Houston Zoo

The zoo is ok, but I’ve always enjoyed the park more.

For a city the size of Houston, I would have expected a larger zoo. Nevertheless, the zoo is rather quaint and Hermann Park is always nice. Its free on Holidays like MLK day etc but extremely crowded.

It is smelly and hot but something to do.

This Zoo has been growing and changing by leaps and bounds! Sure you can argue that any Zoo is depressing and one smack dab in the middle of a swamp like Houston might seem more so – but it is actually a really pretty Zoo over all and a lot of the exhibits are well thought out and comfortable for the animals and the visitors. My only major issue with the Zoo has always been the lack of respect shown by the public visting more so than anything that the Zoo itself was going wrong. I worked in both the Carnivore Section (bears and cats) and the Children’s Zoo (both the old one and the new one opened in 2001) and I have always been shocked at how badly people behave at this Zoo in particular. It’s amazing. So if you do decide to pack up some water and head off to see some truly cool animals at this Zoo please remember to keep your trash and hands to yourself and to remind yourself often that this is a Zoo not a Circus so they animals laying or standing there not moving are not there to entertain you – they live there. Thanks.

From the playful seals at the pool near the entrance, to the Tigers which stalked me, to the air conditioned monkey house and the Bat Cave, it has something for everyone. Saw some really cool polar bears taking it easy, those big fox-wolf hybrids in a really natural enclosure, and next to the giraffes the cheetahs had a big grassy area with bushes all around that if you hang out there long enough, one will walk right by you within inches. Bring yourself some water.

Even though it’s HOT in Houston, the Zoo caretakers have done an excellent job of providing SHADE and A/C for visitors. The only exception was in the little kids play area, but there are water features that I’m guessing will cool you off – not the drenching kind… but they weren’t on during the day last I was there.. there weren’t many kids there either…

Sigh. If you go, it’ll just make you sad and depressed.