Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Opened in 1875, the nation’s second-oldest zoo layers celebrated animal habitats, mature trees, pollinator gardens, conservation science, and steep Cincinnati terrain into a compact urban campus.
Artwork inspired by Charley Harper
Cincinnati’s fame extends beyond individual animals. The zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife works on reproduction, genetics, plant research, and endangered-species recovery, while the botanical garden threads mature trees, tulips, native plants, pollinator habitat, and food gardens through a dense historic site. Elephant Trek, Gorilla World, Cat Canyon, Manatee Springs, and the Africa area reward very different kinds of observation.
The campus is compact but steep. Start near the top of your priority list rather than following a rigid loop, and use the accessible route information if grades matter. Hippos and other favorites draw crowds; the quieter botanical spaces reveal how much of the zoo’s identity is horticultural. Parking across Vine Street is paid and can fill on fine weekends, so an early or later arrival reduces both traffic and viewing pressure.
- Opened
- 1875
- Terrain
- Compact and notably hilly
- Parking
- Paid lots across Vine Street
Quick guide
- Pair animal and plant
- At each major habitat, notice shade, browse, barriers, and seasonal planting.
- Respect the hills
- Use the map’s easier routes and save downhill distance for the return.
How to see the zoo beyond one famous animal
- Pair animal and plant
- At each major habitat, notice shade, browse, barriers, and seasonal planting.
- Respect the hills
- Use the map’s easier routes and save downhill distance for the return.
- Watch behavior, not crowds
- Step away from packed glass and return when the sightline changes.
- Find CREW’s impact
- Connect exhibits to research and recovery work beyond Cincinnati.
Good to know
Weekend and fair-weather parking can fill, and the zoo contains sustained grades. Arrive before the main rush or later in the day, use the accessible-route resources, and remember animals may choose indoor areas in extreme weather.
Notice these
- Hippo Cove
- Elephant Trek
- Botanical collections woven through historic grounds