Oakland Zoo

I’ve been going to the island zoo since I was a kid. Most of the zoo remains unchanged, delightfully funky. The California walk is awesome though, and well worth going for that alone. The ride up on the gondola is amazing, and affords great views of the entire Bay Area, the animals are great, and the zoo design is very cool. Gets crazy past 12pm so advise going early, and make sure you get a reservation, even if you’re a member, on the weekend.

Great zoo up in the Oakland hills, much larger than you'd expect with quite the selection of animals small and large. We came during the last time slot on a Saturday so we will be back again to explore more and ride the gondola and train. They also still had the Glowfari experience up and even during the day it was super cool to see. We went with 3 different families, each with a toddler, and it's safe to say we all had a good time seeing the animals, petting the goats, and in the playground area! I also have a reciprocal zoo membership and their website makes it super easy to purchase that type of discounted ticket. Looking forward to visiting again!

Went to the Oakland zoo GLOWFARI in January 2024 and it was absolutely breathtaking. The lights and exhibits they made were spectacular. The detail that went into making the displays is incredible and if you ever get the chance to purchase tickets for glowfari at Oakland zoo, I can promise you, you won’t be disappointed! It is fund for all the kids and adults, it is definitely family friendly as well. So much fun and worth the money.

What a lovely zoo I didn't get time to see everything. Only found out there's a whole other area a gondola ride away! But what I did see was amazing! Highlight had to be the baby giraffe and the tigers! The staff/volunteers at the park were incredibly knowledgeable, and very friendly I interacted with a number of staff during the visit! Was neat to know that a lot of the animals are rescues and I'm glad they have a more natural space for them to live in.

Great zoo!

This is a fun zoo to visit and is right off the freeway.
Pay for tickets/parking in advance.
Gondola ride- it’s free and you get great views. Even if there’s a long line, it goes really fast I promise.
Landing cafe- also has great views, but seats get taken up fast so go early or you have to wait and watch out for a table when someone leaves.
There is a petting zoo and resident cats that live there as well.
Train ride- is outside of the zoo to the right along with other kid rides. It goes through the enclosure to see the emu and Wallaby. You have to pay extra for this, but we enjoyed it.

The view of the restaurant the gondola ride after is great. The restaurant's Pizza is poor but burgers are delicious. Oh, must bring bottled water with you!!

It's interesting how animals react differently depending on time of day and season. It is an outdoor zoo.

So, It's a good to a membership and visit often.

We attended the Glowfari and it was spectacular!! Our group had children of all ages, and adults 20 - 70; we all enjoyed it!! These are just a few of the highlights. If you can go, it won't disappoint!! Embrace the child in you and enjoy the holiday season!!!