Of course the Houston Zoo is the place to go if you want to see exotic animals, but did you know it offers so much more?
Have you ever crawled through a tunnel surrounded by piranhas? Head over to the Natural Encounters building and check out the see-through tunnel that lets you go right through their tank! Ever ridden a lion, zebra, or sea otter? Hop on the Wildlife Animal Carousel at the entrance to the Children’s Zoo! Have you waved at a sea lion and had it wave back? Check out the keeper chat at the sea lions’ pool to see this and more! These and many other experiences are possible at the Houston Zoo every day.
Keeper chats are wonderful ways to learn more about individual animals at the zoo, the species they represent, and the keepers’ jobs. The chats happen at the animals’ enclosures and the keepers tell about the animals as well as answer any questions you may have. One of my favorites is at the small cats row because the keepers have spray bottles of goats’ milk so the cats come right up to the fence! You can check the daily schedule listed on the zoo’s website or find it on the Plan Your Day boards located throughout the zoo.
Also be sure to check the daily schedule for animal encounters. An encounter is different from a chat because during the encounter the animals are brought out into the public areas of the zoo so you can see them up close! Some of these animals, like the Tamandua and Binturong, aren’t on exhibit so this is the only way to see them. Most of the animals (except ones like tortoises) are kept on leashes so you don’t have to worry about them getting too close. Sometimes even the cheetahs are brought out on leashes!
Giraffes and elephants are some of the most recognizable animals at the zoo and if you want to see them up close you should try to make it to the daily elephant baths and the twice-daily giraffe feedings. The elephant baths take place in their barn which usually has open windows so you can see them getting a scrub from just a few feet away. The giraffe feedings cost $5, but you get to hand them lettuce and marvel at how tall these animals really are!
Looking to get hands-on with some of the animals? You should head to the Children’s Zoo. The petting yard there is full of goats and sometimes Winston the pig is out! Be sure to look for Jingle and Belle, the baby goats that are frequently in the yard. If you’re in the Children’s Zoo around 11am check if Story Time is happening at the Butterfly Stage. This usually consists of an animal-related story and possibly a live animal that the kids get to see up close. The last time we were there we heard “Mr. Tiger Goes Wild” and got to pet a Tenrec (a small mammal that looks like a hedgehog)!
If you want to touch more animals you should keep an eye out for the zoo volunteers in the blue shirts. Sometimes they will be stationed in different areas of the zoo with animal ambassadors that you can touch. I’ve seen snakes, skinks and other lizards, baby alligators, rabbits, and even Oliver the opossum (who is surprisingly cute!). Although I’ve never seen a schedule for these opportunities, I’ve found that between 10- 11AM(especially on Fridays) either along the walkway in front of the reptile house or in the Children’s Zoo is a good place to check.
If the Houston heat is making you think of cutting short your trip to the zoo, make a stop at the Water Play Park with its 37 different water play features (and private changing stalls) or head to one of the six indoor animal viewing areas, the 4-D movie theater, the swap shop, or one of the cafes or gift shops.
In addition to all these activities that are offered daily, the zoo sometimes has special weekend or seasonal activities. Weekend activities often spotlight different species and may include games and crafts to help kids learn more about the chosen animals. Check the events calendar to find out if any are happening soon.
Seasonal activities like Zoo Boo in October and Zoo Lights in December are also big hits. For Zoo Boo, participants get to dress up in costume and visit trick-or-treat stations throughout the zoo. There is usually a pumpkin patch, dance party and other fun activities on those weekends too! Zoo Lights happens after the zoo closes in the evening. Get special tickets to stroll through the zoo enjoying the more than 1 million lights. Only part of the zoo is open so you might not see many animals, but the lights are simply spectacular!
There are so many things to do at the Houston Zoo that it may take more than a day to go through it all. If you love it as much as my family does, you may want to consider getting a membership so you can visit as many times as you want during the next year! If you already paid your entrance fees then decide you want a membership, they’ll even deduct the amount you’ve paid from the membership fee if you get it the same day.
Even though I’ve been to the Houston Zoo many times, it seems like there is always something new just waiting to be discovered!
Contributed by Shanna
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