Inside Zoo Atlanta: Local Guide & Insider Tips

I am lucky enough to live so close to the zoo that I can hear the lions roaring from my house!  Zoo Atlanta is a wonderful attraction in the heart of the Grant Park neighborhood.  I believe that it is one of the best small zoos in the United States.  In this post, I will walk you through Zoo Atlanta and share what you can expect on your visit and my favorite order in which to tackle the entire zoo in a single visit! 

If you live in the Atlanta metro area and have small children, then I highly recommend that you purchase a membership to the Zoo.  A membership to the zoo is probably the best deal in town.  The membership provides a lot of flexibility.  You will not feel like you need to see every animal in a single day.  With a zoo membership, you can visit the zoo for a few hours at a time, which will allow you to explore two or three areas in depth on each visit, which is a perfect strategy to visit the zoo with children. 

If you are visiting Atlanta with kids, be sure to check out this post: Atlanta’s Best Things to do with Little Kids. My big kids ranked their favorite things to do growing up in Atlanta.

Discounts on Admission to Zoo Atlanta

If you are not interested in purchasing a membership, there are a few ways to save money on admission to Zoo Atlanta.  The simplest way is to purchase your tickets online.  They will always be less expensive online than at the entrance gate. 

Georgia Libraries offer entrance to the zoo for a family of three. Pick up a pass at your local Georgia library.

The City of Atlanta and Fulton County sponsor Family Days for residents on the second weekend of August – typically.  Check the zoo’s calendar of events starting in mid-July for information about this event.  If the zoo is one of many Atlanta attractions you plan to visit, then Atlanta CityPASS is a great option for discounted admission to the zoo. 

The zoo offers free admission to members of the US Armed Forces – including active-duty, reserve, veterans, and retired military. Show your military ID at the ticket booth. Additional family members and guests must pay standard admission rates.

College students may receive a discount on admission when they present a college ID at the ticket booth.

Zoo Atlanta Parking

Paid parking is available in the covered parking deck called the Grant Park Gateway Parking Facility at 759 Boulevard SE, Atlanta GA.  Zoo members receive a discount here when they pay in advance.  ParkMobile paid surface parking is available off of Cherokee Ave SE, but it fills up quickly, so if you do not arrive before 10:30am, then I recommend that you park at the Grant Park Gateway where your car will stay nice and cool on a hot day.  

Where to Eat at Zoo Atlanta

Bring Your Own Picnic

Zoo Atlanta offers several dining options including the opportunity to bring your own picnic.  The best place to eat your picnic is in the Children’s Zoo near the Birthday Party Pavilion and across from the birds.   Seating is also available for picnicking on the Grand Patio near the Nourish Café.  If no events are taking place, additional covered seating may be available in the adjacent Ford Pavilion.  Check your map for the picnic table icon.  While outside food is allowed, there are some rules: no alcoholic beverage, no glass containers, and no straws and/or lids may be brought into the zoo.

Eats Available at Zoo Atlanta

Check out the link for each establishment below to learn more about their hours and menu. Many of these restaurants have seasonal hours and may not be open on weekdays.

• Sips – coffee and hot beverages or cold treats depending on the season near the entrance to the zoo
• Fro-Zen – ice cream & popcorn
• Willie B’s Pizza – this restaurant offers 10” individually sized pizzas, pasta salad, and French fries
• SweetWater Beer Garden – this refuge for adults featuring a local Atlanta brewery is typically only open on weekends
• Go Dogs Food Truck – this food truck offers all-beef hot dogs or Beyond Bratwurst with fun toppings
• Nourish Café – burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and salads. You can order ahead online
• The COOP Food Truck – this food truck sells chicken tenders and French fries, which are sure to be a hit with the smaller visitors to the zoo
• PopCone – funnel cakes, ice cream sundaes, and popcorn

Zoo Atlanta is one of the Oldest Zoos in the United States!

In 1889, a traveling circus went bankrupt while it was in Atlanta.  George Valentine Gress and his business partner, Charles Northern, bought the circus at auction.  They wanted the railcars and other equipment.  Gress donated the animals to the city of Atlanta.  Based on Grant Park’s popularity, the city designated a spot in the southern end of the park to become the zoo’s permanent home.  Zoo Atlanta still occupies this space today!

Victorian era visitors flocked to the zoo to see the exotic animals, including “one hyena, two silver lions, one black bear, one jaguar, one elk, two fawns, two African lionesses, three monkeys, two wild cats, one raccoon, one Mexican hog, one camel, and one dromedary.” In 1930, Asa G. Candler Jr. (son of the founder of the Coca-Cola Company) donated his private menagerie to the zoo, greatly expanding its collection.  In a tradition that Zoo Atlanta continues today, the zoo beautified its grounds so that visitors enjoyed beautiful landscaping and gardens in addition to the animals. 

Inside the Gates!

Enter the Zoo through the gates at the end of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Plaza located off of the traffic circle and adjacent to Savannah Hall, which was previously the Cyclorama building.  On busy days, there may be a tent for zoo members to enter separately on the left.  Once through the gates, you enter into Flamingo Plaza and you will see the pink birds immediately on your left.  While they are a delight to the eyes, they may not be to the nose!

Guest WiFi: the zoo offers free wifi to its guests so that you can learn more about the animals on your mobile device.  In your web browser go to ssmap.zooatlanta.org to access it. 

Make a Plan

Check out the events that are happening at the Zoo Atlanta and make a note of any keeper talks, bird shows, or feedings that you would like to attend.  Consult the map to see where these events are located.

I like to work my way around the zoo counter clockwise.  This strategy is particularly important to follow if you have children with you because the playground and Kid Zone is to the right when you enter Flamingo Plaza.  One glimpse of the playground before you are ready and it can wreak havoc on your visit! 

Zoo Atlanta’s Giant Panda family returned to China in October 2024.

Zoo Atlanta’s African Savanna

Animals that inhabit the African Savannah include: Southern White Rhinoceros, Slender-Tailed Meerkats, African Elephants, Plains Zebras, Giraffes, Ostriches, Bonteboks, Kon Bustards, Common Warthogs, and African Lions.

As you leave Flamingo Plaza, turn to the left and walk by the Southern White Rhinoceros habitat.  The rhinos may also be found further up the pass in their indoor space near the World of Wild Theater.  The African Elephants‘ grassland includes Abana Pond, which is a nod to Lake Abana, which was the 6-acre lake that used to occupy the location of the Zoo’s Cherokee Parking lot.  Long time Atlanta residents, Kelly and Tara were joined by a male elephant, Msholo in July 2019.  He came from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. 

On your way to the Elephant’s Education Outpost, you will pass the Slender-Tailed Meerkats.  The new Zambezi Elephant Center provides plenty of space for keepers to care for the elephants and as a visitor, you can go in and check it out for yourself!  This space includes new bathroom facilities available to visitors.  The elephant habitat is so big that it can be seen from three sides. 

Looping back around to Zoo Atlanta’s Twiga Terrace, you can see the elephant habitat, the Plains Zebras, Giraffes, Ostriches and Bonteboks in their shared habitat. The Kori Bustards and Common Warthogs have separate habitats.  The Lion habitat is currently under construction. If you are short on time, you can proceed directly to Twiga Terrace, where you will still be able to view the elephants.

Amphibian & Reptile Experience: Scaly, Slimy Spectacular

Follow the path to the indoor exhibit hall that houses the reptiles and amphibians.  Expect it to be warm and humid inside, which is the appropriate habitat for the 70 different species that make this facility home.  You will see frogs, snakes, tortoises, turtles, lizards, and more.  These animals are masters of camouflage, so you may need to look very closely to find them in their habitats. 

When you enter the main building, note the African Slender-Snouted Crocodile. habitat on the right.  Finding the crocodile is like a game of hide-and-seek.  Be sure to survey the top of the water.  The Green and Black Poison Frog inhabits an exhibit in the center of the path.  You can look at this habitat from all sides. A few species of tortoises live in the open exhibit in the center of the building across from the Yellow-Blotched Map Turtles. The Alligator Snapping Turtle reminds me of the dinosaurs.  If you a lucky, the snapping turtle will have its mouth open and it will move its tongue to make it look like worm to attract its unsuspecting meal.

On your way out, you may want to stop at some of the newest restrooms in the zoo. Here is a map of the Scaly, Slimy Spectacular exhibit.  Click on any number to learn more about the animal that lives there.

Zoo Atlanta’s Ford African Rain Forest

If you are hungry, you will pass by the the SweetWater Beer Garden and Willy B’s Pizza on your way to the African Rain Forest.  Check the day’s schedule for shows happening at Amy’s Tree Theater on your left.

The Living Treehouse

The Living Treehouse habitat on the right, is one of my favorite exhibits in the Zoo.  The lemurs are adorable and the birds are beautiful.  The species of Lemurs include Crowned Lemurs, Black-and-White-Ruffed lemurs, and Ring-tailed lemurs.  Lemurs only natural habitat is the island of Madagascar.  There is a nest that your little ones can play in and there is an indoor space where you can view the monkeys.  The Monkeys of Makokou habitat is across from the gorillas on the right.  The monkeys are a lot of fun to watch as the climb the ropes in their enclosure and play.  The species include Drills, Wolf’s Guenon, Schmidt’s Guenons, and Angolan Colobus Monkeys.

Willie B Conservation Center at Zoo Atlanta

The Willie B Conservation Center is across the path from the Living Treehouse exit.  Inside this building, you can view the Western Lowland Gorillas from the comfort of the indoors. The first habitat, houses the female population and their children.  The adolescent gorillas are often very playful, which makes them a lot of fun to watch.  Not unlike their human counterparts, they often get into trouble and are reprimanded by their mom. 

A little bit further along, you will see the impressive male Silverbacks.  The gorillas are typically outside unless the temperature dips below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.   For fans of the children’s novel, The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate, note the memorial to Ivan, the Western Lowland Gorilla, who was rescued and lived out the rest of his days at Zoo Atlanta.  Zoo Atlanta houses the biggest group of gorillas in North America.  The Zoo partners with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, which supports the conservation of gorillas in their natural habitat in Africa.

Asian Forest

Sun Bear & Tiger Terrace

If you need some popcorn or a cold treat, the Fro-Zen is on your right as you pass through the bamboo into the Asian Forest.  The Malayan Sun Bear habitat is on the right.  You can enter the Sun Bear & Tiger Terrace from the upper level and look down at the bears in their habitat.  This is my favorite way to view them.  The bears may be very active or they may be lounging.  You can see into the tiger habitat from here too, however I have not seen the tiger from this vantagepoint frequently. 

The Giant Otters are just past the Sun Bears on the left.  They are a lot of fun to watch – particularly if they have babies.  The otters are constantly playing and swimming around – unless – of course they are sleeping!  Another playful species is the Orangutans, whose habitat is on the left. Their name translates to “Person of the Forest.”  Typically, they live within the trees.  If they are active, you will be able to see them swing gracefully across their habitat.  Look for Orangutans feeding times on your Daily Zoo schedule.  You will find the Orangutans outside provided that the temperature is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The Naked Mole Rats

If you have children, don’t miss the Naked Mole Rats.  Inside their building, you can see the colony of Naked Mole Rats burrowing in their tunnel system.  These tunnels are sophisticated and they create rooms that have specific purposes such as a nursery, sleeping spaces, or food storage spaces.  When I visited, there was a pile of sleeping mole rats in the chamber on the bottom left.  Naked Mole Rats live in a colony like bees, where a queen is supported by the rest of the group. 

Human children have the opportunity to climb through their own tunnel and then explore the Naked Mole Rat Playground adjacent to the habitat building.  This is a delightful little playground, that my children always loved.  I think that part of its charm is that it is in an unexpected location!

The Red Panda and the Komodo Dragan

Circle around the path to see the Red Panda – who is adorable when awake, but is almost always curled up asleep when I visit the zoo!  Be sure to look up as they are most likely to be curled up in a tree.  Panda translates most directly as “bamboo eater.”  Red Pandas are not related to Panda Bears at all.  In fact, they are distant relatives of racoons. 

You will come across the Komodo Dragon next.  My children always called him, “the monster.”  He does look like a real-life monster.  They are the largest monitor lizards on earth and they hale from a few small islands in Indonesia including Komodo.  As you follow the winding path down the hill, you will pass the Wrinkled Hornbill before you come to the lower viewing area of the Sun Bear and the Sumatran Tiger viewing area. 

Complex Carnivores

As you exit the Panda exhibit, stay on the upper level and follow the signs to the Complex Carnivores.  This grouping of animals includes the Fossa, who hails from Madagascar and typically eats lemurs.  The lowest level of the Sumatran Tiger habitat can be seen here.  This is where I have most frequently seen the tigers lounging, pacing, or playing in the water.  The Clouded Leopard habitat is adjacent.  Typically, the clouded leopard is lounging on one of the platforms, hiding with the aid of its camouflaged coat, or pacing near the rear of the exhibit.  The next habitat is the home of the Binturong, who hails from southeast Asia.  These animals sleep a lot, so you are likely to find him in his hammock. 

World of the Wild Theater

This open-air theater is just past the Complex Carnivore habitats.  They host bird shows.  Double check the schedule of events for the day or check out the sign outside the theater.  The day I visited they were offering a “Free Flight Bird Show” two times per day on the weekend only.  These are wonderful shows that feature impressively trained birds that all ages will enjoy. 

Birds at Zoo Atlanta

While you will come across birds throughout the zoo, many of the birds are grouped in the center of the zoo and in the Kid Zone.  Along the path that leads to the Flamingo Plaza and the Entrance/Exit, you can see a few large birds including the Grounded Hornbills, Lappet-faced Vultures, and Owls.  As you make your way down the winding path towards the Kid Zone or Children’s Zoo, you will have the opportunity to see many of the zoo’s exotic birds.  Turn to the left at the bottom of the hill to see more animals.

The Children’s Zoo

At the Brazilian Outpost, enjoy the adorable Golden Lion Tamarins and the Two-Toed Sloths.  On the path, stop to check out the Storks, who may be sanding on one leg and the Red-tailed hawk.  Further along, you will see the Georgia Wetlands Habitat featuring the Florida River Cooter, Eastern Box Turtles, and Common Snapping Turtles.  All species found right here in Georgia! The Patagonian Mara’s habitat is across from the Alpaca enclosure.  You will encounter the Alpaca enclosure just before you reach the Petting Zoo.

The Petting Zoo

Be sure to read all the Petting Zoo rules before going inside the pen with the animals.  My children really enjoyed brushing the goats.  There is a container with brushes to the right as you enter the pen.  The zoo is home to three different types of goats and two types of sheep: Southdown Baby Doll Sheep & Saanen Goats & Oberhasli Goats & Nigerian Dwarf Goats & Gulf Coast Native Sheep.  Be sure to walk through the barn to see who is hanging out inside.  The Kunekune Pigs were in a pen on the opposite side from the petting zoo.  There is a handwashing station available.

The Grand Patio

The Nourish Café, which is the Zoo’s largest restaurant, anchors the Grand Patio just beyond the barn.  Using a QR code, you can place a mobile order and simply pick up your food inside.  A food truck may offer an alternative in the plaza.  Outdoor seating is available on the Grand Patio.  You could eat your picnic here too.  If no events are taking place, additional covered seating may be available in the adjacent Ford Pavilion. 

KIDZone

The Splash Fountain and Playground

There are several kid friendly attractions in this area.  A family-friendly restroom is located next to the Splash Fountain. It features child accessible height toilets and sinks.  Free attractions in this area include the Playground and the Splash Fountain. 

During the warmer months – April 1st until October 31st – the Splash Fountain will be open.  Note the rules to play at the Splash Fountain.  Swim diapers are required and water toys are prohibited. 

The KIDZone Playground is free and it is open year-round. It is designed for children 50″ and below. Children must be accompanied by an adult on the playground. This play space is below the Treetop Trail ropes course.

Norfolk Southern Zoo Train

The engine on this train is a replica of an 1863 locomotive.  The Zoo Train was my children’s favorite attraction at the zoo when they were little.  You can ride this train one time for a fee or ride as much as you want with an All-Day Rides Wristband.  We frequently rode the train multiples times per visit.  If you need to purchase a wristband, I recommend that you size up the family crowd for the day, because we were less likely to ride the train more than once if we had to wait in long lines. 

Endangered Species Carousel

This was our next favorite attraction at the zoo.  We often rode the Carousel more than once too.  Like the train, you can purchase a single ride or ride as many times as you like with the All-Day Rides Wristband.  You must be dry to ride on the carousel, so be sure to go for a spin before you get in the Splash Fountain.  There are animals that go up and down, animals that stand still, and there are benches to sit in, so there should be something suitable for everyone. 

Treetop Trail

The Treetop Trail is a high ropes course at Zoo Atlanta.  My big kids love this activity and beg to participate in it every time we visit the zoo.  Each ticket purchases 30 minutes of time on the course.  My favorite part was the zipline.  You wear a safety harness that is attached to an overhead track, so there is no need to worry, but the ropes course is challenging. 

This was wonderful to experience as a family.  Be sure that you wear secure shoes and that your pockets are empty or wear clothing with zipper pockets so that you can ensure that nothing will fall from them!  If you wear glasses, bring a glasses strap to secure them.  This activity does close due to inclement weather which includes the heat.  On very hot days, the course may only be open in the morning

Treetop Tykes Trail

The Treetop Tykes Trail is a low ropes course.  It is a relatively new addition to Zoo Atlanta.  It is sure to delight your littles who desperately want to participate in the Treetop Trail, but are too small.  In this ropes course, your child will wear a harness and you accompany them through the course.  This activity is only open to children who are less than 48” tall.  Treetop Tykes Trail will close due to inclement weather including heat.  On very hot days, the course may only be open in the morning.  Has your child participated in the Tree Tykes Trail?  Let me know what they thought in the comments. 

Additional Activities for Families

Memory Pass

As you enter the zoo, you will be given a “Memory Pass” card, which you can use to collect photos as you explore.  A zoo team member will take a photo of you with the flamingos.  There are self-capture spots in the Scaly Slimy Spectacular and the Living Treehouse.  This feature is included with general admission or it is available to members for $15.  Photos can be accessed online.  If you participated in this program, let me know what you thought in the comments!

Zoo Seekers

Borrow a Zoo Seekers Explorer Pack from the Education Station on weekends from 10am until noon to help Professor Gigi Gorilla collect data.  Or download an age-appropriate packet online before your head to the zoo. 

Visiting Zoo Atlanta

This is an excellent small zoo. You can easily see everything here in three hours or less. If you have a zoo membership and young children, then I highly recommend that you focus on a few animals each visit and then spend the rest of your time on children’s activities. Are you planning a visit to Zoo Atlanta or have you been recently? Let me know what you thought in the comments!