Oklahoma City Zoo

At the suggestion of our friend Amber Hallaba owner of TuffRoof Construction, her company does roofing in OKC, we are spotlighting the Oklahoma City Zoo. When looking at the top 10 zoos in the nation the Oklahoma City Zoo is quite often found on that list. When you consider that it is the oldest zoo in the Southwest with over 100 exhibits it’s easy to see why it’s such an awesome place to take the family.

The zoo has several major exhibits that are wonderful to see and feature beautifully done landscapes that add to the overall experience. Here are just a few:

Butterfly Garden is a 20,000 square foot exhibit created specifically for butterflies. It contains over 15,000 plants designed to nurture the complete life-cycle of the butterfly.

Cat Forest/ Lion Overlook is a 4.2 acre habitat that features the world biggest cats; lions, tigers, jaguars, and snow leopards, Over 4,000 plants help re-create the cat’s natural habitat.

The Great EscApe is a $6.6 million exhibit featuring 18 animals, including: two troops of gorillas, one family of orangutans, and a community of chimpanzees. You’ll find waterfalls, fallen tress, and thousands of plants all making the Great EscApe an awesome exhibit.

Noble Aquatic Center: Aquaticus contains over 1,500 aquatic species from all around the world. This is truly one of the more spectacular exhibits and one of the zoo visitors favorite.

The Children’s Zoo opened in March of 2010. It’s a 2.5 acre area built at a cost of $8.3 million. In the Zoo’s own words “The Children’s Zoo is a place where children can explore, touch, and immerse themselves in a natural environment that will stimulate their imagination, encourage exploration and give them a greater appreciation for nature.” Though we have been to the zoo numerous times the Children’s Zoo is one we have not been to yet but are looking forward to going this year.

The Elephant Habitat is a new exhibit that will open Spring of 2011. This will be a 9.5 acre, $13 million exhibit that can house up to 2 bulls, 4 cows & possible offsprings. This will surely be a popular exhibit.

Hours and Admission: Open daily 9am to 5pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Admission is a very reasonable $8 for adults (12-64) , $5 kids (3-11) and seniors 65 and older. Kids under 2 are free. Parking is free and you can re-enter throughout the day with your admission.

Food and Concessions: The Canopy Restaurant is a 300 seat indoor eating facility with a rain-forest theme. You’ll find plenty of variety at the Canopy and in addition there are a several concession stands through out the zoo grounds.

Rides and Amusement: You will find several rides at the zoo such as the Safari Tram and the Centennial Choo Choo. You’ll also find the Sea Lion show. Check the zoo site for the days they are open as it is seasonal.

Address, Directions and Contact Information:

Physical Address (Ideal for GPS Directions):
2000 Remington Place
Oklahoma City, OK 73111

Mailing Address:
2101 NE 50th St.
Oklahoma City, OK 73111

Phone Number:
(405) 424-3344

To get driving direction click here.

If you’ve been to the Oklahoma City Zoo tell us what you thought. Either below in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

Source: OKC Zoo website was used as the source for most of our information.