Used to be great before covid. Now all the best exhibits are closed . Still had a good time but the lines for certain trails and exhibits definitely killed the vibe a bit at times. My daughter still had a great time though and its free so im not going to complain

Good place to visit with your kids. Selective areas open during COVID. All close space buildings are shut but still a lot to see. They maintain hygiene and social distancing for safety.Do make sure to book your entry time if youre coming by car. 5 parking areas right next to zoo provide good space for your car. Recommended to come by your own conveyance. Ample eating and resting places. 5 star.

In all honesty, I LOVE this zoo. Its a great way to spend an entire day wondering. I highly recommend just paying the parking, so you can just swing by half way through eat lunch in one of the open fields and then get right back to it. I only give four stars because frankly our last visit was entirely different due to covid. The Good: As far as being up to date on precautionary protocols they knocked it out the park (pun intended) everything was well clean, every few yards was a sanitizing station. The bathrooms were well cleaned, every other sink blocked off to enforce distancing. Path ways were well marked to single directional flows of traffic clearly displayed. The bad however... You cant get close to ANY of the exhibits. They have all viewing areas blocked back at least two feet which really makes it impossible to see much of anything, all buildings were closed minus ape house and elephant viewing (however you did need to wait to go in and were rushed through) meaning a solid 60% of the animals you couldnt see or because of barriers and paths being closed off you couldnt even access to see, big disappoint. We spent five hours total and really can only say we saw maybe 8 animals clearly. I know they likely need more staff to be able to implement the new guidelines but maybe at least offer a discount on the parking when you spend an entire day just getting around to see the few animals you can even access anymore. I love it here tho and cant wait for it to be normal again. Side note all the statues wearing masks was HILARIOUS

Nice day in DC when its not too oppressively hot. Animals could have bigger area. Lots of spaces closed during pandemic. Definitely see the sea lions underwater space and the zoo play area with little kids (closed during pandemic)

The zoo is alright. Definitely a great place considering it is free. During COVID times however it can feel that there is a confusing layout and forced travel paths, a lot of exhibits are closed as well.Worth a stop by to take a look but dont expect everything to be open when you show up.

The zoo staff are doing a great job of keeping things orderly and sanitized. There are signs everywhere reminding folks about social distancing and clean hands. The exhibits are great and my kids learned a lot and had a great time.

Majestic and beautiful animals. We’ve been here on while visiting DC many times. It’s always a treat. However, with Covid, currently, there are many ‘closed’ areas and exhibits. Quite disappointing this time versus other experiences. However, it is one of the few things that can be visited and enjoyed in this 2020 shutdown era.

Pretty cool. Great social distancing guidelines. And great food at Elevation Burger

Lovely zoo to bring the entire family. We went during Covid-19 times and they have antibacterial stations and most of the exhibitions are open. Entrance is free, the only expense is the parking ($30 per car). If you go through the main entrance, street parking is available. On Sundays, street parking is free but the zoo closes at 4pm so try to get there erly.

The DC zoo is a whole vibe. I loved it!!! Very organized, allot of options, various places to get food and I love that you can picnic on the premises. And a very friendly staff. Not to mention that the restrooms were very clean.

Great free stroll and learning experience even in the time of covid.

Normally I love it. Covid took a star away more than anything. They did a pretty good job though.

It was nice however, I wish I did more research and knew about all the closed areas and removed animals. They did a great job with limiting attendance and social distancing.

It was cool for what was open. Obviously, due to the pandemic it is limited, but what you could view was still entertaining. Got to hear the lions roar, so thats always cool. Very clean, directional, and organized. Social distancing measures are in place.

Loved what they had open. I think they were working the best they could during the pandemic and possibly the season. A lot of cleaning going on in the exhibits so that is good. Animals looked relaxed and well taken care of.

Its by no means the largest zoo in the country, but they take such good care and how they manage and treat the animals, as well as their efforts to educate people about the animals. A trip to the zoo can be a half day with the family, or just a quick walkthrough.

Great time for the family. Super friendly staff and inhabitants. Well kept and clean park. Congrats on all your amazing work and continued success.

Great to be back here. even though you have to book an appointment ahead of time to get in. (admission is free)

Wonderful place to visit. The food at Elevation Burger was horrible and extremely overpriced but the overall atmosphere was great.

Theyve done a pretty good job of getting the zoo available for people to visit safely during the pandemic. Not all the buildings are open, most likely because those buildings are not built in a way that fills can maintain distance. And there was a continuous line to get into the Great Ape building. But you could still see ther lions, tiger, panda elephants, seals and many more. There were enough food options and multiple options for over cream. It made for a very good day out with the family.

Visited the National Zoo and despite the COVID restrictions, we still had a great time, especially my 2 year old, who loves animals.Definitely wear your mask and practice social distance. Everyone adhered to the rules, and there are plenty of hand sanitizer stations throughout. Also, the reptile house is closed, but you can see the elephants and monkeys, as they allow a certain amount of people in at a time. Please note, you must park your strollers outside and must carry your little ones in, when, when visiting in-house animal exhibits.Parking - I lucked up and found free on street parking (Saturday). I was not paying $30 to park at the zoo....too expensive if you ask me.

The National Zoo is amazing! It was easy to get in and see the animals. Some areas were closed for social distancing, but that did not ruin the experience. They still have lots of animals to see in the zoo to see. Pay attention to parking as you need to really search of you arent going to pay for it on the zoo grounds.

The zoo is always fun. The pandas are not available now because the area is being renovated. A lot of the indoor exhibits are also closed and you must have a reservation to go.

Very nice zoo. I loved the natural feel of the exhibits and it looks like the animals are well taken care of. Unfortunately with covid and all, only about 3 of the exhibits were open. I know that is not their fault, but it was tough to get the whole feel for the zoo to give a complete review. The grounds were well kept and clean, and concessions were open (even though we did not use them). You are allowed to bring in your own lunch, so if you are cheap like me, youre in luck! We had a very enjoyable day here.

This has got to be one of my favorite things to do during the holiday season! We went here for Zoo lights and it was absolutely amazing! It was a bit of a challenge to get parking but we managed to get a spot on Hawthorne Ave. (If you drive, check this street out before paying for parking. Sometimes you can get lucky!)The zoo was a zoo! There were so many people and kids around. Dont expect to go in and out- just take your time and enjoy the scenery. We enjoyed watching the light and laser show. We didnt go on the carousel but the girls did. There was a line to get the tickets and then another line to get to the rides. Expect about an hour to stand in line if you plan on going there. The girls really enjoyed it so it was well worth the wait.The food inside wasnt bad, they had a few trucks with burgers, dumplings, grilled cheese sandwiches, funnel cakes, apple cider drinks, hot chocolate and holiday cocktails. Honestly, they were fairly priced considering the zoo is free and everything else around DC isnt cheap. Not bad for a night out with the family! A must-do during the holidays in DC!!!

The National Zoo is wonderful. So many cool animals to see. During the pandemic, they have restricted access to certain areas, and places like the reptile house, but theres still a ton to see and do. If you get there at opening you have a solid 90 minutes before people arrive and 2 hours before a crowd shows up. Opens at 8. Definitely worth a go with free admission!

The Zoo in DC is completely free and a great place to spend a Saturday. I would recommend taking metro or find parking on the street. The cost to park at the zoo is a flat rate of 25 dollars. The zoo is very large and have many beautiful animals. They have guides near each exhibit to answer any questions and give information to you on the animals. I enjoyed my time here and I’m sure you will too.

It was okay. Cold and wet and a lot of the animals were not out due to COVID-19. Also, the zoo took the opportunity to start renovating a few of its exhibits. There werent that many people there. We took our son. He enjoyed it.

I had a great time with the family. The lines arent long right now so that was awesome. Just have to make sure you either get street parking or pay for the 2nd tier of membership to get free parking.

A fabulous lat visit to the zoo for a few months! Enjoyed it tremendously. Many animals were out.

Went to the zoo on a Monday in December. It was a chilly morning, but warmed up nicely by the afternoon. All of the animals were out and moving around and it was not crowded. The orangutans were climbing on the ropes above our heads, the lions were roaring, the sea lions will follow you if you place a coin on the glass. Greatest time at the zoo. I usually go in the summer and most of the animals are sleeping. Recommend going in the winter on a weekday for the best experience.

Beautiful zoo! Very clean and staff was very vizable disinfecting surfaces! Had a very enjoyable day.

Many of the exhibits were closed but nonetheless a great day at the zoo.

Amazing!!! I love animals, so this place was SO FUN!!! 5 stars! The only thing I disliked was that SO many animals were missing!? Last time I came the sea lion enclosure was pristine, but this time it was dirty, and there were no more than three sea lions. I get that covid kinda ruined it, but still fun! WHERE ARE MY RED PANDAS

Love this zoo. Lots of space super clean. Its free to inter. Parking is pricey so we just Uber/lift/metro. Multiple entrances/exits. Wonderful day

This zoo continues to amaze considering it is free. A great time to go is around 3 on a Sunday. This works well over winter because the grounds are decorated with numerous lights for the holidays. They also slowly turn on the different lighting well before it gets dark so small kids with early bed times or who are getting to cold can still enjoy before heading home.

The zoo never disappoints! Sure, some of the exhibits are closed but there was still plenty to see and the park is doing a good job with hand sanitizing stations, cleaning, and marking one-way paths for social distancing. Great day of free fun for the family.

Too many Houses & Outside cages CLOSED OFF from public view. Inside understand/outside NIT SI MUCH.Smithsonian should be making attendees aware of SIGNIFICANT limitations. Grandson VERY disappointed.

It was good time! I didnt get to see the pandas or tigers though.

The zoo is the best. When you have great weather the animals and you love it. What a day.

Lots of walking and many exhibits were closed due to covid or construction. Was hoping to see pandas but will have to visit their pandacam as there is a new birth. Enjoy this zoo usually as they have many great animals.

The National Zoo is a national treasure and Im so happy it reopened. It doesnt matter how old you are, seeing elephants, zebras, sea lions, alligators and prairie dogs up close is always awesome .The new ticketing system is pretty easy and tickets have been available the day before ther couple times I looked. All staff were wearing masks and most patrons were wearing masks and doing a decent job of staying 6 feet apart.

Beautiful place to visit. And now due to corona Pandamic visiters needs to pre register for specific time slot before entering into park.You will find numerouse restrooms, resting spots, Water fountains and lots of food courts in between so no need to carry extra weight from home.

Great even with quarantine. Plenty of animals were out and roaming. Even got to see the orangutans on their long transport thing!!! Tiny little baby orangutan was climbing too.

I can imagine how difficult it is for people to go to the zoo right now. Yet, our trip to the National Zoo right now was not very impressive. Everything seemed tired.

Really enjoyed getting together with friends safely and outdoors. Weather was lovely. The COVID map was useful to navigate what is open now and the timed entry pass worked great.

Very well laid out zoo, and the big cats were grrrrrrrreat! They also had a maned wolf (spelling?), which though smelly by nature, was really interesting. The seals (sea doggos) are big hams of course which is always fun. I was disappointed the Asia Trail exhibits were closed, but we were so glad to just get out and do something like this instead of being couped up at home. I really want to give 5 stars but you have to be fully opened for that.

Very large area with such a variety of animals! The parking is hard to find, even street parking is packed in a .5 mile radius, and zoo parking is $20. There’s a kids farm with a cute area specifically designed for toddlers and younger children with alpacas and farm animals. The amazon exhibition was particularly interesting, the animals are not caged for the most part and there are so many that I’ve never imagined. They also have elephants and pandas and lions. Took around 3-4 hours to walk through the entire zoo.

The zoo lights for Christmas were really cool. To have wrapped so many branches must have surely taken a long time, but it paid off! There are animal displays illuminated from the inside that look great, too. The lights just go on and on! If you can get here before they take them down, I highly recommend it.

Absolutely amazing. We had a tour guide take us through the park. And its all free! The bird exhibit was closed, but most other things were open. The little red panda was playing around.

The Zoo itself was fine and the parking attendants were AWESOME (Super nice & helpful)....BUT, I encountered an extremely rude zoo employee that questioned me as to why my mask was down. I understand that it is zoo policy, but A) I was at least 20 feet away from anyone else and she had to have noticed that I was trying to catch my breath & took a drink?? It was 95 degrees that dayAnd B) she was standing in very close proximity to whomever she was talking to (2 feet or less).Her tone was unacceptable, a simple excuse me maam, would you mind putting your mask back up? Would have been totally fine. But its not fine to get shouted at from 20 feet away, with a tone that I wouldnt even address my dog with. That red headed lady should reconsider her career path.Id like to point out again that the parking attendants were OUTSTANDING, both with how extremely helpful and friendly they were. That lady ought to watch & learn!!!!

Many exhibits were closed but enjoyed what I saw.

Its is such a cool place to come with all ages of kids. There is plenty of indoor and outdoor things to do. I would recommend coming early because thats when its the coolest.

Having been to dozens of zoos over my life I was excited to see this one. While I have to admit it is pretty, I was taken back by the lack of animals. No hippos, bears (except pandas and it was closed), monkeys were inside and hiding. The raptor and reptile houses were closed so that cut down viewing even more. Prices for water, food etc was the same as any place that has you trapped - somewhat expensive. Maybe I had my expectations to high but to me for the $30 parking fee it was overpriced.

Today was our 1st time visiting. I have no doubt this is a great place to visit on any given normal day, but during this covid19 epidemic, there were lots of areas closed to the public for various reasons and having visited with a 8 month old who can only tolerate so much before his next nap time, we felt we didnt get the most out of our time there considering we spent $30 on parking.

Had a decent amount of animals to see, for the middle of January. $25 flat rate to park seems a bit high and the cost for eating there is outrageous, but cant beat free entry to the zoo. Took about 6 hours to see almost everything. Just bring your own food and drinks.

First time at the zoo and I really enjoyed it. Great for the whole family, lots of great extractions.

Zoo was amazing per usual. Sanitizer and signs about distancing posted, however, many visitors had their masks pulled down under their chin, and were getting well within 6 feet of those not with their group. This is not the zoos fault, its the patrons. If you are concerned about COVID I would wait until the risk is lower before going, simply because 6 feet minimum distance and mask policy was being neglected by many people.

Very nice zoo, it was cold so many of the animals were asleep or inside but definitely worth a visit. Lots of interactive displays for children. Its free too!

Great walk through the zoo with the kids to see the lights. Not insanely busy at 7 on a Saturday night but the walkways allowed for easy movement. Food vendors were plentiful and lines werent too long. Great experience for free! But no animal exhibits so prep the kids to avoid the disappointment.

Nice large zoo kind of hilly but good room to space out and social distance.

Part of the zoo was shut down. But an over all awesome experience.

Zoolights was amazing this year! After a lot of disappointment last year, we were so happy to see all the new light installations. They were very cool. Our children were super-happy that the tubing hill/ride was back. Highly recommended stopping by during the holidays.

This place is really fun and cool to see the animals, but a lot of the animals are closed off, like the reptile house and the bird house and more, I didnt get to see the animals that I like most.

Great time, fantastic weather. Not overcrowded. A wonderful outing for young children

Best zoo . Free and cool, best elephants, best small mammal exhibits and did I say it is free?? Dont miss zoo lights or brew at the zoo, DC rocks.

It was great, other then the fact that it was poring rain. Make sure to look at the weather before buying your . They so allow strollers to the vicinity, which was great for us with 2 kids.

The Zoo is open again. You must book spots online and you can use your e ticket to enter touch free. A lot of areas were closed off, so it wasn’t as interesting as I’m sure it used to be. It was pretty crowded with strollers and people, so if you’re looking to be socially distant this might not be for you. At least between 12-3pm.

Currently isnt too crowded, parking was easy, there are lots of animals to look at. Bunch of food trucks and restaurants open inside. Some of the buildings were closed but it didnt ruin the experience.

The National Zoo has great face covering and social distancing rules! Early in the morning seems like a great time to avoid the crowds and see lots of animals.

We attended Zoo Lights and it was a great time. A variety of light displays and shows. Plus there are rides for the kids. Free to get in, and the concession and ride prices were probably marked up because of this. Still, all-in-all a reasonable price and the kids had a blast.

A lot of the buildings were shut down due to covid.... But its still an enjoyable quite walk and we still saw quite a few animals!!!

Even with most buildings closed during Covid, theres still easily a couple hours worth of things to do and see. Red panda, giant panda, Andean bear, bald eagle, its all there. Bring kids, bring food, buy food there.

Not many buildings were open drainage not great when its flooding a lot of animals were not out and they were not inside the buildings that we were able to get into they were all somewhere else being taken care of the zoo is free if you walk in or take public transportation but there is a $30 charge if youre driving a vehicle which is sad but the animals that I did say it was all right it was a lifetime gold to go and Im sad that I wasnt able to see the pandas none of them or out none of the primates were out and about except Champs a couple and the orangutans there were two covered up in the think-tank area but got some haunting photos

The people were friendly and helpful doing this covid time. I love the atmosphere there

Very nice even with a lot of people around. Covid plan flows nicely.

Good time with social distancing enforced. Some people still dont understand social distancing but it was still a good time.

The zoo is not near the touristy areas in DC but still remains super touristy. Its a little run down but its large size and array or exhibits make up for it. Favorite area is the aquatic/reptiles section but the mammal area is good too. Admission is free

The roads are clearly marked for traffic flow. Some roads are closed due to Covid-19. Social distances sign is placed everywhere.

Cant beat the zoo for free! It has some great animals and viewing areas.

Great place to walk. And see a critter or two. The lions were quite vocal today.

Its one of the most beautiful places Ive ever seen me and my daughter had such a blastStephanie the place to go if youre on a father-daughter so beautiful

I appreciate that this zoo is free but the poor animals dont look like they are fed enough and look miserable.

Not everything is open. Smaller crowds because of covid... wonderful afternoon in nature.

Great zoo, one of the best in the country. Free admission, take the Metro red line and get off at Woodley Park. There is a lot of walking and some rather steep grade hills so if you have mobility issues be prepared for that. If you go in the colder months, understand that some exhibits will be closed.

Usually would be 5/5. I think theyre doing a great job with COVID precautions. However, would have appreciated postings on maps showing which exhibits are shutdown, and maybe even which ones have obstructed views for precautions or maintenance.

Yes its free to get in but 30 $ to park, the zoo is nicely shaded alot of hills. I gave 3 because most animals where not out very disappointing to not get to see the pandas thats what we drove almost 4 hours for.

Superb! Get ready to walk up and down the side of the hill that the zoo is built upon. Wonderful exhibits, helpful staff.

The kids had a blast even though some parts were closed. Got so many beautiful pictures.

It was good we got to see alot of animals.

Very good with social distances but all most all inside places closed.

Posted a similar review for the Smithsonian National Zoo. Wonderful zoo that has great exhibits, friendly and helpful staff, and includes great food options for lunch while on the property. A mostly uphill walk to get to the back of the zoo so prepare for that. They let you bring water and food in, so you can be ready for a hot day in the summer. Metro access if youre prepared to walk a bit and parking can get tough if not getting there soon after the park opens.

Great place to visit whether youre a local or a tourist. Metro Accessible. Clean. The kids enjoyed seeing the animals, and we took some beautiful pictures. Definitely a must-see if youre in DC!

The zoo was very large but the attactions were not spaced far apart. We enjoyed seeing all the animals.

The staff has done a wonderful job with social distancing and cleanliness.

I love the Zoo. No matter how many times Ive been, I am always glad I went.

Lots of construction going on, half of the exhibits were closed, but still a good walk around the park.

I would visit on a cooler day, it was hot and humid! Not many animals out either. Overall the zoo is nice to walk around. Free, of course! Food and drinks are expensive as expected. But I was not very impressed for the national zoo. It’s very well kept and staff are nice everywhere, but really not much too look at. Would come back on a cooler day. The elephants are fun to look at!

I imagine Id be able to rate it higher if more exhibits were open. Very friendly staff but not a lot to see with covid measures in place

I love the zoo! The animals are well cared for and the staff is so friendly.