Looking for a fun family day? The Boise Zoo is a great place to take the kids! There's plenty to see, so be ready for lots of walking--comfortable shoes are a must. Pack a lunch and enjoy a picnic to make a full day of it. It's a fun, affordable outing that the whole family will enjoy! We got to visit the Boise zoo back in 2019. Hope to go back again and see what changes have been made and enjoy the fun again. read more

See all

I can understand the desire to see animals you've never seen before, or would otherwise never have the chance to see. However, at a certain degree- a zoo is inhumane. Especially when it's the Boise Zoo. There is zero enrichment, even environment, for the animals here. They all genuinely look depressed. Which is not only depressing, but heartbreaking. These poor animals are in bare enclosures, dying or dead grass, and have zero stimulation. I've been to many zoos, aquariums, and such as a child. I visited the Boise Zoo for free as I was working (not for the zoo, but the company I was working for offered a day at the zoo for our customers and I was one of the employees selected to go with)... You could not pay me to go back and support this zoo. Or, see the absolutely horrible state these animals are forced to live in. For people who don't care about the animals... The bathrooms were c dirty; not maintained at all. Half of the stalls were out of toilet paper and there was no paper towels to dry your hands. The food is priced crazily high. Zero stars if I could. read more

Sorry, Zoo Boise. You were more sad than uplifting. Maybe 40%-50% of the exhibitions actually had animals. And exhibits were not well maintained. Maybe it was our visit timed in mid-April? read more

See all

This zoo has potential and you can tell it use to be really taken care of but it seems like it is not being taken care of as much any more. The animals seemed good but the establishment seemed ran down. read more

See all

Ugh ok. Absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE zoos! Love them and recognize the importance of having them. And I know I gave this Zoo 2 stars and there's reason for that even tho I do love this zoo as well. Zoo Boise. We went for the butterfly exhibit. They have it every year. I haven't been in so long. I went like a week before it ended. So many of the butterflies had moved on to meet butterfly Jesus. That's fine. It's to be expected. The ones that were left....specifically the blue morphos, they were close to meeting their maker too lol. Wings all torn and tattered, but they were still fluttering around, happy as ever. Absolutely beautiful butterflies even if their wings were missing pieces of them. I'll go again next year but right as it begins. I'm a photographer and love photographing them. Ok the zoo. Zoo Boise is suuuuper small even when it seems "big-ish" when you're walking around. I love the new enclosure they have for the red pandas. Much needed. That's the case for so many animals here. Having a zoo in the middle of a huge city park....may have been ok back in the day. With the way the city (sadly) continues to massively grow...the zoo should as well. Sure the park is great, but these animals need more space. The park should be carved out for more space. We have SO MANY PARKS here and more being built and opened all the time. The animals imo are more important. Like for instance, the giraffe enclosure. 2 giraffes. UNBELIEVABLY BEAUTIFUL animals..especially when you can watch them through their windows where they feed them and whatnot. The whole enclosure tho...way too small for these amazing creatures. Like the little garage they sleep in....im like...this is it? For two massive animals like this? Their roaming area too...they just need more room. The tiger. I say tiger bc I only saw one. This poor beast just walked around in circles. She looked so unbelievably sad and soooo bored. She has theee smallest enclosure for an animal that needs room to run, hunt, explore. She needs a friend ffs! At least that!. Again, the park can be carved into to give these animals more space. Because again...Boise has SO MANY PARKS. The well being of these animals is so much more important than some dumb park. Maybe one day Boise will build a zoo on the outskirts of town and have the space these animals need. The poor tiger looks so depressed. I'll have to share a video. The lions. Enclosure is "big" but could be bigger and at least they have each other in there for company. Surprised Meridian hasn't opened a zoo yet. I feel like before I die at least, they will have a massive zoo somewhere bc for some reason they are hell bent on putting everything in Meridian. The positives. The zoo is smaller and gives that homey feel too while still making Boise feel like a small city. That still doesn't change my mind on the space the animals need desperately. The zoo is very clean. That makes me happy. The tigers pool was empty tho and could use a cleaning. Poor thing was drinking from a puddle in there. The staff is soooo nice. The lady who checked us in or whatever you'd call that lol. Super friendly, very helpful. Staff around the zoo, very eager to help out with anything. Went in the middle of the day after it rained. There were MAYBE 30 people total in the zoo. Nice? Absolutely. Depressing? Maybe a little bc I wonder what it's like on the weekends or during a normal busy time. Overall, it's a nice zoo. I enjoyed the butterflies, love all the animals even if I was sad to see how depressed some of them clearly are. I'll always support the zoo and zoos in general. Just hope one day this zoo expands and these animals get the space the absolutely deserve and need. Thanks for reading, YelperZoo-eees! Cheers read more

See all

It seems like it has potential... We went through Boise on a road trip and stayed for a few days so that we could take our daughter to the local attractions. Half of the zoo was under construction with as many animals not being present. It is a bit frustrating to go to a zoo and not really see any animals. The rose gardens are beautiful. We will have to give it a try on another trip and see if once the construction is completed the final result better. As for our particular experience, it was lackluster as far as zoos go. read more

Zoo Boise - We are here... - Zoos Near Me - Boise, Idaho

We arrived pretty early on a Monday to get inside, and I'd have to say that this place was a lovely experience for me and my family . It was wonderful getting to see so many animals and enjoy the food from the cafe, my only complaint is that the gift shop was incredibly expensive. Other than that, if you're in the area it's a wonderful place to visit. read more

See all

It was really cold, so I didn't take a whole lot of pictures, but we still had a lot of fun! Many interactive exhibits and photo ops. They also have the cutest red pandas and penguins! Things I will enjoy next time I go: Sloths were "coming soon", there are boat rides in the summer, some of the birds were put away for the winter, I suspect some of the other animals were also hiding in a warm happy place. I'll do another review next time! read more

I am surprised by the reviews for our little Boise Zoo. I think the Boise Zoo is a staple in our community. The staff are friendly and welcoming they will answer any animal related question you can come up with. I've grown up at this zoo and visited countless times from age 8 to 25. The zoo hosts year round events for families from Christmas lights, to fly fishing lessons, and Easter Egg hunts, the zoo goes out of it way to be a welcoming place for families. The Zoo also hosts adult happy hours and adult specific events that are great during the spring and summer! Years ago I was able to do the feed the giraffes experience and it was and still is so incredibly cool! It's $5 per person but they have other animal encounters too! Tickets are $13 for adults, kids are $10, small children under 2 are free. Our little Zoo does its best for our animals and for the Boise community. read more

See all

There are some interesting animals including a tiger and a giraffe. I went in the middle of a hot day and many were hard to find. This zoo is also very difficult navigate. It was not one of the better zoos and there was construction all around so hopefully management is improving it. read more

See all

We're proud of our Boise Zoo! Is this a 10 Star Zoo? No. But it's definitely worth visiting even if you're just passing through. We love bringing our kids and we spend about and hour and a half taking our time walking around the 3 loops the zoo currently has. There is currently a lot of new construction going on with building new enclosures but it doesn't interrupt your visit. There is a lot of cool animals to see! read more

See all

Its sad...such a huge potential but so neglected..so untaken care of....half the enclosures were empty! read more

See all

This is a wonderful little zoo. It's well maintained and clean. It's set well so it's unlikely that you will miss any exhibits. We have been here at least once every year since we retired and I am already looking forward to our next visit read more

Admission prices are decent. The improvements are wonderful and it's nice seeing g the zoo grow. The employees are nice and helpful and excited with their jobs. Went on a day with 6 school buses but it wasn't bad. Wasn't crowded. read more

A lot of the exhibits are empty and if there are animals it's usually only one and they are hiding It's sad bec they have a great set up but not with the $15 entrance fee read more

Well how can I start this.... I took my family and regretted it soo much first of all their was very few animals to see barely any if so. Now what I don't understand is if they say they close at 5:00 pm why do they start telling you too leave, start closing things at 4:30 pm maybe they should put their close time at 4:30 pm instead because if I go to a place that says they close at 5:00 pm then I expect it to close at 5:00 pm. My daughter wanted to get on the fairground horses and unfortunately she couldn't because like I said they start closing everything at 4:30 pm so what is what the point of almost paying $100.00 for my family too have a fun time if it's that bad. They have so much work to get done, I wouldn't mind paying that amount of money but for this crappy experience no way..... read more

It was a very fun place to take the grandkids too. The buildings with AC were refreshing Lol

I've been a few times over the yrs, always when late/in hurry/not feeling well- so unfortunately I can't give an in depth review- but I can comment on where it matters: -seems accessible friendly & welcoming to all -gluten friendly* hamburger buns available -all staff truly care about & animals & their needed habitat, not only in our zoo but around the world -they have fantastic ongoing events for all ages... I attended a fundraising event for conservation work that had phenomenal improv actors that all donated their time & they were very accommodating w/misting fans & multi seat options *Tip: For those not familiar, "gluten friendly" means they carry some gluten free products (in this case gluten free buns) but same kitchen as gluten products so there is high cross contamination exposure possible... so ok for many of today's gluten free people, but definitely not celiacs or those that can't handle incidental levels. read more

See all

I would not waste my money at this zoo. I spent $81 to bring my grandchildren and we saw more employees than animals. We've been to many other city zoos, Albuquerque and Oklahoma City to name a few, and almost all offer a military discount and have a much better experience for visitors. How do they not even have the animals indigenous to ID? No elk, mule deer, moose, pronghorn, bear or mountain lion​. All of which are trapped and relocated yearly by ID Fish and Game and which could be donated. Very disappointed in the value compared to the cost. read more

Whether you're driving to the location or walking around the park, signage is pretty clear on how to get to the zoo - I would always see them when walking around Julia Davis Park until finally I told myself I would check it out. Overall, Zoo Boise is a very accessible and affordable local attraction. It's not a stellar experience, but it gets 5 stars when considering its cheaper ticket price, various programs, and animals on site. For some of the exhibits, it only looks like there are one or two animals in the pens, so I wonder if the animals feel lonely or if there are more of them somewhere else. It would be weird if there were a lot of people trying to look at a few animals, but it's actually quite peaceful how empty the zoo is and it's just you and and them. I felt a bit lost sometimes walking around. The zoo only had digital maps from a QR code and a few signs around to tell you where you are. I was rushing around whenever I saw one, but this was also because I only gave myself an hour to see everything. For a first time visit, I would give myself 2.5 hours and maybe a 1-1.5 for returns unless you're also going to be watching a program. The best attractions to watch were the giraffes and tiger because I could get so close to them. The red pandas and African dogs were also super cute. There were a lot of informative signs about the zoo's conservation efforts. I can't remember much of the details to be honest, but they gave me a good impression of the zoo so I would prefer coming back to the zoo as a local attraction over something like going to the movies if you want to be outdoors. read more

See all

I was pleasantly surprised by this zoo. Even though it was raining, the enclosures were good size, and it appears the space has been utilized very well. We are definitely coming back when the weather is better. The staff seemed very nice and they were helpful. This was definitely a hidden gem in the Gem State. It is worth visiting. read more

See all

My family had a wonderful time here recently, and my toddler loved seeing all the animals. Admittedly, I wasn't expecting much because the average on Yelp is 3.3 stars at the time of me writing this; however, the zoo was larger than what I expected, admission was inexpensive ($9.5/adult), and there were some fun interactive exhibits. We got to feed goats for only $1, and we wanted to feed the sloth bear (but they weren't bailable for that the day we went). If I lived locally, I would definitely revisit (especially for the giraffe encounter). Staff was friendly, and the zoo is a good size for a toddler. Parking seems to be easy and plentiful. We also were impressed to see how the zoo works with conservation projects in Africa. Great work, Boise Zoo! read more

Zoo Boise - My daughter loved the lions - Zoos Near Me - Boise, Idaho

Beautiful facility but EVERTHING is way overpriced and they stuff woke culture in your face. Won't be back.

So on Wednesday me and lovely mother went to our the lovely zoo! The burger was very nice and we had very polite goose join us that Miss / mister should get some extra fries. Even though it is hot outside but we still managed to enjoy each fluffy friend! Love that the wahs (Red pandas) have a new home, too bad the snow leopard wasn't no show hopefully she or he is ok. Everyone working there was so nice and we had smooth experience for the most part. Oh thanks heat exhaustion signs grand idea the sun can be pretty powerful. Love to see the animal buddies again ^w^ ~Fosk read more

Zoo Boise - Wild African Dogs - Zoos Near Me - Boise, Idaho

See all

Everything. It could be a nice small zoo and apparently had a good rating at one time. But our September 2025 visit was a huge disappointment. There was an overall lack of grounds maintenance. Many cages/enclosures had no animals at all. Others had just one. Enclosures were in poor condition. "Furnishings" such as perches looked like they we're picked up out of discard pile somewhere. Clearly, the zoo needs a huge influx of money and vision to make a real zoo. Get someone with good experience in creating and maintaining zoos. Needs a complete do-over.Otherwise it's kinda pointless in its present condition. Pretty sad. read more

This is a pretty small zoo, but the admission price reflects that. My wife and I visited early one cold morning-we had most of the place to ourselves. I don't think most people wanted to walk around outside when it was less than thirty degrees. I didn't either, but it was nice to have a front row view to everything and not have to navigate lots of people or strollers. The exhibits were well maintained, although obviously old. Some things could probably use a little update, or at least a fresh coat of paint. We enjoyed the animals that we saw, although there were several that were not on display for one reason or another. The hyenas were active and fun to watch as was the lion. The penguins swam up and down along the window, providing lots of entertainment. We almost missed a large portion of the zoo by following the loop and just about leaving through the exit, thinking we were at the end. However, my wife suggested that we walk through the playground area to see what else there was, and we found more exhibits, including the indoor "rainforest" area, which is always my favorite part of any zoo. When you are ready to leave, you do have to go through the gift shop and note that it kicks you out on the whole opposite end of the park from where you entered. Keep that in mind when parking-it might be better to park near the exit so when you leave and are pooped from all the walking, your car is closer. read more

See all

Cute little zoo. Came here to check out the red pandas to discover that they are building a new habitat for them which gives me a reason to visit again in the future. Some of the exhibits were empty of the assigned animal which was disappointing. read more

Date of visit: 3/7/22 An unfortunately sad excuse of a zoo, I actually think the much smaller one I visited in Iowa was better than this one. As this was my first time here, I don't know if the lack of open buildings and animals available for viewing was due to COVID-related restrictions or the weather. Some signage regarding these closures would have been helpful. The signage that was around the zoo is faded, worn, or outdated. On the plus side, some of my favorite animals including giraffes and red pandas were found here, and the few employees that we interacted with were friendly. I would hope that the facility would get more funding to improve upon all of these items, but I don't see that as all that likely given the political makeup of the state. read more

Zoo Boise - Look. At. That. Face! - Zoos Near Me - Boise, Idaho

See all

As someone coming from San Diego, who has spent her life at the "world famous" zoo there, I have to stay I still absolutely loved this little spot. I read such mixed reviews but our family adored our time here. I saw some animals I had never seen before, the Stellars Sea Eagle and the wild dogs were my favorites, and there was just so much beauty there. At first I felt the enclosures were strange being indoors, but Idaho obviously has winter and a need for that. I still felt some of the enclosures were very unique. The staff was VERY friendly and as someone used to places being overly packed with people, it was refreshing to walk around with no crowd. We spent about 2-2.5 hours there and would absolutely go again. Don't skip it because of the few negative reviews. The pricing really isn't bad and it's worth checking out! read more

Zoo Boise - Zoos Near Me - Boise, Idaho

We found this place on yelp and decided to come. The price was very reasonable. The bathrooms are right in front. I've been to a lot of zoos and this one didn't have a lot of animals. We went as soon as they opened and most the animals were sleeping. The zoo is small you can finish it in an hour. Overall we had an okay experience. read more

See all

Walking in my expectations weren't high, but at the end of two hours.......my daughter and I did not want to leave. We throughly enjoyed the exhibits and our awesome guide, Carla, provided us with so much background info.......it truly made the visit an excellent one. We learned and saw: Elvis, the oldest spider monkey in the nation...perhaps the world Two very old Tortoise Ahkasha, the beautiful tiger Ant Eaters are the second most dangerous animal in S. America The weather was perfect for the zoo......overcast and 65-68 degrees. We loved meeting so many of the volunteers and seeing how the zoo offers a teen volunteer program inspired me to return to my love for volunteering. June was the awesome volunteer at the giraffe encounter. She was no nice, warm, and informative. Everyone at the zoo was super nice and overly welcome.....reminded me of the South. I do wish the zoo had a military discount for actual entree tickets, but after a few min in the zoo, I no longer cared. I was focused on having fun with my family. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the zoo and can't wait to return for another visit. read more

See all

What a huge disappointment. At least a third if not half the displays that house the animals were empty. Many had glass partitions that were so dirty you couldn't see anything. Many had poor or no lighting so you couldn't see. It's like a broken down mess. The kicker for me was seeing one single meerkat looking despondent just staring into space and we all know how social they are and need an entire family. Very sad. Sad just like the sluggish bored lion. Hard pass to take any out of town visitor there. Really a big let down. read more

Zoo Boise - This poor creature looked miserable - look at those eyes. - Zoos Near Me - Boise, Idaho

Had a great zoo adventure today. All the staff are kind amd knowledgeable. Boyfriend enjoyed his pretzel and I had a rice crispie treat. All the animals are well taken care of. I highly recommend the boat cruise for $5 each it was calming and Brent our tour guide was very knowledgeable of the zoo, the exibits and their conservation efforts. He told us about his visit to Africa last year which is part of the conservation activities they do. Most of the animals here are from Africa. read more

This is the saddest, dirtiest, and most depressing zoo I've ever visited. There's a serious lack of upkeep. So many exhibits are closed. We brought up our concerns to management as we were leaving, but they just made excuses about how hard it is to keep the animals' areas clean. Getting over emotional about how much they love working at the zoo and how they try really hard to maintain everything doesn't change the fact that the zoo is in horrible condition. Do not waste your time or money here! read more

For my birthday today, I decided to take my daughter to the zoo. I ordered food at the expedition grill from a disgruntled and indifferent employee. I was handed a buzzer to indicate when our food was ready. We waited 45 minutes, and I went up to the counter to see what was taking so long. Apparently, I was given a broken buzzer. The food waiting for me was cold and missing an item. I asked for my food to be remade, and the cashier reluctantly agreed. No apology was made, and I felt very disappointed in the service we were given. Walking around the zoo, I encountered only one staff member who was friendly and kind. Overall a bummer for my birthday at the zoo :( I'll be rethinking my membership for next year. read more

We had a blast walking through. The only thing that sucked was our timing. It seemed like all the animals were asleep, and then when we went to the penguin exhibit (I have a 1 year old, so I was really excited to show her the penguins). It was closed due to cleaning. Had they told us that we wouldn't have driven to boise to go.... however, they made it up to us with the giraffe feeding! read more

Zoo Boise - My husband and daughter enjoying feeding the giraffe 3 - Zoos Near Me - Boise, Idaho

See all

The enclosures are small and dirty. There wasn't even any water for the tiger. Actually what water there was for any of the animals was dirty. Many of the exhibits didn't have any animals in them, and no explanation of where the animals are. I won't be back. Edit: I forgot to mention the meerkats.... They eat insects and bugs. Not cat food and cut up green apples. Shame on the zoo keepers! read more

DO NOT GO!!! $50 for 4 people. We may have seen 7 animals and 4 of them were animals I could see at the local park! It should be criminal to make people pay to see nothing!! read more

What a sad place. Not only are the animals in small garbage filled filthy enclosures, the grounds are dirty and the food and ticket prices are way overpriced. Makes me wonder where the money is going. The carousel sounds like it is about to break down every time you go around. Truly made us all sad to see the conditions the animals were living in. I will never be back. Do better Zoo Boise. read more

If you need to get some steps in, please go here. Otherwise I would try and avoid the place if you are looking for a pleasant and fun filled adventure in Boise. I understand, animals in cages arent always the most cooperative things in the world but coming here was very underwhelming to cap off a day in the city. The price was fair for what you get. The zoo feels a bit crammed and the lay out is kind of off too. The food is fairly cheap and they sell larger water bottles for $5 which was nice. Hope the zoo improves in the future because somewhere as cool as Boise deserves it. In the meantime- head to the State Museum up the road- cool displays and WONDERFUL staff. read more