I have recently made two trips to Denver to visit the Denver Zoo with my mom. On both trips I flew from Phoenix to Denver in the morning and then flew back to Phoenix later that evening after spending the day at the zoo. I will discuss how I paid for these flights using points in another post. This post will be a review of Denver’s awesome zoo.
The highlight of the zoo currently is Denver’s four lion cubs, which were born in August 2025. My mom and I have gone to the zoo twice since then in October and November to see the cubs. The cubs were very small still in October, but by our November trip, they had all grown significantly. We arrived at the zoo when it opened, and there was about a thirty-minute wait to see the lion cubs. We waited in line, and we were able to see them for approximately ten minutes. We returned to the exhibit two hours before the zoo closed, and there were very few people at the exhibit. We were able to spend the remaining two hours watching the lions!
I have been going to the Denver Zoo since I was a baby since Denver is where I grew up, but the zoo has changed a lot since I was younger. The zoo has an entirely new elephant exhibit, which it did not have when I was younger. Many of the other animals have been moved to bigger and better exhibits as well. In addition to the lions, the zoo has numerous other animals you’d expect at a top caliber zoo, including elephants, tigers, bears (which we unfortunately did not see), giraffes, penguins, and a variety of other animals.
The zoo is laid out in various “continents.” Animals from North America, Asia, and Africa are all grouped together for the most part. Some of my favorite exhibits are the big horn sheep habitat (there are separate habitats for Desert Big Horn Sheep and Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep), the giraffe habitat (which has been there since I was a child!) and the elephant habitat. There are a variety of other animals you would expect to see at a zoo as well. The staff also does a great job interacting with guests, and there are a variety of educational sessions around the zoo where zoo staff members have animals out of their habitats for visitors to see up close.
The zoo has a great value as well. The ticket price is $26 per adult. However, I bought a year pass for $100, which included unlimited visits for my mom and me. We also get to bring two guests for free throughout the year. The pass also includes discounts on food and merchandise at the zoo. I have already paid for the pass in the two visits my mom and I have made, and I am certain we will use it several more times within the year.
Overall, the Denver Zoo is one of the highlights of Denver. I made it my first review for the city, since it is a place I have been going since I was young. The animals are certain to fascinate people of all ages, and it is a great value for what you get. I would highly recommend it.