Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

One of the best zoos in the United States. It is a small local zoo with a big international impact. The conservation work they do here is incredible. The exhibits here feel more like habitats, and you can tell the animals benefit tremendously as a result. The autonomy of the animals is respected- they aren't forcibly paraded around for visitors' amusement. Their privacy is respected. You can tell the staff are so passionate about these animals, and put a tremendous amount of effort into animal welfare and enrichment. My partner is a zoologist and a professor studying animal persecution, and even he was impressed! This is also a great zoo for the kiddos - lots of places to learn and play. If I lived in the area, I would definitely have a yearly membership! It isn't a super gimmicky or touristy place - there is one small gift shop. It doesn't feel like visitors are being milked for their dollars. In my mind, this is the standard that all small zoos should be striving for. Thank you to the staff who are providing such a wonderful experience for both visitors and animals. I recommend buying tickets in advance online, because you can shave $5 off each ticket that way.

Such a great zoo! They dont have all of the animals ever but that makes it so much more personal and educational! These habitats looked great and all of the animals looked content. They also have a large amount of exotic and rare plantlife. I mean, a blooming century plant?! WOW! The staff are amazing, informative, and the conservation work they are doing here and at their sister zoo is extremely admirable. I will be back many times, I’ve already told all of my nature loving friends to come.

Overall we enjoyed this zoo. I recommend buying tickets online in advance to save a little money and time at the gate. The facilities were clean and the staff were friendly and informative. We spent 2.5 hours here on a Sunday afternoon and saw every exhibit without rushing so not too big but be prepared to get some steps in while going up and down some hills. There was a food truck and market stand on site but both were closed during our visit. The polar bears weren’t out while we were here but we did get to see the rest of the animals.

I went with my mom when she came for a visit. There is a great diversity of animals and 2 aquariums. There are lots of different animal shows to see. We saw the penguins get fed and the walrus sang us a song. We learned about the zoo's program to reintroducw the red wolf back into the wild. I would recommend spending the whole day there. There is so much to see. This is a great place for the whole family.

It's a clean small zoo, not many animals to see since they are usually sleeping during the day, but we were lucky to spot some wolves, penguins and seals who were being fed. The aquarium was my favorite part, but the kids loved the carousel, couldn't care less about anything else. It's 4$ for each ride, they went like 6 times and screamed all the way home because we had to go. Good times. We spent 3 hours there, you can see everything within that time frame, bring your own water, or at least a container to fill up in the water fountain in aquarium section, the cost for a can of water, yes, its a can that you cannot close, is 5$.

Smaller zoo in a great location. Enjoyed the well themed and sized exhibits for the animals. Plenty of viewing options for all ages. Aquarium exhibits were nicely organized. Overall this zoo gets an ‘A’ for people pathing options. The zoo entrance is on-top of a hill and everything is below but so many options to give accessibility to everyone. The landscape and flora really adds to the experience is a positive way. Animal show was enjoyable as well. Parking can fill up fast.

Absolutely amazing experience at this Zoo & Aquarium! It was our first time there, and we liked it so much, we converted our day tickets we bought to a Household Membership before we left for the day! The Zoo is within walking distance to the Puget Sound, Restaurants, Point Defiance Park, etc. There's much more to do around the area, should you want to leave and explore the area. The parking at the Zoo is free as well, so that's a plus! I highly recommend visiting if you come to the Puget Sound area, or are a local and have never been! We will be going back over and over, and utilizing our membership benefits for the next 12 months!