Denver Zoo
Denver Zoo is an 80-acre wildlife park tucked into Denver’s City Park, home to more than 2,500 animals representing roughly 450 species and open every day of the year.
Denver Zoo in Denver, CO
Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance sits on 80 acres inside City Park, about three miles east of downtown Denver, and it has been a fixture of the neighborhood since 1896, when a black bear cub named Billy was given to the city’s mayor and needed somewhere to live. What grew from that single animal is now one of the most visited cultural attractions in Colorado, drawing well over a million guests a year to see more than 2,500 animals from roughly 450 species. The layout is a loop of immersive habitats rather than a row of cages, a tradition that started here in 1918 when Bear Mountain became the first naturalistic, bar-free exhibit at any American zoo. That original structure still stands and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, so a walk through the grounds doubles as a walk through more than a century of zoo design.
A full visit takes most families three to four hours at an unhurried pace. Predator Ridge puts African lions, hyenas and painted dogs in rotating yards; Toyota Elephant Passage gives Asian elephants, rhinos and tapirs miles of connected trails; Tropical Discovery holds the reptiles, amphibians and fish under glass; Primate Panorama is where the orangutans and gorillas hold court; and Northern Shores keeps sea lions and polar bears behind underwater viewing windows. Keeper talks and feeding demonstrations run throughout the day, and a train, a carousel and several playgrounds break up the walking for younger kids. Parking is free in the lots and four-level garage off 23rd Avenue, timed tickets are reserved online before you arrive, and the whole campus is paved and stroller-friendly. The zoo is also an accredited AZA and WAZA member with field conservation work on six continents.
Photo Gallery
News & Events
Check out the latest Upcoming Events & Exhibits at the Denver Zoo in Denver, CO.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to do at the Denver Zoo?
- Predator Ridge: Watch African lions, spotted hyenas and African painted dogs rotate through shared yards designed to keep their scents mingling.
- Toyota Elephant Passage: Follow Asian elephants, greater one-horned rhinos and Malayan tapirs along a network of connected trails and pools.
- Primate Panorama: Spend time with the Sumatran orangutans, western lowland gorillas and lemurs across indoor dayrooms and open-air islands.
- Tropical Discovery: Step inside a humid indoor rainforest full of snakes, Komodo dragons, poison dart frogs and coral reef tanks.
- Keeper talks and demos: Catch scheduled feedings, animal demonstrations and the Pioneer Train or endangered species carousel between exhibits.
What is nearby the Denver Zoo?
- City Park: The zoo sits inside Denver’s largest historic park, with Ferril Lake, paddle boats and skyline-and-mountain views a short stroll from the gate.
- Denver Museum of Nature & Science: Colorado’s flagship natural history museum, plus a planetarium and IMAX theater, is on the far side of the same park.
- City Park Golf Course: A municipal 18-hole course just west of the zoo along 23rd Avenue and York Street.
- Denver Botanic Gardens: Twenty-four acres of themed gardens and conservatories roughly a mile south at 1007 York Street.
- East Colfax Avenue: The city’s longest commercial street runs a few blocks south, packed with diners, dive bars and the Bluebird and Ogden theaters.
When was the Denver Zoo established?
Denver Zoo traces its start to 1896, when a black bear cub was presented as a gift to the mayor of Denver and given a home in City Park. The collection grew slowly at first, then took a landmark turn in 1918 with the opening of Bear Mountain, the first exhibit at any American zoo built on Carl Hagenbeck’s principle of showing animals in naturalistic settings without visible bars or fences. Monkey Island followed in 1936 with federal funding, and in 1950 Denver residents raised the money to bring in Cookie, the zoo’s first elephant.
The Pachyderm Building and the zoo’s first master plan arrived in 1959, followed by the Feline House in 1964, Bird World in 1975, Northern Shores in 1987 and Tropical Discovery in 1993. Predator Ridge and a new main entrance opened in 2004, and Toyota Elephant Passage debuted in 2012. The institution marked its 125th anniversary in 2021 and rebranded in 2024 as the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance.
When is the Denver Zoo open?
The Denver Zoo is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Members get early entry from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Online timed-ticket reservations are required for entry, and general admission tickets go on sale ten days ahead. Guest Services can be reached at (720) 337-1400 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Are there age restrictions at the Denver Zoo?
There are no age restrictions at the Denver Zoo, and it is built for families. Children under 2 get in free, youth ages 3 to 15 pay $19, adults 16 to 64 pay $27 and seniors 65 and older pay $24. Paths are paved and stroller-friendly, strollers and wheelchairs are available to rent, and parking in the adjacent lots and garage is free. Some ticketed after-hours events such as Zoo Lights and Boo at the Zoo have their own admission and schedules.