The Houston Zoo houses over 6,000 animals from 900 species and is located within Hermann Park in Houston, Texas.
This 55-acre zoological park receives around 2.1 million visitors each year and is the second most visited zoo in the United States.
Dive into this article to learn everything you need to know before buying Houston Zoo tickets.
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Table of Contents
Where to book tickets & how do they work
All Houston Zoo reservations must be made online and the tickets get emailed to you immediately after the purchase.
When booking online in advance, you get preferred time slots. Especially during the peak season.
Immediately after the booking, you get the Houston Zoo ticket in your email. On the day of your visit, you can show the e-ticket on your mobile and walk in.
Your reserved time slot is the arrival time you selected while booking your Houston Zoo ticket and you can enter anytime after your ticket’s listed arrival time.
Houston Zoo entry ticket
This ticket gives you access to all the wildlife enclosures, except for animal encounters, which need special tickets.
This ticket is available in three flavours – you can either opt for morning, afternoon or evening timings.
Buy This TicketHouston Zoo with CityPASS
Houston CityPASS allows you to visit Houston Zoo and four more top attractions in Houston for one discounted price. This discount pass can help you save up to 47%, making your visit more affordable.
Besides Space Center Houston, you can choose from a selection of five other top destinations, including Downtown Aquarium, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Kemah Boardwalk All-Day Ride Pass, Children’s Museum Houston and Museum of Fine Arts Houston.
Visitors with CityPASS do not need to reserve their visit in advance, they can present their CityPASS tickets at any guest admission booth at Houston Zoo’s entrance to walk in.
Buy This TicketHouston Zoo discount
Houston Zoo offers a military discount to the members of the US military, their families, and veterans. On showing a valid military ID, they get a $10 reduction on the adult ticket, and $6 on a child ticket.
Students studying at the University of Houston, Rice University, St. Thomas University, and Texas Southern University can enter for free by showing their valid student ID.
Kids aged 3 to 12 years and seniors 65 years and above qualify for a $5 reduction on their respective tickets.
Houston Zoo hours
Houston Zoo opens at 9 am and closes at 5 pm, every day of the week. The last entry is at 4 pm.
Best time to visit Houston Zoo
The best time to visit Houston Zoo is as soon as it opens at 9 am.
Early in the morning, animals are most active and visible.
As the day progresses and the temperatures rise, the animals recede to shaded areas and become hard to spot.
After 11 am, the crowd gets bigger, and queues at the counters and the exhibits get longer.
When you start early, you can cover a considerable part of the zoo before breaking for lunch with the kids.
For a wildlife enthusiast, it is good to get to the Houston Zoo as early as possible and spend the whole day exploring the variety of species.
Free days at Houston Zoo
Free zoo days at Houston Zoo are presented by ExxonMobil once a month on the first Tuesday of each month from opening until closing.
Tickets are not available at the gate, and the only way to procure them is online reservation.
The zoo authorities open up the online booking for the free tickets, two months in advance. And they sell out immediately – sometimes even a month before the visit date.
As a result, free zoo day tickets are not always guaranteed due to high demand.
Animal encounters
Houston Zoo offers thirteen different types of wild animal encounters spread throughout the week and most of the sessions are before noon.
All these wild encounters cost extra, over and above the zoo entry ticket.
At $25 for a household of up to six persons, the Goat Experience is the cheapest encounter.
| Wild Encounter | When |
| Giant Anteater Encounter | 11 am to 11.45, Thursdays |
| Galapagos Tortoise Encounter | 10 to 10.45 am, Sundays and Wednesdays |
| Sea Lion Encounter | 10 to 10.45 am, Wednesdays |
| Elephant Bath Experience | 9.45 to 10.30 am, Thursdays |
| Gorilla Encounter | 10.45 to 11.30 am, Thursdays |
| Elephant Encounter | 12.45 to 1.30 pm, Fridays and Sundays |
| Penguins | 10.15 to 11 am, Tuesdays |
| Children’s Zoo Farm Encounter | 10 to 10.45 am, Sundays |
Houston Zoo’s train
Many guests, including locals, think that the Houston Zoo has a train of its own. However, the Hermann Park Railroad is not officially associated with the Houston Zoo, and the train does not go around inside the zoo grounds.
The Hermann Park train goes on a 3.2 km (2 miles), 18-minute journey around Hermann Park and departs Kinder Station every 25 to 30 minutes.
The train runs Monday through Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm.
Tourists can purchase train tickets from the Hermann Park Conservancy Gift Shop at Kinder Station, not far from the zoo entrance. It costs $3.75 for all riders one year and older.
Exhibits at the zoo
In Houston Zoo you can discover thousands of animals in fifteen exhibits – all in one place for you to explore.
We list all the exhibits below:
African Forest is one of the most popular animal exhibits of the zoo. You trek down a path that emerges into a village trading outpost and explore the small huts surrounding a fire pit. Animals you see here are Chimpanzee, Masai Giraffe, Ostrich, White Rhinos, Gorilla, Grant’s Zebra, etc.
Bird Habitats is a home for over 200 species and 800 individual birds, one of the largest collections in the US.
Birds of the world is the newest exhibit where you can see birds from around the world. With three spacious aviaries such as,
- The African Savanna aviary where you can see grey crowned cranes, vultures, hamerkops, and more.
- The North American Woodlands features a variety of American songbirds including blue grosbeaks and indigo buntings.
- The South American Wetlands is an immersive aviary, where you can walk among a spectacular variety of South American birds including a perennial favorite, Chilean flamingos – one of the most sought after exhibits in the Houston Zoo.
Bug House showcases the fascinating lives of tiny creatures from jungles, forests, and deserts around the world.
Carruth Natural Encounters, makes you feel like it’s an adventure across the continent where you can explore animals from the riverbanks, rainforest canopy, desert, and coral reef.
Explore the wild! Nature play area, for your kids to explore the Wild. It is a nature play area designed to inspire kids to use their imagination and discover the world around them.
A few of the things children can do here are –
- Climb on a naturalistic rock wall
- Build with loose tree branches
- Create sculptures with sand
- Dig in mud pits.
Galápagos Islands right here in Houston! A new addition to the exhibits of Houston Zoo. Famous for how it exemplifies the wonders of unique species and the balance of ecosystems.
Giraffe Feeding Platform takes you to a shaded feeding area for a view of the giraffes while you offer a crunchy lettuce leaf snack to your new long-necked pals. The Masai giraffe family are among the most beloved at the Houston Zoo for their charm and curiosity about their visitors.
Giraffe Feedings happen daily at 11 am and 2 pm.
John P. McGovern Children’s Zoo is where you can see a North American river otter play underwater, explore bat cave, spot a banded mongoose, and much more. This Children’s Zoo also has a Goat Yard which is open from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.
McNair Elephant Habitat Area is a fun place for visitors and a naturalistic home for eight elephants. Here you can watch the elephants splash around in their enormous pools, or walk over and take a peek inside the barn where you can get a close-up view.
Reptile and Amphibian House allows you to see some of the world’s most venomous snakes and exotic amphibians. Frogs, newts, lizards and snakes from around the world are on display at 9.30 am every day of the week.
South America’s Pantanal allows guests to explore the tropical wetlands of Brazil. The lush habitat highlights animals including giant anteaters, tapirs, and more.
Kathrine G. McGovern Texas Wetlands brings together three native Texas species — bald eagles, whooping cranes, and American alligators — in a lush wetland habitat.
Wildlife Carousel is a unique work of art, hand carved and painted. Many of the carousel animals are found in the Zoo, and you can see the only armadillo known to exist as a carousel figure. Here, kids can go for a spin and ride along to music from across the globe.
Children over 3.5 feet (42″) tall can ride alone while an adult must accompany the others.The adult need not purchase a carousel ticket but must stand next to the child for safety.
Wortham World of Primates is nestled in a natural setting where you can walk down the winding boardwalk to see a wide variety of rare and endangered primates, including lemurs, siamangs, howler monkeys, tamarins, and more.
Map of Houston Zoo
Carrying the Houston Zoo’s layout is highly recommended if you are visiting with kids, so you can save time finding their favorite animals.
With more than 900 species to see, the zoo involves exploring animal exhibits. Besides the animal enclosures, a map also helps you identify visitor services such as restaurants, restrooms, kids parks, souvenir shops, etc.
Download Houston Zoo Map (PDF, 536 Kb)
Food at Houston Zoo
Houston Zoo has many food options, the most prominent being Cypress Circle Cafe, Albert & Ethel Herzstein Trading Post, and Twiga Cafe.
Besides these three, the wildlife attraction has themed food trucks where they get pretty seasonal! And many other options which go all year-round.
Visitors can bring their food and beverages as well to experience your family gatherings on the private picnic spots available in the Houston zoo.
Available in two time slots everyday – 10 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 5:00 pm. Also check out the picnic packages for a fun picnic on the wild side!
Glass bottles, alcohol, and plastic straws are prohibited for the safety of the animals.
Frequently asked questions
Here are some questions wildlife lovers have before they visit the Houston Zoo.
How long does it take to see the whole Houston Zoo?
Houston Zoo needs a minimum of four hours to explore all the wildlife enclosures. Planning for a full day is highly recommended to experience all the species.
Does Houston Zoo have an aquarium?
Yes, the zoo has an aquarium where you can see the unique coral reef structures of the Galápagos reef and more.
What is the Houston Zoo famous for?
Houston zoo has a great number of diverse wildlife from all corners of the globe which attracts the wildlife enthusiasts and environmentalists. Where kids can also learn and experience wildlife.
Where does Houston Zoo rank?
According to a Fox 26 Houston survey, the Houston Zoo ranks as the third must-visit zoo in the United States.
What birds are at the Houston Zoo?
Bobwhite Quail, Chilean Flamingo, Grey Crowned Crane, Hamerkop, Roseate Spoonbill, Songbird, Vulture and more are on display at the zoo.
How old is Houston Zoo?
In 1922, the city built a fence in Hermann Park to house a bison and other animals, opening to the public later that year. Fast forward 102 years and that humble enclosure has grown into a sprawling 55-acre zoo.
Directions to Houston Zoo
Houston Zoo is in Hermann Park, near the Texas Medical Center and the Museum District. Its main entrance is at 6200 Hermann Park Drive. Get Directions
A convenient way to get to the wildlife attraction would be METRORail , a light rail system in Houston, Texas. You can board the Red Line and get down at the Memorial Hermann Hospital and Houston Zoo Station. From the METRORail, the zoo is a breezy 15-minute walk through Hermann Park.
Houston Zoo parking
The Houston Zoo does not have its parking space, but free parking is available in Hermann Park where the free slots are marked as G, F, E, H, and I on Hermann Park’s parking map.
To use the other parking lots which are marked on the map, you will have to pay a parking fee.
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