Oakland Zoo, Oakland: Photos, Reviews & Location

Long-standing zoo features 850+ native & exotic animals, a wildlife theater & educational programs.

At a glance

#10 of 17 Tourist attractions in Oakland #11 of 16 Parks in Oakland

LocalGuideWorld score: 4.60

7.1 km from the center of Oakland

Rating breakdown

5 ★70%
4 ★22%
3 ★6%
2 ★1%
1 ★2%

What reviewers talk about

Share of 16 recent reviews that mention each topic.

View50%
Price & value50%
Service & staff25%
Waiting & crowds19%
Cleanliness13%

9777 Golf Links Rd, Oakland, CA 94605, United States

oaklandzoo.org

+1 510-632-9525

Quick facts

What is the rating of Oakland Zoo?: Oakland Zoo is rated 4.6 out of 5 based on 23,587 reviews.
How does Oakland Zoo rank in Oakland?: Oakland Zoo is #10 of 17 Tourist attractions in Oakland by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
Where is Oakland Zoo located?: 9777 Golf Links Rd, Oakland, CA 94605, United States — 7.1 km from the center of Oakland.
What do visitors mention most about Oakland Zoo?: Most often: view, price & value, service & staff (from 16 recent reviews).
How can I contact Oakland Zoo?: Phone: +1 510-632-9525 · Website: oaklandzoo.org

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.

Bella Coladonato 2024 Jan 28

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!

Kelsey Bollenbach 2024 Jan 22

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.

Kay Liew 2024 Jan 11

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.

Monica L 2024 Jan 02

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.

Irene “MJ” Kim 2023 Dec 26

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.

Ocean Bliss 2023 Dec 11

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!!!

Matthew Walker 2023 Nov 21

Good zoo, not great. Went to some larger zoos this year and this was not quite as impressive. But still worthwhile, some great exhibits and excellent value. $24/person which is also on the cheaper end of what I've paid for zoo tickets. Best part was the upper area with a gondola going up. Cool animals in that area, especially enjoyed the wolf exhibit. Nice vantage point for views of SF as well. Some nice exhibits down below as well but nothing remarkable and some of them felt really small and like the animals could use more room. Overall, not a must do zoo by any means but good value and worthwhile if in the area.

Shiva Karki 2023 Nov 07

It was an magnificent day we could see the rainbow start and end point .Awesome to see all the animals healthy and in perfect spot where you could see them perfectly and observe the animals and their nature .. the enclosures were big enough to ensure the roaming space for animals and was clean and tidy (especially the carnivores) . the gandola was a bit busy due to the huge mass of people but was worth it we had unexpected experiences . the food was kinda expensive and not really worth it not recommended for foods rest everything was beyound the imagination we had a chance to see and grab some pictures with the rainbow as well best experience as of zoo in my whole life awesome place if you love animals awesome and funny staffs make you feel like home if you have any questions loved it ❤️❤️❤️❤️ definitely coming again with whole of my family ❤️🐾

Whywhywhy 2023 Oct 30

I came here with friends. It was spectacular. I love it here. One ride is free and it was so high up in the sky. The kids rides are cheap. The rides inside are cheap as well. The animals are so beautiful. I really enjoy my visit here

Ivana Tomić 2023 Oct 08

It's probably the zoo we enjoyed the most so far. We spent 5 hours there with our 2-year-old and saw/tried everything. Our favorites were giraffes, the elephant, and bears. The gondola was super cool, as well as the train ride. I am sure we will be back.

Bruce Hamilton 2023 Oct 07

Zoo was nice, not great. The paying extra and waiting in the long line for the train felt like a scam. It was so short, we only saw a couple animals, and I think it should have been included with the park entrance to make it worth it.

There was a very old lethargic elephant, my memory is that the Fresno zoo was an exciting pen of elephants playing so Fresno probably beats it there.

Not bad though, kids like zoos, so that's cool.

They let you bring in outside food and drink which was very nice! Kudos to them for that.

Catherine Tintle 2023 Oct 02

This is by far the BEST zoo I’ve ever been to! It’s so cool to be able to see so many wild animals in a more natural setting. Many exhibits are walking higher up looking down on the animals which is better than observing through a small cage. We had a blast on the sky lift and other ride that let you get an awesome arial view of the zoo & animals. Well worth the price!! 🦒🐘🐅

Thomas Joseph Perez 2023 Aug 19

I was pleasantly surprised how much I like this zoo. I had a great time seeing all the animals and reading all the educational materials. The gondola ride to the upper part of the zoo offers great views of the park and the San Francisco Bay. The upper area is newer addition and the enclosures where much nicer and larger. The train ride to the Australian part of the zoo was very fun. It’s a nice place to explore.

swati dubey 2023 Aug 07

Awesome zoo with gondolas ride included with zoo tickets. Great view of the park and city. They have roller coaster rides and other attractions as well for which you have to purchase tickets separately. There are zip lines as well for kids. Food zones are available with gorgeous views of the zoo natural habitat. We got to see tigers, lions, grizzly bears, baboons, bisons, giraffes, elephants, different kinds of birds etc. Museums are also available for kids to explore if you have time. Overall a well spent whole day trip with kids with lots of adventures and fun activities.