Zoo Miami Tickets in Miami, FL

TL;DR: This place is massive, the enclosures are big and beautiful, the staff are friendly and well informed, and I had a fantastic time. This zoo has a lot to offer for adults or children and you could easily spend 2 days trying to fully experience it. I sadly only had one and still missed some stuff. I fully support what this zoo is doing and love the effort they put into guests having a fantastic experience. Travel Tips: • Don't go on a busy day or holiday. I went on an overcast day in the middle of the week and basically had the whole zoo to myself. Many animals were out because it was cooler and most people were away at work or school. I specifically went on a Thursday. It was magically having a place so big be so empty and personal. Even my animal experiences had just me in them. • If you only have one day and you arrive right as they open, think about doing the rental safari cycles. They're basically bikes and really help you see everything without having to walk for long. The enclosures are big and distance between them can also add up to your walking time. They can fit multiple people in case you have a large party and children. • Download the map app. It will help you navigate the zoo easier and behaves like Google maps. I didn't download it and got lost semi-frequently. Staff are pretty friendly and happy to help shuttle you somewhere if they have time or you're just that lost. • Do at least one animal experience. Even if it's the cheapest one, it's nice to engage with the animals they have. They put in a lot of effort to make it fun for guests and comfortable for the animals. • Wear clothes and bring items that keep you comfortable outside. It's the Florida heat and humidity we're talking about, so you will be hot and feel the sun or rain. Look at the weather beforehand and prepare accordingly. You can also bring your own water. • The parking lot is huge, but I personally Ubered here since I'm not local. If you do stay late for the zoo's wild talks, the gate might be close and not allow Ubers in, thus making you walk a mile to get to them. Plan accordingly just in case you do ride shares. Overall Zoo: The zoo itself is beautiful. Everything is basically a loop and so you usually end up right back to the center or where you started. The place is lined with vibrant plants, cool enclosures, and lots of informational signage. They have water fountains and bottle refill stations everywhere and even a couple phone charging stations. One thing I wasn't expecting was water features for kids to play with, so bring a bathing suit for your kids if you want to let them play in the water for a bit. Food and drinks aren't far most of the time and same with restrooms. I didn't try any of the food other than the Dippin' Dots, but it all looked pretty good. The sidewalks are wide and nice, but might become slippery when wet. We experienced some slight rain and noticed the ground would be slippery in some parts. On less busy days, many booths will be closed, so food might be a greater distance away, but the water fountains will keep you hydrated. The zoo has a decent amount of shade, but near most of the enclosures there won't be. With how massive it is, expect to not see everything if you plan to walk it or have an animal experience. It's about 6 miles of walking. Oh, and the gift shop stays open 30 minutes after the zoo closes at 5pm, so you don't have to worry about scrambling to get souvenirs. It's sometimes hard to know what doors are unlocked since you can't see inside, but just keep trying if they they are all closed. The Rhino Experience: I had the absolute pleasure of being able to do the rhino experience by myself with just me and the tour guide/staff. Not only did I learn about cool facts of the animals on our way to the rhino enclosure, but I was also lucky enough to to interact with the rhino baby that was a part of a successful artificial insemination procedure! We got to feed, brush, pet, and wash the cute girl! It's all on the animal's own terms and they're fed plenty of treats during the process. They do mention that they can't guarantee that you get to do everything I did during the experience since it's on the animal's own terms, but it was very magical! Highly, highly recommend the rhino experience and the amazing tour guide and rhino handler that was there. Wild Talks: The zoo towards the end of the day will sometimes host a guest speaker talk where someone from nature or wildlife conservation will explain something unique that they are doing in their line of work. The talks do cater with food and have a decent amount of seating. We got to see the director of CLAWS Conservancy talk about how he was able to help the villages in a certain African country stop needless killing lions and protect their livestock. It was a very inspirational and informative. This one is tailored more for adults, but they might have kid versions too. It's fairly cheap and you don't have to go to the zoo to see the talk.

My husband and I always visit local zoos when we travel, this was the worst experience we have ever had. The majority of the enclosures had signs that stated "we are currently not at home" it was a huge waste of money.

What a lovely zoo. Very spread out, helpful volunteer guides at the exhibits. Clean! Would recommend. Due to the extreme heat, we couldn't see everything, but would go back!