The 26 Best Zoos in the U.S.

The world-famous San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park welcome more than 6 million people per year – and for good reason. The two facilities make up the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, which is focused on the health and care of wildlife, education and science, in conjunction with sustainable conservation programs. Visitors to both parks will see these initiatives in action, while supporting the programs financially. Zoogoers can catch glimpses of koalas, lions, pygmy hippopotamuses and Tasmanian devils, while Safari Park guests can view greater one-horned rhinos, elephants, gorillas, platypuses and Matschie’s tree kangaroos all in habitats inspired by the animals’ native environments.

“We celebrate that guests today are seeking a greater understanding of the role of leading zoos in conservation,” says Paul A. Baribault, president and CEO at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “At our parks, we share our conservation work through immersive experiences, as we inform and inspire our guests to create a better understanding of how the skills we learn caring for wildlife at the Zoo and Park help us support and fuel our partners in the field in powerful ways.”

From its early initiatives of helping to save the California condor from extinction in the early 1980s to current zoo-based collaborative breeding, researching and reintroduction initiatives, the alliance makes a worldwide impact at eight conservation hubs on six continents. To date, the zoo’s global programs have helped polar bears, leopards, giant otters, chimpanzees and elephants, to name a few.

At both parks, recent guests suggest planning to spend the entire day to see the animals and explore the grounds, while many note that a zoo encounter or guided tour adds a lot to the experience.

Address: 2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego, CA 92101 (Zoo); 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA 92027 (Safari Park)

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