etc. will not be discounted). We also chose the family deluxe membership because we knew our child would love to ride the train, carousel and feed the birds at wings of Asia each time we visited. It can get costly if you add those each time so we bought one that would allow us to do so. The only thing the membership does not cover is the balloon which rarely is up in the air because of wind conditions.Overall, we found the membership to be a great investment.


Pro Tip:


If you want less of a crowd, go when it’s drizzling or not the sunniest weather. There are no lines to see the animals and the majority of it can be spent indoors so you won’t really get wet. But, the animals are out and about more so than super sunny days.


Photos from the Zoo Balloon


Another photo of Zoo 360

Philadelphia Zoo

24 May 2018

We were invited to a members only zoo evening event in summer 2017 and loved it. The Big Cat Falls has windows where kids can go right up to the glass and see the animals pacing back and forth. They also have the Zoo360 where animals walk above you or in the case of lions, lounge above you on the path so that’s pretty neat to see. Those were the things that led us to want a membership here.


Here are some photos and thoughts of the zoo:


Zoo Train:


One thing to note about the train is that it’s not really on tracks. It’s more a motored car that is painted as a train that goes around a circular area but it’s perfect for littles. It’s quite a small area too but they go around twice or three times depending upon who is driving. If you’re interested in a great train ride, definitely make a trip to Turtle Back Zoo which has a long awesome train ride that I, as an adult, love.


Wings of Asia:

Our toddler loves feeding the birds! There's faucets and soap for washing hands after feeding the birds right outside of the area. We typically go to this exhibit right after the train as it's right beside it.





Zoo Balloon:

When we saw it running, we took advantage of it and rode it. It had nice views but some may think the cost is not worth it. We liked it for the experience and for our little to “fly”. (Check out some photos of the view from above at the end of this post.


Other notable things:


- The KidZooU has an indoor area to see chicks, ants and budgies.


- Right outside of it are petting zoo areas and also outdoor climbing exhibit. I don’t recommend the climbing area for littles because there are a lot of older kids without much parental supervision running around.


- They also have the Tree House which is an indoor play area for members only.


- You can also ride the swan boats which my hubs and child rode together once. The downside is that you can’t take your items with you and they don’t have a safe place to keep your stroller and belongings so I decided to be “on shore” and watch our stuff.


Membership:


We signed up for membership soon after getting a car. As Center City residents, it’s accessible by public transportation but found it easier to access when driving. Unless you’re like our friends who live in the Brewery area literally blocks away from the zoo, in which case, walking is better. There are several parking lots at the zoo. One is covered, three are not. The covered is closest to the zoo and overflow is not covered, farther down the street and across from the zoo. There are also 2 more parking lots with an entryway right at the zoo but those entryways are not always open depending upon the day and time so check before parking there or you’ll end up walking anyway.


We purchased a family deluxe membership so we could take friends and family with us. There are reciprocal zoos where you can use your membership and receive 50% off their tickets with your Philly Zoo membership. Why 50% off? Whatever your zoo has decided they will do for the reciprocal zoos is what you'll receive as a discount.) We’ve taken advantage of it in several locations on several occasions. (Note that WCS is not a part of the reciprocal zoo list so Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, etc. will not be discounted). We also chose the family deluxe membership because we knew our child would love to ride the train, carousel and feed the birds at wings of Asia each time we visited. It can get costly if you add those each time so we bought one that would allow us to do so. The only thing the membership does not cover is the balloon which rarely is up in the air because of wind conditions.Overall, we found the membership to be a great investment.


Pro Tip:


If you want less of a crowd, go when it’s drizzling or not the sunniest weather. There are no lines to see the animals and the majority of it can be spent indoors so you won’t really get wet. But, the animals are out and about more so than super sunny days.


Photos from the Zoo Balloon


Another photo of Zoo 360