@cwenwyn: Can we make this for all zoos so it's not just me and you having a conversation? Lol. And to answer your question: I'm there almost everyday so everyday is good day to visit. Depending on the animal and your personal preferences determines the "best" time - this is applicable for all zoos. Obviously the best time for aquariums, the Reptile Building, Indoor Asia Quest, and the Roadhouse is winter time during the day. It's not as crowded and the animals are active because they are not affected by the weather. Spring and Autumn are the best times for North America because of the new or dying foliage and all the animals are out and active. For the rest of the zoo, summer morning or late at night is the best time because animals are active at these times and it's not as crowded. Also, most animals take naps or are transferred around during the afternoon so they are visible or aren't as entertaining.
I like to visit on summer, in Melbourne there isn't a terribly large amounts of exhibits that are undercover and can view the animals at the same time comfortably. Plus warmer weather seems to make the animals more active.
I agree with ColumbusZoo001 that everyday is a good day to visit any zoo, lol. Personally, being from the Boston area, winter is my favorite time to visit zoos. Especially if it snows. I know its a pain to drive to the zoo in the snow but some of my favorite memories come from visiting the zoo in winter. Its best if the zoo has cold-tolerant animals. Mexican gray wolf, Amur tiger, most bears and even elephants are just a short list of species I've seen enjoying then white stuff and it keeps them enriched for hours
Gorillas in snow is probably the highlight of my life - so far. It was several inches deep too and some of them started to sink. It was hilarious to say the least.
of course! Of course this can be for all zoos! I'd love to hear everyone's opinion and maybe some special stories. I posted in Columbus zoos because it was my first thought!
my favorite I go every year on my birthday - December 26th. Pros: Less crowded, no line for the bathroom, the wolves and bears are normally playful and energetic Cons: It's often cold... And choices for food are very limited. In addition, warmer loving animals are off exhibit, like the tortoise and the African birds. More pros: But I can sit and visit the gorillas pretty much alone and any volunteers that are on site are pretty much mine so I can bombard them with questions.
At the LA Zoo it's better to go during Fall, late Winter, and during spring. During the summer it gets too hot, so most animals are hiding in the shade.
For me I think the best time to be at a zoo is early on a summer morning. All the animals are going to be out and active. In general early mornings are going to be the best time to see animals active. When I went to San Diego Zoo last month I went straight to the Tiger River section and it was awesome to see all the tiger cubs out running around and wrestling each other. The best part about it was I had it all to myself
Obviously here in Tucson, summer days are the worst time (although Reid Park Zoo does open to members only at 7:30 am on summer weekends). Our near neighbor, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, opens at 7:30 am to everyone, every day during summer. Lots of talk of winter at northern zoos. I personally feel that zoos should cater specifically to animals that do well in their climate, for year-round outdoor viewing. Like the Northern Trails (or whatever it's called) at Minnesota Zoo or the new Rocky Mountain Wild at Colorado Springs. Of course this won't fly with the public, because everyone wants to see tropical monkeys, apes, etc. But I really think we would be better off and also more interesting for out-of-town visitors. Why visit another zoo if it has the same animals your own zoo (and every other zoo) has? Favorite time to visit? Summer nights. I'm SO GLAD more zoos are having evening hours. San Diego (Zoo and Park) are open every night during the summer and it is very popular. My local Arizona Sonora Desert Museum is open Saturday nights in summer and it is always crowded. It seems this last year from my web searches that several zoos instituted at least one night a month (some one night a week) for evening hours in summer.
Well there are certain favorites everyone wants to see. Congo Gorilla Forest may be the World's greatest exhibit and it is a display of African rain forest wildlife in the Northeastern section of the U.S where in the wintertime it is freezing. I am really glad zoos don't just exhibit animals that live in the same climate.
I normally wait until Britain is on British Summer Time to begin my foreys to the zoos. I keep quite a lot of animals at home and these, of course, need to be attended to before I climb in the car and set off to the zoo, and, depending on which zoo I choose, the travelling time can take up to two hours or more. With the short day-length in winter, I find that, by the time I arrive at the zoo, there is normally only a few hours of daylight left and barely enough time for me to go round. But I do appreciate that the zoo can be an excellent place to go to in the winter for those who can arrive early, as there aren't impenetrable crowds round each enclosure at that time of year.
