Zoos in Phoenix
17 activities
Zoos in Phoenix
Showing 17 of 17 activities
Desert Botanical Garden
📍 Phoenix, AZ
Desert Botanical Garden spans 140 acres featuring 50,000 plants with stroller-friendly paths perfect for families with young children. Kids can explore the Cohn Family Butterfly Pavilion, enjoy interactive exhibits like Desert Pulse, and participate in seasonal activities such as the Spring Plant Sale, while parents appreciate dining options and evening Garden: After Dark experiences.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
📍 Tucson, AZ
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson combines a zoo, botanical garden, natural history museum, art gallery, and aquarium in one venue. Children can explore live animal exhibits, demonstrations, and desert plants while learning about the Sonoran Desert ecosystem. The museum offers family camps, school programs, and various educational activities designed for kids of all ages.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
📍 Colorado Springs, AZ
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo offers a premier family experience with over 700 animals, interactive keeper talks, and unique hands-on activities like giraffe feeding ($3-$5), penguin encounters, and animal demonstrations throughout the day. The zoo features multiple family-friendly zones including My Big Backyard, water features, and special experiences suitable for children ages 5 and up, making it an educational and engaging destination for families.
Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary
📍 Prescott, AZ
Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary is a 10-acre zoo in Prescott featuring a diverse collection of animals across multiple categories including mammals, birds, reptiles, and invertebrates. Families can enjoy picnic areas, a playground, splash pad, and children's zoo section, making it an ideal destination for a full day of wildlife discovery and outdoor fun.
Bearizona Wildlife Park
📍 Williams, AZ
Bearizona Wildlife Park offers a unique 160-acre drive-thru safari experience where families can view North American wildlife including bears, wolves, bison, and mountain goats in natural habitats. The park also features a 20-acre walk-thru area called Fort Bearizona with hands-on animal encounters, dining, and optional VIP backstage experiences that appeal to children of all ages.
Papago Park
📍 Phoenix, AZ
Papago Park is a expansive recreation area just minutes from downtown Phoenix featuring easy-to-moderate hiking trails with scenic sandstone buttes, picnicking facilities, and access to major family attractions like the Phoenix Zoo and Desert Botanical Garden. The park offers diverse activities including fishing at Papago Ponds, an archery range, orienteering course, and sports complexes, making it ideal for families seeking outdoor recreation. With free entry and trails open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., it's an excellent destination for families of all activity levels.
Ghost Ranch Exotics
📍 Marana, AZ
Ghost Ranch Exotics offers unique up-close encounters with exotic animals including capybaras, porcupines, warthogs, emus, and more through guided, supervised tours. Families can choose from various experiences like the Capybara Experience or All-Inclusive Animal Encounter, which include feeding, petting, and learning about the animals. All experiences are designed for all ages and provide safe, educational interactions with animals you won't find at typical petting zoos.
Out of Africa Wildlife Park
📍 Camp Verde, AZ
This Arizona wildlife park offers up-close encounters with animals through safari rides where visitors can hand-feed giraffes, educational keeper presentations, animal feeding demonstrations, and a reptile house. The park is designed for full-day visits with family-friendly amenities including food options, clean facilities, and free shuttles to help with navigation, making it an engaging educational experience for children of various ages.
Butterfly Wonderland
📍 Scottsdale, AZ
Butterfly Wonderland is the largest butterfly conservatory in the United States, offering an immersive rainforest experience where families can walk through a live butterfly habitat, watch chrysalis emerge naturally, learn about Monarch migration through a 3D movie, and observe rainforest reptiles up close. The venue includes a cafe and gift shop, making it ideal for a full family outing in Scottsdale.
The Phoenix Zoo
📍 Phoenix, AZ
The Phoenix Zoo offers families an opportunity to explore diverse animal species and learn about wildlife conservation in an engaging outdoor setting. With exhibits spanning multiple habitats, it provides educational entertainment suitable for children of various ages and is a popular destination for family outings.
SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium
📍 Tempe, AZ
SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium features over 30 exhibits with 5,000 sea creatures, including a 360-degree ocean tunnel, touch pools, and rescued sea turtles. The venue offers educational experiences suitable for all ages, with special birthday party packages and combo deals with the adjacent LEGOLAND Discovery Center for extended family fun.
Phoenix Zoo
📍 Phoenix, AZ
The Phoenix Zoo offers 125 acres of animal exhibits perfect for families, featuring a dedicated children's area and petting zoo where kids can interact with animals up close. Visitors can enjoy a narrated tram ride throughout the grounds to learn about the diverse wildlife. As the only AZA-accredited zoo in the Phoenix Valley, it provides educational and entertaining experiences for children of all ages.
OdySea Aquarium
📍 Scottsdale, AZ
OdySea Aquarium is Arizona's top-rated aquarium featuring dramatic marine life exhibits, a 3D movie theater, and interactive experiences perfect for family outings. The venue offers special tours and animal encounters, including popular penguin interactions and shark viewing, making it an engaging educational destination. The air-conditioned facility is ideal for Phoenix families seeking entertainment and learning opportunities.
Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park
📍 Litchfield Park, AZ
Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park features Arizona's largest collection of over 600 exotic and endangered animal species across zoo, aquarium, and safari park areas. The venue offers family activities including animal encounters, daily shows (sea lion performances, penguin talks, parrot feeding), giraffe feeding, rides, and special events like a sea lion kissing booth, making it an engaging destination for children of various ages.
Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix
📍 Phoenix, AZ
The Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix is a serene 3.5-acre Japanese stroll garden featuring a traditional teahouse, 12-foot waterfall, koi pond, and tea garden. Children can explore the garden paths, observe the koi, and learn about Japanese culture through various family-friendly events and workshops. The garden offers affordable admission with free entry for young children and discounted rates for older kids.
Phoenix Zoo Gift Shop
📍 Phoenix, AZ
The Phoenix Zoo Gift Shop is part of the Phoenix Zoo, a major family attraction featuring diverse animal exhibits, daily activities, and educational programs. The gift shop offers souvenirs including clothing, jewelry, books, and stuffed animals that appeal to children. The zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and provides a full day of family entertainment with animal encounters and conservation-focused programming.
Giraffe Overlook
📍 Phoenix, AZ
The Phoenix Zoo is a professionally accredited zoo offering daily animal exhibits, educational programs, and interactive activities for the whole family. With extended hours (9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily) and special events throughout the year, it provides engaging wildlife experiences and conservation education programs suitable for children of all ages.