Melbourne Zoo is such a great place to visit for any age. I've been going annually since I was a child because there's nothing more fun than looking at the gorillas, having butterflies land on you in the butterfly house and walking past the 100 year old turtles that look like huge rocks. Zoo rangers have feeding times that you can go and watch, and there are shows when you can see reptiles and birds of prey up close. It's Australia's oldest zoo, open since 1862, and has more than 300 species of animals from around the world. There have been many renovations over the years and all the animals have lovely big enclosures within the botanical gardens - the elephant's house is fantastic, it's like an airport hangar, and they also have lots of outdoor room to roam. My favourite time of the year is obviously in summer, when closing time isn't until 9.30pm, as they host a Zoo Twilights program where you can visit the zoo and then stay and have a picnic in the park and listen to some great jazz and international music. The Zoo is really easy to get to by car, train or tram, and has all the necessary shops and facilities. read more

Worst zoo I have ever been to. Most of the exhibits were 'coming soon'. The ones that weren't would have 1-2 animals per exhibit. Butterfly room is the only worthwhile exhibit. Very dissapointing and a waste of time and money. Wouldn't recommend a visit even if you are in the area. read more

The most fun you and the family will ever have in a day. I love anything to do with animals so that was a start. The Melbourne zoo will give many many MANY hours of fun. The layout of the zoo is easy to navigate through and staff are always willing to help and assist you as well as being very friendly! I would defiantly recommend for a day of fun! Make sure you check out the bird aviary and the Lions which were personal favourites and a must see! read more

My kids love this place, we purchased yearly family pass and since it's our favourite place for to revisit it again and again with kids. Lots of animals nice greenery and really amazing location to get there and ample parking. What else we need... read more

Melbourne Zoo is just a short hop on the train or tram from the CBD. As one of the leading conservation organizations, Melbourne Zoo not only cares for the animals within their zoo, but also across many national and international campaigns. They have recently opened a walk through enclosure with 9 lemurs! This is the first part of the new rainforest walk that also shows off the Gorillas and monkeys. It's amazing to know that money spent here actually goes to saving endangered animals all over the world, plus it's a great place to spend a few hours walking around and educating ourselves. The keepers give talks throughout the day, check when you arrive on the timetable as there is always something happening. Being about to talk to the staff is an easy way to get more out of your day. read more

So when I moved into Parkville I had imagined hearing lions roar from my bedroom. This was unfortunately not the case :( I had to go and check out what was going on with this zoo and then realized how deceiving the map I was looking at was. After a bit of a hike I made it and started to make my way around. The entry price was pretty decent too, especially after hitting up the Melbourne Aquarium earlier in the week. The exhibits all look very well maintained and the Zoo was huge. You could easily spend a whole day there. The one downer on my day was the small cats exhibits were closed :( I really wanted to see the kitties. I might have to make a trip back again just for them. I always end up spending a half an hour or more in the gift shops trying on all the cool things. Favorite animal: The Red Panda!!!!! OMG so cute I wanted to cry. read more

I went to Melbourne zoo for the second time yesterday. It was a great day out with my house mates in the sunshine & talking to the animals. I went to the zoo the first time around a year ago and i could see there were a lot of improvements. There are lovely pathways around the exhibits & you can tell it is well looked after. I do think it can be pretty confusing getting around the whole of the zoo and the animals. Although there are sign posts i think there could be a few more. There are great grass areas where you can chill out to. Even though i did not take any children there are play areas and various tasks/quizzes to do on your way around the zoo. I always wonder if the animals are happy as the enclosures are quite small but they look very well maintained and a member of staff were telling me how spoilt the animals were. They were doing some building works yesterday for the lions new enclosure which would be good to go and see once complete. The location of the zoo is great, its not out in the sticks and its really easy to get to. There is a train station just at the exit that brings you straight back into the city. I think Australia zoo is better all around but Melbourne zoo is a great day out with family and friends. read more

Zoo is great for the kids. The new seal enclosure is awesome. What's better is that entry for kids is free. Always a winner...

Ive been to lots of zoos in the world, including the Singapore zoo and San Diego zoo, and I can definitely say Melbourne zoo is right up there with them! Get there nice and early, because ther is plenty to see and do - and crowds can get large, particularly in the school holidays. I love to watch the primates swing around, the big cats pace their enclosures and the bears taking naps. They have a great butterfly enclosure, and some will stop to find a beautiful butterfly has take a rest on their hands, shoulders or backs -such a great experience! The biggest attraction here is the amazing elephant enclosure - Well themed with walkways, great viewing spaces and heaps of information available, its no wonder the zoo is renowned for this part. I only wish they had Pandas and polar bears; that would complete the park for me. The grounds are very well kept, and there are plenty of activities throughout the day, including information sessions, feeding times and kids educational activities. They also offer evening concerts here in the Summer, which are held on one of the lawns, so its a picnic style event. Tickets must be booked in advance for the show, and its a great way to spend a day and evening - a great date day! read more

Omg a must do!!! Definitely try the kangaroo experience for one on one with a ton of kangaroos, so amazing, loved the whole zoo.

Melbourne Zoo was fantastic. We loved the variety of animals, their enclosure's and the interesting and changing trails to each enclosure. Alot of photo opportunities and great viewing areas for young children. Favourites were the Orangutans, the very large male Elephant, Snakes and very cute Lemur's. Our girls (3 and 5) were exhausted after 3 hours of walking, which meant for a speedy finish to our visit. We could have spent another 30mins to an hour there..as it was we missed a few animals towards the end. If driving, we would recommend arriving before opening to get a close carpark... Getting there early (public transport as well), will also help you avoid queue's for tickets. The carpark was very busy when we left just after lunch and there was a very long queue at this time as well. On weekends kids are free, even for foreigners. read more

Melbourne Zoo is an excellent facility with more to see and do that you can probably get done in a day.Others have touched on the key points already, but whether you live in Victoria or are just visiting, it is something you should see at least once in your lifetime. read more

Lovely place to visit kids love it same as the adults. Plenty animals to discover and lots to do. Easy to spend a day there. Buy the yearly pass is highly recommended if U have a kid. read more

After reading some reviews down below, many points are true about the huge span of animals which was awesome to see, really cool to see a Bear being from Australia it's not an animal many zoo's have!! George's review was quite true on most points especially having to study the map! The zoo is hugeeeee so I suggest planning which way you will go to get everything covered because it was a bit of a maze. I don't know if anyone else had this feeling as well but I felt quite sad for some animals quite a few times because their enclosures were so small for them.. Especially the tigers, they are one of my favourite animals but the tiny cage they were in... it was similar to a fenced bedroom. I think some of the animal enclosures could definitely use work but on the other hand the gorillas habitat was excellent. Over all not a bad way to spend the day! Saw many amazing animals, they just need to freshen their enclosures :) read more

For the most part I really enjoyed the zoo however I felt some of the animals, the tiger in particular seemed a bit depressed and isolated. There was only one duckbill platypus in the enclosure, don't animals do better when there is more than one? Same with the Koala. read more

I used to love going to the zoo as a child, but - like most people - I didn't really go much anymore once I hit my late teens. One of the fantastic things about travelling is that you end up doing things you wouldn't normally do at home, and one of the things I did in my time in Melbourne was go to the city's amazing zoo, with more than 320 species on view. One of the first enclosures you get to on walking in is the generously-sized gorilla enclosure, where with some clever design you can get really close to the silverbacks. Another feature I was particularly impressed with was the orang-utan enclosure. I had no idea these gentle-looking creatures were so intelligent until I saw Melbourne Zoo's amazing display. Their tree-filled, glass-walled enclosure contains a perspex puzzle case up against the glass where visitors can see through it. This consists of a number of individual boxes where from the top right-hand corner, the orang-utans can - through clever use of a number of tools such as sticks of bamboo and their fingers - flick and manipulate a treat over barriers and through purpose-made holes to the opening at the bottom of a . It's absolutely incredible to watch, and in itself is worth going to the zoo for - much less the gorillas, primate-filled tree-top walk, the tigers and, of course, the traditional host of native animals. And all for the really reasonable price of $23.60 for an adult. read more

what a disappointment.. Obviously wrong time of day (2 pm) - inhabitants must have been in their sleeping quarters. Very few to view. While zoo's are an important sanctuary for protection of the species, I felt considerable sadness for those I did see- particularly the elephants who shuffled around in the dust. What a sad life they must lead,confined as they are.. read more

Melbourne Zoo is good, but it does not nearly compare to the top Zoos in the world, such as San Diego. Still, it's a fun day out for the family, and there is plenty to keep one entertained for a whole day. Especially notable is the evening jazz during the summer period. read more

I'm sorry but this zoo is not what I imagined. A lot of the enclosures looked out dated , like funding had ceased. Dirty water and areas where the animals had out grown them. Many animals looked depressed (wombat, snow leopard, lion , tiger , elephants etc etc ) very sad to see. Animals bored senseless is a cruel site. read more