Review of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Home | Pittsburgh Zoo In Highland Park, a neighborhood and public park region in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, sits the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. It opened in 1898 as a menagerie before slowly evolving with adding more modern exhibits. Some highlights include the bear grottoes built by the WPA in 1937, the “AquaZoo” (the U.S.’s second largest aquarium at the time of its opening) in 1967, and a master plan created in 1980, featuring Asian Forest, African Savanna, etc. Throughout this time, Pittsburgh also gained fame in its conservation and breeding efforts, particularly with African elephants in more recent years. Lately, however, the Zoo has fallen into controversy, with the 2012 African wild dog attack, quitting the AZA in 2015 due to disagreements in elephant management, and the loss of last year’s prematurely born elephant calf. The Zoo’s collection currently consists of over 4,000 animals, making up around 475 species. I’ll be honest, the recent events did make me a little hesitant, though it still seemed like an interesting facility to check out at some point. After walking through the Steel City’s main wildlife attraction, I was pleasantly surprised in some parts. The entire Zoo, despite opening in 1898, consists of entirely sections that opened 35 years ago. While the age does show in some areas (even in some of its most recent exhibits), it still strangely has a fresh feel to it with a couple standout complexes and some of the most interactive features I’ve seen in a zoological facility. Animal Exhibit Complexes Forest Passage – Once known as “Asian Forest,” this complex was the first to debut as part of the Zoo’s 1980 master plan, opening in 1983. Canadian lynx (didn’t see, and originally snow leopards) are the very first animals to be seen in the Zoo, and they have a tiny exhibit that is almost entirely fake rock. Up ahead is an Amur tiger habitat that looks impressive, with a cool cliff face and a waterfall that plunges into a water moat far below; however, the primary grassy land area up above is a bit small. The exhibit is more than adequate overall though, and I saw two younger tigers hanging out by the water, one of which was splashing in the waterfall. Across the pathway are two different sets of indoor/outdoor exhibits. One is for red pandas, with a decent-sized outdoor lush habitat along with a wooden indoor display. The other houses a pair of Komodo dragons with a grassy exhibit that has a large rocky pool, along with an indoor room that only has a single log to decorate the bare cement living space. The final exhibit is actually further down the path within the next-to-be reviewed African Savanna, and that is “Taiga Forest.” It is a fairly new addition with Amur leopards (didn’t see) in an enclosure that is small, but very well furnished with plants, climbing logs, a rocky stream, and expansive viewing windows. African Savanna – Starting off right after the forest exhibits, the first enclosure is an empty area that, according to a few visitors I overheard, housed crocodiles. It looked like it would’ve made for a decent exhibit with its size and mud bank-style containment. In the background is the first of three views of the black rhino habitat. It is a long and narrow area that is mostly dusty, but has a termite mound situated in the middle and is located amongst a lush valley. The rhinos can also be seen from one end of the exhibit, along with an overlook far above by the cheetahs. Nearby is a Caribbean flamingo pool that is misplaced in the African area, but is still lush and fairly scenic; this is followed by a small Galapagos tortoise pen (misplaced), and a very good African lion habitat that is similar to the tiger exhibit, only much more lush with greenery. One of the highlights of this enclosure (and this goes for most of the exhibits in this complex) is that it can be hard to tell where the boundaries are – the vegetation, viewing angles, and other details add an effective immersive feel. After a short walk up a hill, an exhibit for hoofstock comes into view. The habitat, home to ostrich and two species of antelope (nyala and dama gazelle), is gorgeous and in my opinion the best one in the entire African area. It is roomy, packed with grass and other plantings, has a shady tree and hills, and is viewed across a beautiful water moat. Around the river bend is one of the Zoo’s main centers of attention: a herd of African elephants lives in a single enclosure that is a bit small (maybe average-sized), but slightly above-average in quality. The herd of five can enjoy a large waterhole, a variation in terrain, dirt, a termite mound and other rocks, and even a small patch of grass in the middle. The elephant barn can also be seen, with two tiny stalls with yellow walls in the first room, and a larger but bare concrete stall in the next room; this room is actually viewed through a window as opposed to the bars for the previous stalls. The best part here is a side section where visitors can pay to get their picture taken next to one of the elephants – something I’ve never seen before! Beyond the elephants, the second large mammal exhibit can be seen with little visible barriers (nice touch), this time for Masai giraffe and Grant’s zebra. It seemed to be average in size, and had some hills and tall browse feeders, though some additional features such as tall trees would further enhance it. On my visit, the exhibit had just been replanted and mostly fenced off; as a result, no zebras were on-display, and the two giraffes I saw were restricted to a narrow stretch of dirt. To finish off this 1987 complex, a pair of cheetahs (formerly African wild dogs) inhabits a long enclosure that is incredibly lush and mostly viewed through mesh, along with a large viewing window at one end, and a small indoor room. Apart from the geographical misplacements and minor complaints about the giraffe and elephant exhibits, I was pretty impressed with this complex. It may have been around for over 30 years, but it has aged quite well for the most part. Tropical Forest – A large building that opened in 1991. Other than a single outdoor habitat, visitors venture through the structure’s rainforest setting in a clockwise direction, coming across several habitats representing different regions. “Madagascar” is a single enclosure with ring-tailed and black-and-white ruffed lemurs (didn’t see); there are three exhibits representing “South America” with black howler monkey (their own exhibit), Argentine horned frog (in their own little terrarium within a tree stump), white-faced saki monkey, cotton-top tamarin (didn’t see), Hoffman’s two-toed sloth, and capuchin monkey (didn’t see); white-cheeked gibbons and orangutans are featured in “Asia;” and finally “Africa” consists of gorilla, colobus monkey, and blue monkey. The monkeys and gibbons, situated in the middle of the building, are in exhibits that are disappointingly entirely indoors, have no natural substrate (despite the structure’s lush appearance, unfortunately none of the exhibits feature any plants), and some climbing opportunities. The two great apes could also use improvement in terms of indoor holding. The orangutan exhibit is sadly all-indoors, dark, small, and could use some substrate and other natural elements, though to be fair the height and climbing opportunities were adequate (although it could use more ropes/vines). The indoor gorilla room is similar, but the world’s largest apes do at least have the sole outdoor enclosure of the entire complex. It’s a large and decent habitat with a rocky stream by the viewing windows, a cluster of logs, a few boulders, a grassy hillside, and even a couple big shady trees, though it is too bad they can’t climb them – I could see the trunks were wired off. The Islands – In 2010, the Zoo announced a capital campaign called “Top of the World,” which would bring several new rare animal exhibits to the facility. This 2015 set of exhibits was the starting point of that project. The detailing here is quite impressive, with a large seaside shack building (indoor housing for some species) overlooking the animal exhibits, a sandy area with beach chairs is a nice touch and surely popular with children, and even surfboards that are put together into benches (Whoa, dude! ). The visitor aspect of this complex is well done, while the animal habitats could definitely use some improvement. It begins with a pair of Philippine crocodile pools that are both extremely tiny and almost 100% water with only mock rock serving as the substrate. Next-door is a good-sized siamang island that is on a slope and surrounded by a flowing stream. This is the only exhibit in the area that is above average in my opinion. Then, a narrow, grassy pen for young Aldabra tortoises is encountered; while it’s fine for the young reptiles I saw, I don’t see this exhibit being big enough for huge adult tortoises. Continuing down the path is the final pair of habitats. First is a small muddy pen for Visayan warty pigs (one male and three females), who were just getting fed by a keeper when I arrived. The coolest part of this exhibit was a large viewing window that had a sliver of underwater viewing. I don’t recall seeing this in other pig exhibits – neat! The second habitat is nearby, and home to clouded leopard. The habitat is a bit small, but grassy and offers a couple large bare trees for climbing. On my visit, a rejected baby siamang was in the enclosure, interacting with a keeper and getting the “hang” (had to do it! ) of climbing. The pigs and leopards also have indoor viewing with the pigs having a sandy floor and nothing more, while the lone leopard I saw had woodchips and one climbing tree – both are very small for their occupants, but there’s a glass window in between the two species that was a nice touch for enrichment. After another view of the siamang island from above, the complex finishes off with a viewing window into the tall indoor siamang room before transitioning to the very next section… Jungle Odyssey – Located just beyond The Islands, this was the second part of the “Top of the World” project. Making its debut last year, the journey begins immediately after the siamangs with a misty tunnel, following a winding path towards the animal exhibits. First up is a mixed-species space with giant anteater and capybara. Unfortunately, there is little done to evoke the image of a tropical rainforest (the surrounding area throughout the complex is also quite barren and looks more like a deforested region), as the enclosure is very rocky and open, and has a pool that looks nice and deep, but has edges that are very obvious. Down the path are two exhibits for ocelot and fossa, both of which are viewed through mesh and are pretty good as they are roomy and have a good amount of foliage. The final enclosure houses a single pygmy hippo in an average-sized space with a mid-sized pool (with underwater viewing – always a plus), and a grassy land area (more vegetation and shade would help enhance this part) that is viewed partly through wire fencing. The visitor path wraps behind the hippo holding and meanders down the slope, before meeting back at the leopard and pig building. I know this complex just opened a year ago, so there may still be some things to work out, but for being the Zoo’s newest section and part of a major capital campaign, I was hoping for a stronger experience. Working Wild – There are no animal exhibits involved here, but I thought this part of the recent “Animal Care Center,” was worth mentioning. Visitors can hang out in a large room that has a lot of signage, props, and even interactive games to learn all about the inner makings of animal care. Some of the highlights consist of banners explaining the different positions in a zoo, a replica walkthrough of a commissary, an animal heartbeat game, and even a pair of animal surgery tables that are reminiscent of the classic board game Operation. It’s probably the most extensive display I’ve ever seen a zoo hospital offer its visitors, and it is greatly executed. PPG Aquarium – When the “AquaZoo” opened in 1967, it was the second largest in the country, and the state of Pennsylvania’s sole aquarium facility. Years later, it was renovated and expanded into its current form in 2000. The result is an impressive aquatic facility that is probably the Zoo’s highlight, and among the best aquarium exhibits to be found within a zoo. The building is well laid out, as it is situated on two levels. To begin with, the second floor is generally arranged to flow from a focus on freshwater environments from North America, Asia, and Africa, to the sea; and the first floor is mostly dominated by the larger exhibits and viewing areas – all to be described later. Its biggest draws are the following: a small but tastefully designed penguin habitat with a deep pool (housing macaroni and Gentoo penguins); a tall, magnificent ocean tank that is viewed on both levels with sharks (zebra and black-tipped reef), moray eels, groupers, and multiple other fish; a touch tank that also allows for visitors to crawl through and emerge in the middle; a freshwater tank that is actually outdoors and contains species such as longnose gar and lake sturgeon; and a massive lush rainforest room that starts with a downward ramp going past several small tanks for piranha, stingrays, etc. before concluding with an excellent Amazon tank (once the home of Chuckles the Amazon river dolphin) with arapaima, red-tailed catfish, among others. Additional species that stood were clownfish, Banggai cardinalfish, electric eel, Pacific giant octopus, lobsters, jellyfish, seahorses, and a species of anglerfish (don’t remember what it was – I just know it was my first time seeing it). All the exhibits featured are well designed with realistic rockwork, sometimes surrounding vegetation, and close viewing, making for a solid set of aquatic habitats. Water’s Edge – Just outside the modern aquarium building is this trio of marine mammal enclosures. Unveiled in 2006, the general theme is the conflict between humans and animals in a Northern Coast town. After the first window views overlooking the polar bear exhibit, visitors make their descent down the hill on a pathway engraved with various animal footprints and several props and details about bear and townspeople conflicts. The pathway then becomes a boardwalk that passes by little buildings that represent “Pier Town,” the village in question, and the viewing windows into rocky exhibits for a polar bear, sea otters, and a mixed habitat for two California sea lions and Coolio, the Northern elephant seal (a first for me). All offer great views, including two underwater tunnels that I unfortunately did not venture down to (though I could see them from the water surface), but the exhibits themselves could overall use some improvement. The bear has a steep habitat that is half mock-rock and half-pool; the sea otters were fun to watch interacting with one another, though the land area is tiny in both enclosures; and the two pinniped species have perhaps the best exhibit (originally meant for walrus, then contained sand tiger sharks for a number of years! ) as it is a decent size and has a couple rocky outcrops to sunbath. Kids Kingdom – One of the nation’s most acclaimed children’s zoos, which opened in 1995. California sea lions make for a decent first impression, and they have an average-sized pool with a large underwater viewing panel. Going past a cool playground and a skunk enclosure (none to be seen), the path begins to climb up the hill and goes through a large forested aviary for silvery-cheeked hornbill (didn’t see). Afterwards the pavement transitions into a wooden boardwalk, leading to a neat walkthrough white-tailed deer habitat (one doe was very eager to meet everyone, while the other shied away from the crowds), followed by a pair of rocky exhibits for North American river otters and beaver (didn’t see), a small barn owl enclosure, and a cool research station set in the canopy and accessed via rickety bridge. The boardwalk comes to an end, and there is another walkthrough enclosure that greets visitors as they return to solid ground. It is a tiny grassy section for kangaroos (not seen as they were put away for the night just before I arrived) that can also be viewed through fencing. Nearby, a huge American alligator could be seen from a bridge in its mid-sized pool. The final set of enclosures is a series of pens for domesticated species like goats, llamas, and donkeys. While none of the animal exhibits are phenomenal, the sheer amount of variety in species, number of exhibits, amenities, and other forms of entertainment make this a superb area to bring kids to during a zoo visit. Worlds of Discovery – Most of the Zoo’s reptile collection, along with some other small mammals and other species, can be found here. It is a building located within the Kids Kingdom, but treated as its own complex according to the map and website. There are several neatly designed exhibits and opportunities for guests to interact with the enclosures, including: an underwater tunnel through a fish tank (no signage around that I saw to note the species), a meerkat exhibit that is nice in both design and size and comes with a couple pop-up bubbles (they can also be seen via large windows from outside the building), a series of naked mole rat tunnels, a tall baobab tree slide, and a dark fruit bat cave that is viewed through harp wire – it was cool to hear the squeaks of the flying mammals! There are also several terrariums for reptiles scattered around the building. These are overall good enclosures with decent naturalistic details and fairly large amounts of space. Some of the species list: Asian cave snake, rattlesnakes (Neotropical, Western diamondback, black-tailed), yellow-footed tortoise, eyelash viper, gila monster, and Mexican beaded lizard. Visitor Experiences Pittsburgh is about mid-sized at about 77 acres, and is laid out in a single, huge loop. This makes for an efficient trip with no backtracking. The grounds are also very pretty with shaded pathways and gradual hills. The location of the Zoo is atop a massive hill, with the parking at the very bottom. After paying admission, visitors must go up either an escalator or elevator to reach the main entrance plaza. So it almost feels like one has to go through two separate entrances before arriving at the animal exhibits! Most of the Zoo’s amenities can found be found in two locations. First is “The Village,” which consists of a single restaurant, two gift shops, a carousel, a couple picnic areas, and an education section. The other is found after the African Savanna complex, with the “Jambo Grill” (great food and views by the way!), a couple snack stands, and even “The Beer Den,” situated within an old bear grotto. There are also gift shops just outside Kids Kingdom and in PPG Aquarium, and “Bean Sprouts,” a little eatery near Worlds of Discovery. Some additional visitor attractions include a tram that goes around the zoo grounds, a new zip-line that zooms over Jungle Odyssey, a temporary dinosaur exhibition, an amphitheater adjacent to Worlds of Discovery, and the playgrounds found in Kids Kingdom. HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: I got my photo taken with one of the Zoo’s African elephants, and it was an unbelievable experience! While Victoria, one of the females in the herd, was munching on some hay, I was inches away from her for a picture. I even got to touch her trunk and tusks! It was probably the closest I’ve ever been to the world’s largest land animal, and something I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. OVERALL: The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium has certainly had its share of struggles lately, from its animal controversies, to quitting the AZA, to the recent openings of some exhibits that are not quite as successful as previous. I am rooting for the Zoo to get back on its feet though, as there is some amazing potential to be found in some of its exhibitry (PPG Aquarium, Kids Kingdom, and most of African Savanna), educational and interactive features, and the conservation work it is involved in. The zoo grounds are also pretty and easy to navigate, and the animal collection is balanced, with some notable rarities to go with the more popular species. On the whole, I feel this mid-sized zoo is worth a look if one is in the area. Currently, the Zoo is working on a capital campaign called “Top of the World,” which is divided into four phases, and will span above the now empty bear grottos. The Islands and Jungle Odyssey were the first two phases to open, and up next is Compass Point, which (according to this site) may consist of manatees, pangolins, a new orangutan exhibit, and a reptile/amphibian section. The final phase of the project will focus on mountainous regions; the only species I’ve heard on here are spectacled bears and snow leopards.
Thanks for the comment! It does seem like I wasn't as harsh towards Jungle Odyssey, but truthfully, I do feel it is fairly underwhelming (not awful though). The ocelot and fossa exhibits are nice - however the anteater/capybara exhibit, the average-at-best pygmy hippo exhibit (underwater viewing and grassy land area do save it), and especially the surrounding area with scarcely any vegetation to emulate the namesake "jungle" (this may change with time though) do hold this brand-new complex back. Photos from my visit are now in the gallery!
Always nice to see someone put in the effort of a whole review: Overall Pittsburgh Zoo still seems a great destination!
I payed another visit to Pittsburgh a few days ago. Nothing really to report except that I did see some species that were not present back in June: some Canadian lynx dozing at the top of their enclosure, an Amur leopard, a pair of Grant's zebras, capuchin monkeys, and two skunks. Some additional highlights were seeing one of the nyala calves and the underwater portion of Water's Edge for the first time, which offers up some impressive views of the marine mammals, from the tunnels through the polar bear and pinniped pools, to the massive windows for the sea otters (which I saw swimming past a number of times).
