10 Most Famous Zoos in the World: Top USA & Global Picks

The most famous zoos in the world are Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida, the San Diego Zoo in California, the Bronx Zoo in New York, and the Berlin Zoological Garden in Germany, which together with six more giants draw over 50 million visitors every year. Disney's Animal Kingdom holds the Guinness World Record as the most visited zoo on earth with 13,888,000 visitors in a single year. This guide covers what makes each one worth the trip, what most visitors miss, and how to bring that wild energy back to your own walls.

In this article

• Famous zoos at a glance ↓
• Most famous zoos in the USA ↓
• Most famous zoos worldwide ↓
• Zoo trip planning tips ↓
• Bring the wild home ↓
• FAQ ↓

Famous Zoos at a Glance

What Are the Most Famous Zoos in the USA?

Disney's Animal Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Disney's Animal Kingdom holds the Guinness World Record as the most visited zoo in the world, with 13,888,000 visitors in 2019. The park covers 580 acres and houses over 2,000 animals across more than 300 species. Its Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction is the largest zoological attraction ever built, 110 acres of open savanna where giraffes, lions, and elephants roam naturalistic terrain. Do not rush the Maharajah Jungle Trek, where Bengal tigers live in the ruins of a fictional palace and most visitors walk through in under 15 minutes. Official site: disneyworld.disney.go.com ↗

San Diego Zoo, San Diego, California

The San Diego Zoo, founded in 1916, houses more than 12,000 rare and endangered animals across over 680 species on 100 acres, drawing roughly 4 million visitors a year. It was the first zoo in the world to replace bars with moats, a design every major zoo copied afterward. Its Frozen Zoo stores genetic material from over 10,000 individual animals, a living library against extinction, and more than 44 endangered species have been reintroduced to native habitats through its programs. Arrive for the free 8 AM Keeper Talks before the crowds do. Official site: zoo.sandiegozoo.org ↗

Bronx Zoo, New York City, New York

The Bronx Zoo covers 265 acres, making it the largest urban zoo in the United States, home to over 6,000 animals across more than 700 species since 1899. Its Congo Gorilla Forest took 8 years to design, cost 43 million dollars, and puts visitors closer to wild gorilla behavior than almost anywhere on earth. The Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs the zoo, operates field programs in over 60 countries. Ride the Wild Asia Monorail if you visit between May and October, because it closes the rest of the year. Official site: bronxzoo.com ↗

Smithsonian's National Zoo, Washington D.C.

The National Zoo is the most famous free zoo in America. Part of the Smithsonian Institution since 1889, it covers 163 acres in Rock Creek Park and welcomes over 2 million visitors a year without charging a dime. It has been the home of giant panda diplomacy since 1972, when China gifted two pandas following President Nixon's historic visit. The daily keeper training sessions at the Great Ape House show a keeper-animal relationship most zoos never let you see. Official site: nationalzoo.si.edu ↗

Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha, Nebraska

Here in the Midwest we quietly run the best zoo in the country, and the visitor surveys keep proving it. Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo holds the world's largest indoor desert under a 42,000 square foot geodesic dome, the world's largest indoor rainforest in the Lied Jungle, and the world's largest nocturnal exhibit, all on 130 acres. Three of earth's most extreme biomes under one roof, no matter what Nebraska weather is doing outside. The Scott Aquarium and its 70-foot shark tunnel are included with admission and most visitors never realize it. Official site: omahazoo.com ↗

Also worth a look: the Columbus Zoo in Ohio made famous by Jack Hanna, Brookfield Zoo outside Chicago, and the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas, which regularly lands on best-of-America lists.

Which Famous Zoos Around the World Are Worth the Trip?

Berlin Zoological Garden, Germany

The Berlin Zoo is the most species-diverse zoo on earth, housing over 1,200 species and 18,600 animals on 80 acres. Founded in 1844, it is Germany's oldest zoo and one of its most storied: of roughly 4,000 animals there before World War II, only 91 survived, and the zoo's rebuilding became a symbol of Berlin's recovery. Your ticket also covers the three-floor Aquarium Berlin, which most visitors never realize is included. Official site: zoo-berlin.de ↗

Singapore Zoo, Singapore

Singapore Zoo replaced cages and fences with moats and rainforest, creating the most in-the-wild zoo experience of any city on earth since 1973. The famous Jungle Breakfast lets you eat while orangutans move through the trees around you. Next door, Night Safari is the world's first nocturnal zoo with over 2,500 animals, and the first hour after its 7:30 PM opening is one of the most extraordinary wildlife experiences available anywhere. Official site: mandai.com ↗

ZSL London Zoo, United Kingdom

London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo, founded in 1828 in Regent's Park, and today houses over 750 species on just 36 acres. In its first year open to the public, it drew 360,000 visitors, roughly a quarter of London's entire population at the time. The 1934 Penguin Pool is a landmark of modernist architecture and remains one of the most photographed structures in any zoo in the world. Official site: londonzoo.org ↗

Toronto Zoo, Canada

The Toronto Zoo is the largest zoo in Canada and one of the largest anywhere, covering 710 acres organized into seven geographic regions with over 5,000 animals. Its Tundra Trek gives polar bears an Arctic-style habitat with underwater viewing, designed with researchers who study wild polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba. Plan a full day, because 710 acres is a journey, not a stroll. Official site: torontozoo.com ↗

Taronga Zoo, Sydney, Australia

Taronga Zoo sits on 52 acres of Sydney Harbour foreshore, making it the most scenically located zoo in the world, with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House visible from several exhibits. Its Australian native collection of koalas, wombats, Tasmanian devils, and platypuses is among the most complete anywhere, and its platypus success comes from 40 years of continuous research. Take the Sky Safari cable car from the ferry wharf for one of the finest views of Sydney available. Official site: taronga.org.au ↗

How Do You Plan a Zoo Trip Without the Chaos?

1. Arrive in the first 30 minutes after opening. Big cats, apes, and large mammals are most active early, the light is best, and the crowds have not arrived.
2. Go in spring or fall. Mild weather keeps animals moving, while summer heat drives them into shade by midday.
3. Catch the keeper talks. Hearing a keeper describe an animal they have worked with for a decade changes the entire visit, and the sessions are usually free.
4. Buy tickets online first. The famous zoos cap popular experiences like safaris and night programs, and same-day tickets often do not exist.
5. See fewer exhibits, more deeply. Twenty minutes with one exhibit beats two minutes at twenty. You leave with a relationship, not a checklist.

How Do You Bring the Wild Home?

Here is the problem with most animal decor: the paper posters fade, the canvas warps, and the safari photo you loved ends up in a drawer by spring. If standing in front of a tiger or a troop of gorillas put something in you that a phone photo cannot hold, put something on your wall that can.

That is literally why we built X2Metal in North Liberty, Iowa. Our wildlife designs are printed on ChromaLuxe metal with scratch-resistant finishes rated to resist fading for 65+ years, so the lion that commands your living room this year looks exactly as bold decades from now. Big cats, elephants, giraffes, bears, and birds, all handcrafted in the Heartland and shipped in 3 to 5 days with free shipping over $75 to the lower 48.

They work everywhere the wild belongs. A tiger print turns a home office into a statement, an elephant anchors a living room, and our animal designs live happily in kids' rooms, gaming setups, and cabins. Pair a metal print with a matching 5mm mouse pad and your desk joins the safari too.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most visited zoo in the world?

Disney's Animal Kingdom ↗ in Lake Buena Vista, Florida holds the Guinness World Record as the most visited zoo, with 13,888,000 visitors in 2019. Among traditional zoos without theme park rides, the San Diego Zoo ↗ leads with roughly 4 million visitors annually.

Which zoo has the most animal species?

The Berlin Zoological Garden ↗ houses over 1,200 species, more than any other single zoo in the world. Founded in 1844, it keeps 18,600 animals on 80 acres and remains Germany's oldest and most visited zoo, drawing over 3 million people each year.

What is the oldest zoo in the world?

Tiergarten Schonbrunn in Vienna, Austria opened in 1752 and is the world's oldest continuously operating zoo. The oldest scientific zoo is London Zoo ↗, founded in 1828 by the Zoological Society of London, which has now been operating in Regent's Park for nearly 200 years.

Which famous zoo is free to visit?

The Smithsonian's National Zoo ↗ in Washington D.C. is the most famous free zoo in the world. Operated by the Smithsonian Institution since 1889, it charges no admission and still delivers giant pandas, a world-class Great Ape House, and over 2 million visitors a year.

What is the best zoo in America for families?

Henry Doorly Zoo ↗ in Omaha consistently ranks as the highest-rated zoo in the United States in visitor surveys, with the world's largest indoor desert and rainforest under one roof. Disney's Animal Kingdom and the San Diego Zoo rate highest for all-day family entertainment.

What is the best time of day to visit a zoo?

The first 30 minutes after opening is the best time to visit any major zoo. Animals are most active before the heat and the crowds arrive, and the low morning light is ideal for photography. By midday, most large mammals retreat into shade, which is why experienced zoo photographers always arrive at opening.

About the author: Navid Malik is the founder of X2Metal, a metal print studio in North Liberty, Iowa creating bold, durable metal prints and 5mm mouse pads since 2012. Show Your Style. Made to Impress. Iowa Made. It's X2Metal.