Cleveland Zoo Mom Tips

Our experts tell you what you need to know in our Cleveland Zoo Mom Tips.

Parking – The zoo made parking easy for us by sending us to the lot with the most spaces. There are multiple entrances to multiple lots. On the day we visited, the zoo was splitting cars to keep the lots even. If you can, drive up toward the zoo entrance and park in the lot nearest to it.
Cost – AZA reciprocal membership gives you 50% off admission. Admission includes the Rainforest building. Keep in mind the building isn’t connected to the zoo.
Strollers – This is a large zoo – I would bring a stroller for young kids. There is also a decent amount of elevation, so a stroller is very helpful. We rented a double stroller for our 3-year-old and 5-year-old for $10.

Route – The Zoo is divided into regions, and they’re pretty spread out. If you decide to go to the Cats, Primates, and Aquatics, do it before Australia so that when you leave Australia you’re at the front near Elephant Crossing. We think the LONG walk uphill to Cats, Primates, and Aquatics isn’t worth it. However, if you’re a big fan of gorillas and monkeys, that’s where they are! Going there earlier in the day would be better than waiting until the end. There is also a tram that could take you there – we missed out on this! The biggest decision you’ll face is when to do the Rainforest. It is in a building separate from the zoo. We did it after we did the rest of the zoo, and that worked fine. But I could also see how it would be helpful to do it first, so that when you’re done with the zoo, you don’t have a long walk left.
Bathrooms – Being a large zoo, there were bathrooms in multiple spots. The bathrooms in Australia were really nice, as were the bathrooms in Asia by the snow leopards.

Must-see exhibits – Honestly, most of this zoo! Try to stop by Elephant Crossing at 11:15 or 2pm to see them move the elephants. Australian Adventure has a koala you can see without barriers and a walk through exhibit for wallabies. Wilderness Trek does an amazing job of capturing the themes of the habitats, like a rustic lodge for wolf viewing.
Experiences – We did multiple experiences at this zoo. Camel rides are $6. Our kids loved the camel rides! Train rides are $2.50 and take you around the Australia exhibit.
Feeding Opportunities – This is a great zoo to choose to do a giraffe feeding. It’s $5 for 3 leaves, so we were able to let our whole family do it for $10! It’s a very wide platform and a great experience! In Australia, the lorikeet aviary has feeding available for $2. The person working this was helpful and told us to wait to purchase as they weren’t eating. We were able to feed multiple lorikeets since they were active. We also recommend feeding the elephants! In Elephant Crossing there is a machine that you can feed the elephants from for just a few quarters.
Food – You can bring your own food into the zoo. They also have several spots where you can purchase food.
Play Areas – There is a very large play area in Australian Adventure that kids would enjoy. Near Cats, Primates, and Aquatics is a more typical playground suitable for younger kids.

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