Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium

First time back this year and went to see the new aquarium, and wow, they did an amazing job on it!!! The zoo has really come a long way since I was a kid to see all the improvements to it and added extra stuff. Not as much walking to see stuff now it's as you walk. You see something dang near every corner. Really did enjoy the new aquarium, and almost all of the animals were out today. It would for sure be something if you happen to drop into the city to go to. There are tons of areas to see animals and not just one spot and overcrowded. We got the yearly membership and going 2 times pays for the basic as a Jackson County resident, so it is well worth it.

This was a great zoo. We came a little over an hour after it opened on a Saturday. It was busy! But there were plenty of ticketing counters open and customer service representatives to placate the large amount of people. We stood in 2 lines our entire time there. The first was ticketing and the second was the skyride over the African exhibit. $4 one way isn't bad, plus it's a cool little experience. One tip would be if you see a line on the entry side and are doing a 1 way trip, getting the walking out of the way on the front side and jump on the lift for the way back-no line on the far side. The aquarium addition is pretty cool, they even have small hammer head sharks! The zoo is expansive enough to where one could spend the majority of the day visiting all the exhibits and catching a few demonstrations. I definitely rank this zoo at the top with regards to all the other zoos I've been to.

It's been 10 year since I seen the zoo. My mind was blown on how much has changed... for the better. The aquarium was by far my favorite. The interation with the animals Perfection! All the improvements was definitely noticed. I highly recommend a visit the the kc zoo.

We absolutely LOVE going to this Zoo. It is HUGE. You'll have to make several trips to experience everything! We got to see the Tigers eat and seals do tricks. The new aquarium blew us away! It is such a neat experience. We highly recommend going! They offer free tickets throughout the year for Jackson County residents.

Penguin March Sat/Sun at 11am through February! One of the single greatest things at a zoo I’ve ever seen. Live, out of cage, walk right up to you, and almost shake your hand!! If you like interactive such as the stingray petting pool, the penguin March is by far as unique and much more surprising! The polar bears are active in winter, and the aquarium is delightfully well stocked with swimming things! Friendly personalities and great zoo-tenders (people tending the animals not chicken bites lol) I like how convenient everything is in this zoo. What an amazing birding experience along with all the rest. Would make this a stop while in KC.

It was a warm January day so we decided to try the zoo. Best zoo trip to date! We got front row parking and no lines! I actually got to touch a stingray for the first time because there was no line! The new aquarium was great my kids really enjoyed it.

It was cooler, but still got to see a good amount of animals. Of course, I could spend all day in the aquarium. Just fascinating.
I do have a few things to point out though...... While they have improved the tiger exhibit from yesteryear, it is still not acceptable... Please help me get this out. If they can provide the lions such a large inclusive, they can do the same for the poor tigers. They still have so much land. While I love the aquarium, they should have focused on being the tiger exhibit and the Jaguar exhibit as well. Fix what you got before adding others. Just saying.

Thank you for sharing the animals with us! We went the first week of December and had a blast! Lots of stations were closed but we came to see animals and we were not disappointed!! Be sure to bring quarters for souvenir penny making and for food to feed the goats and camels 🐫 We also came back next evening for GloWild and enjoyed that just as much! Dress with warm layers! Like all zoos, there is a ton of walking between exhibits. We loved the Aquarium touch tanks!! A++ experience for our family!

This zoo is Huge!

So many amazing critters to see and experience. They have trains, a sky tram, and you can even rent animal scooters to make your way around this behemoth area.

There are multiple "wings" of different parts of the world. Immerse yourself in Australia, Africa, and don't forget the new aquarium!

Seriously, prepare yourself to be walking all day long if you want to see everything. There are plenty of restaurants and snack stations along the way. A nice kids area right next to the area where you can feed and pet goats!

Definitely going to get your steps in if you visit this zoo, and I recommend you do.

This is such a nice zoo! It’s huge & has a nice flow for guests to see the animals. The new aquarium was super nice as well! We went in the off season on a weekday & there was very little people so it almost felt like a private zoo day! The staff was super friendly & gave directions and knowledge about the animals :)

We love the zoo and aquarium. It's a large zoo and takes about 4 hrs to see everything. The tram ride ($2) and sky glide ($4) rides are worth the extra $ to get you around the zoo faster. It's definitely a family favorite to visit while in KC.

Great day trip adventure. Plenty to see and explore. It is fun for all age groups. The new aquarium is amazing and well put together. I could have spent hours in there just watching the fish in the large viewing area.

I've been to many zoos through the years, but this one is always in my top 3. The exhibits are up close and personal, the staff is always friendly, and the zoo is clean and well-kept. There are lots of opportunities to interact with the animals, and the animals always seem happy, entertained, and well-cared for. My son loves the "endangered level" scale on the signs, and was super excited to see an animal that is extinct in the wild. Lots of baby animals too.

It was fun. I really enjoyed seeing all the animals. I and my wife went on a weekday so it would be less crowded. Also, if you're not a fan of other people's kids, you'll be disappointed. A lot of those kids acted wilder than the animals.

Great time for the family! Highly recommend! For the Aquarium, you must reserve a time slot online (no additional cost) or you will not get in it. Do the reservation before the day of your visit! We did the GloWild after and suggest going at 7pm to ensure the sun is down enough. In the pictures you can see the light difference between 6 and 7.

Very nice zoo. Took all day to explore. I did all of the rides and it was worth getting the bracelet. Food was very expensive but I tell myself I am helping the animals. The aquarium was very bright and cheery.

Our kids live in KC. We love the zoo and have visited a few times. This was our first time at the aquarium. It was great, and was better the further in we got. It felt like we were swimming with the sharks.

The new Aquarium at the Kansas City Zoo is so well done. They have you reserve your day and time to help with crowd control. Your able to see everything. They really did a good job. We had so much fun today. The Zoo has really changed for the better over the years and is really worth going to see if you haven’t been in awhile. It’s a really fun day.

We were debating should we go to the Zoo because of the aquarium time limit. We decided to go & we enjoyed ourselves, it was hot. The animals were staying cool & weren’t really active. When we made it to the Polar Bear he gave us a show. The Polar Bear made you want to keep on walking in the heat & explore other animals. The aquarium was awesome seeing real live sharks swimming. They had face painting out there for the kids.

Great aquarium. Since it's so new a lot of the tanks are a bit bare looking. I think in a few years once all of the coral has had a chance to grow and propagate it's going to be truly beautiful!