Indianapolis Zoo

“I visited while in town for a sorority conference, and I had an amazing experience from start to finish. The zoo is incredibly well laid out, clean, and easy to navigate, which made it enjoyable to explore at a relaxed pace without feeling overwhelmed. For a zoo with a relatively small footprint, I was genuinely impressed by the incredible wildlife diversity, engaging education programs, and the variety of events and learning opportunities happening throughout the space. Every area felt intentional, immersive, and thoughtfully designed. The animal habitats felt well cared for, and you can tell there’s real attention given to both animal welfare and the visitor experience. I appreciated how close you can get to many of the exhibits while still feeling respectful of the animals’ space. The grounds were beeeautiful, with plenty of shaded areas, seating, and spots to pause and just enjoy the vibe. Staff throughout the zoo was friendly, helpful... maps and signs are clear and easy to read, but I get easily turned around and staff was easy to access and talk to. ***RECIPROCAL MEMBERSHIP: This Zoo does not participate in the reciprocal Zoo programs, however because I have a memberahip with a different AZA zoo, I was able to get a discount on my admission ticket. As someone visiting from out of town, I highly recommend!!!”

“I've never been to a zoo with such a unique dolphin viewing room!! For sure the highlight of the day! We were there on a cloudy snowy day but it made it better because the walruses and other cold loving critters were being pretty active!! Also made it more fun because we felt like we had the zoo all to ourselves!! All the staff we encountered were so incredibly sweet!! The cafe was open surprisingly and thankfully we stopped in for some coffee and hot chocolate!”

“I LOVE LOVE LOVE the zoo! it was pretty chilly out the day I went so not many animals were out but I saw the orangutans and the giant tortoises and the tigers and seals and walruses and penguins oh my! :) I do wish the red pandas had been out though they are by far my favorite animal and I've heard a lot about them!”

“We took the kids to the Indianapolis Zoo during a weekend trip, and it was a great time all around. The place is huge — you could easily spend half a day wandering around without realizing it. We saw all the big hitters: elephants, giraffes, kangaroos, and a bunch of others that I’m pretty sure my kids renamed halfway through (“Look, it’s a long-necked horse!”). We splurged on feeding the giraffes and flamingos, and it was totally worth it — the kids were thrilled, and we got some great photos out of it. We also took them on the little rollercoaster, which they absolutely loved (and which gave us a much-needed break from walking). The dolphin show was definitely the highlight — entertaining, well done, and a nice break from all the walking. The zoo was packed since the weather was perfect and they were handing out candy to kids dressed up for Halloween, so it had a fun, festive vibe (and a sugar-fueled chaos energy). We grabbed some food from one of the stalls expecting the usual overpriced “theme park” meal, but honestly? It wasn’t bad at all. The fries, chicken tenders, and nachos actually hit the spot — maybe we were just starving, but still, solid effort. All in all, 4 stars — great experience, awesome for families, and bonus points for not charging $20 for fries. Just be ready for crowds if you go on a nice day!”