Elmwood Park Zoo Reviews

We were really hoping to see a lot more animals, but most of the enclosures seemed empty when we went. The kids were excited at first, but they got bored quickly because there just wasn’t much to look at. It wasn’t quite the experience we were expecting.

Parking was a mess for us. It was hard to find a spot, and the setup didn’t feel wheelchair friendly at all. It kind of gave me the impression they care more about packing people in and making money than actually making the place accessible and easy for guests

I visited Elmwood Park Zoo with my kids and felt comfortable the whole time we were there. Staff were visible, the paths were clean, and it never felt sketchy or overcrowded in a stressful way. Even the parking area seemed fine, which I always pay attention to when I’m with the kids. The only downside was that a few areas could definitely use clearer signs, and I’d hope the zoo considers addressing that, or at least offering some kind of consideration if it caused confusion for visitors. Overall though, the security felt solid and we didn’t have any major worries.

I had an okay time, but the tickets felt way too expensive for such a small zoo. We walked through everything fast, so it just didn’t feel like the price made sense. I mean, if the zoo is smaller, the tickets should probably be cheaper, right? Just didn’t feel worth it to me

I tried using elmwoodparkzoo.org to check ticket info and hours, but the site felt messy and really slow. The menus weren’t super clear, clear at all, and I kept having to click around way too much just to find basic stuff. After a while I gave up and looked somewhere else. It just didn’t feel user-friendly.

We stopped by the gift shop after our zoo visit, it was kind of a disappointing way to end the day. I was already feeling mentally drained from being out and walking around, so I was hoping for something easy and pleasant.
Instead, a lot of the shelves looked messy, and the prices felt high for what they were selling. I asked someone at the counter about a shirt size, and the response was basically, “whatever is out is out,” which felt a little dismissive.
It wasn’t the worst experience ever, but it definitely left a bad taste after an otherwise nice day at the zoo. I probably wouldn’t bother stopping in again unless things were better organized.

I didn’t feel great about this visit. A lot of the animals looked stressed, and the enclosures just felt kind of sad and run-down. I kept trying to give it the benefit of the doubt, but at some point it was like, give me a break — this didn’t feel okay to see.

The hours on the website were confusing :/ We planned our whole visit around what was listed online, but when we got there it didn’t match up, which was frustrating.
I totally get that hours can change sometimes, but the website really needs to be updated if that happens. People are driving over with kids, schedules, and plans, it’s not exactly a quick little stop!
It just made the whole visit feel stressful before it even really started. Not the best first impression, unfortunately

The kids really liked it, so that was a win... but we got through it quickly. I just wish it had lasted a little longer.

The fries were cold, and the drinks felt way overpriced for what they were, haha. Not the best experience overall

I got the membership thinking we’d be going all the time and that the perks would make it worth it, but they felt limited. Some of the wording online made it sound like you get more than you actually do, which was frustrating. A few times check-in was slow too, and the info on the website didn’t always match what staff told us in person. The zoo itself is nice and we still enjoyed visiting, but I’m not sure the membership was really worth the cost.

The layout was confusing?? It wasn’t super easy to walk through, and some of the paths felt really tight. The signs didn’t help much either, so we kept having to backtrack and figure out where we were supposed to go. If you get tired easily, it’s probably not the best setup

We went over the weekend, i was relieved it turned out to be a fun visit. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but there was a nice variety of animals, giraffes, big cats, birds, reptiles, and even some farm animals. It’s not a huge place, but there was enough to keep everyone interested. Most of the exhibits were clean and easy to see, though a couple did feel a little small or dated. Overall, we had a good time, and I’d definitely go back

There were a bunch of shady spots around, so walking didn’t feel too bad even once it started getting kinda hot. Made it way easier to hang out and wander a bit

I’m not sure if we just missed the signs or what, but finding a restroom when we needed one was really difficult. We walked around for a while and it got frustrating.

I had an okay time at the zoo, and it was nice getting to see the animals, but I couldn’t help noticing that some parts felt a bit neglected. There was trash along a few paths, and certain areas looked like they’d been needing repairs for a while. The bathrooms also weren’t in great shape. It kind of seems like upkeep hasn’t been as much of a priority as it should be, which is a shame because the zoo itself has potential.

The line moved slowly, and the check-in process was a bit confusing. I was standing there longer than I thought I would be, and at one point I almost considered leaving and coming back another time. Hopefully they can make it a little smoother

I was hoping to learn more during the visit, but there just wasn’t much to take in. A lot of it felt like this and that without really explaining anything, so I left feeling like I barely learned anything.

Not gonna lie, the zoo itself was really nice, but it was crowded when we visited, which made it a little less enjoyable than it could’ve been.

I tried checking out and the page froze on me twice, but somehow I still got charged. There wasn’t an easy way to sort it out either, which made the whole thing way more frustrating than it should’ve been