With Halloween now behind them, most amusement parks are finally closing for the season. Maybe they’ll open back up for Christmas – maybe – but what about this weekend? What are you going to do with the kids now?
In times like these, we at USA Travel Guide look to our favorite year-round attractions: zoos. When theme parks and water parks throw in the towel, the zoos keep their doors open for families needing that fun-filled Saturday afternoon. Let’s look at another favorite together.
The San Francisco Zoo isn’t the largest we’ve featured, but it’s got cozy appeal, beautiful grounds and a few special features that keep the kids begging to return. Of course, the animals are the star of this show, and the habitats are designed well to show them off. Popular animal exhibits feature red kangaroos, African lions, the ever-sleepy Koalas, lemurs, gorillas, the relatively humongous tiger salamanders, giant millipedes, great one-horned rhinos and the always-impressive grizzly bears. Be at the grizzly paddock at feeding time, around 11:00 a.m., for a fearsome show.
My favorite part of the San Francisco Zoo is actually the zoo within the zoo: the Insect Zoo. What began as a temporary exhibit has become one of the zoo’s most popular stops. This indoor habitat packs creepies and crawlies enough to make your every last neck hair stand on end. Centipedes, tarantulas, Madagascar hissing cockroaches, velvet ants, walkingsticks, harvester ants and bees are just a small sample of what you might see.
So there’s plenty to see, but there’s also lots to do. The historic 1921 Dentzel Carousel is a kid-favorite, as is the Little Puffer miniature steam train. Enjoy a scenic ride around the zoo aboard an authentic, if small, steam train. You can also purchase a storybook key for $3 which unlocks fun stories and facts about the animals at select paddocks. Having to pay for it feels, well, unsporting to me, but at least it’s a one-time charge. You can always use the same key on return visits.
The San Francisco Zoo is open daily, roughly 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., barring inclement weather. Adult admission is $15. Feeding and special exhibits hours and availability are subject to change. Learn more.
The zoo is located near our favorite district in San Francisco, Fisherman’s Wharf. This is also a great place to stay, because you can walk or catch the famous cable cars to so many locations. For San Francisco hotels in Fisherman’s Wharf, we like:
Have a great time at the San Francisco Zoo!
Fun Fact
The San Francisco Zoo is the birthplace of Stephen Jr., an American bald eagle named for Comedy Central personality Stephen Colbert. Stephen Jr. has since been released to the wild.
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One Comment
Wow! I’m so surprised at the Detroit zoo attendance. They also most closed awhile ago, and every time I go there isn’t many people, then again it is very spread out.
Best Regards,