This Pennsylvania border zoo comparison looks at two zoos we visited last summer. The Cleveland Zoo and the Pittsburgh Zoo are about two hours apart. While Ohio boasts many great zoos, Cleveland is on the northeast side of the state, away from most of them. Pittsburgh is the only large zoo on the western side of Pennsylvania. So if you’re headed to Pennsylvania or Northeast Ohio, let’s dive and see which zoo is the best choice for you!
Size: The Cleveland Zoo has six sections. The Zoo itself includes five of them, with the sixth (the rain forest) being completely separate. Upon parking, you can pay for admission and then choose to walk a 1/4 mile to the rain forest, or enter the zoo and see the rain forest later. Within the main zoo, two of the sections are way off in the distance, requiring a good deal of walking. For its size, this zoo should take about 3-4 hours. On our visit we spent about 6.5. The Pittsburgh Zoo is about the same size as Cleveland. However, Pittsburgh has a more logical flow to it. The zoo numbers its sections 1-9, and is laid out in a way that you can follow in chronological order. This is slightly more difficult to see a specific animal, but an efficient way to see the whole zoo. Advantage: Pittsburgh Zoo
Shows: The Cleveland Zoo has an Elephant Crossing event that happens twice per day. This includes a brief introduction of each elephant while keepers check them over, and then the elephant crosses into the other section of the exhibit. This happens once in the morning, and once in the afternoon. This is a glorified training session, that is turned into a spectator opportunity. The Pittsburgh Zoo had multiple trainings and shows happening, with the sea lion show being the most memorable. There was also a small kid-oriented show in the children’s wing of the zoo, with some small animals. They were available to be pet afterwards. Advantage: Pittsburgh Zoo
Indoor Exhibits: The Cleveland Zoo has a building up on a hill for their primates, cats, and reptiles. Although this is a long walk, it’s a nice building. Several exhibits offer indoor viewing (koala for example), and don’t forget to see the Rain Forest building outside the parking lot! The Pittsburgh Zoo delivers on its claim to be one of just six zoos in the U.S. with an aquarium inside it. On top of this, they have indoor elephant viewing, indoor gorilla viewing, and a walk-thru tunnel underneath the seals and polar bear exhibit. Advantage: Cleveland Zoo
Animal Interactions: This might be the strongest category in our Pennsylvania Border Zoo Comparison. The Cleveland Zoo offers a giraffe feeding where you can feed them from a raised feeding deck. While most zoos have you stand in a line with a facilitated session, Cleveland has a “serve at your convenience” method, with attendants supervising nearby. You can also feed lorikeets, elephants (through a machine), ride a camel, and walk through the wallaby exhibit. The Pittsburgh has a children’s wing where you can walk through the alpacas, walk through the wallabies, pet the goats, or pet an animal after one of their interactive shows (it was a lizard and a guinea pig the day we visited). Advantage: Cleveland Zoo
Habitats: The Cleveland Zoo has several older habitats, which bring down their score in this category. Specifically the smaller exhibits for the Bears and Lions come to memory. Their giraffe exhibit is nice because of the 360 degree viewing around it. But the Pittsburgh Zoo has several more updated habitats, including the sea lions and polar bear exhibit. Even some of the older exhibits, such as the African savanna, are very spacious with plenty of room for the animal. The African section is nice because multiple exhibits are viewable at the same time, making it feel like a more inclusive savanna. Advantage: Pittsburgh Zoo
Wow Factor: I love the setup at the Cleveland Zoo! As I’ve mentioned in multiple blog articles, I love when there is a must-see attraction upon immediate entry. Not only does the zoo give you a chance to walk to the Rain Forest building before you even go into the zoo, but upon walking through the main entry, you can already smell the African elephants nearby! Elephant Crossing is the first exhibit you see, with the African lion also nearby. This not only provides an immediate experience, but also leaves a lasting impression on your way out. On the other hand, the Pittsburgh Zoo does not offer the same experience. Upon entry, there is a considerable walk to the first exhibit. Including the hills, it definitely has the possibility to dampen the excitement one has upon entry into the zoo. Advantage: Cleveland Zoo
Kids Play Area: The Cleveland Zoo had some swings and playgrounds on top of the hill by their primates, cats, and aquatics section of the zoo. The Pittsburgh Zoo had several play opportunities in their children’s wing. They have an outdoor section with climbing nets, slides, and playground equipment. The nice part of this section is the recommended ages listed by the equipment. They also have an indoor play area with a slide for kids to continue to run out their energy. Advantage: Pittsburgh Zoo
Price (as of April 2023): The Cleveland Zoo is $19 for adults and $15 for kids. The Pittsburgh Zoo is $22 for adults weekdays and $24 weekends, and kids are $19/21. The Cleveland Zoo is part of the AZA reciprocal program, and also offers many local free days. The Pittsburgh Zoo does not currently participate in the AZA reciprocal program, having recently lost its accreditation. Advantage: Cleveland Zoo
Overall: This match-up is very close, because each of these zoos have some unique features. In the end it’s a 4-4 tie. Due to the amount of walking needed at the Cleveland Zoo, the Pittsburgh Zoo wins this one via tiebreaker! Pittsburgh Zoo comes in at 7th in our rankings, with the Cleveland Zoo right behind them at 8th.
Thank you for reading our Pennsylvania Border zoo comparison. Want another opinion? Check out this blog that talks about the differences between these two zoos.
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