My family would like to take a trip down to Arizona, so I was wondering what you guys would consider being the best zoo down there to visit. I know Arizona Zoo and the Wildlife World Zoo are down there, but I don't know too much about them.
Phoenix is three hours from Tuscon with the fabled Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. In the north are a few zoos and wildlife parks In Phoenix area there is a Sea Life Center, Butterfly Wonderland, and the OdySea Aquarium. I don't know if Dolphinaris still exists.
Depends what you want. Pros for Phoenix 1. Cheaper (especially if you have a membership card for another zoo) 2. Rare animals 3. I think they have a walk-through Squirrel monkey exhibit 4. Probably closer on your route Cons 1. Wildlife World seems to have a greater collection Pros for Wildlife World 1. Wonderful ungulate (Phoenix as well) and marsupial collection 2. Has non- zoo entertainments for children like rides. Cons 1. Very, very, very expensive ( I think 50 per person and not much less for children) 2. Bigger than Phoenix (looks like far bigger)
The website does not appear to list them. However Gerenuk, Arabian oryx, and Spotted-neck otter are. The hours are strange, being 7-2.
The Wildlife World Zoo is also an aquarium and safari park. The aquarium is 9-7 and the others are 9-6 with last admission 430. Admission adults 13 and up 41.50 plus tax. I forgot kids and under 2 is free. Here is the map http://www.wildlifeworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2018-MAP-150.jpg
I've never been to Arizona, but the Desert Museum sounds to me like the best zoo in the state and the only one I have a desire to visit.
Phoenix, Tucson and the Desert Museum (yes there is another zoo in Tuscon besides the Desert Museum are all solid zoos. I have not been to World Wildlife. At 50 bucks that puts it at one of the most expensive zoos anywhere. The Sonora Desert is pretty uncompromising in the summer if you are not used to it- so take extra precautions if you go then.
Personally, I would never visit Arizona without making sure I could visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. If your definition of a good zoo is one with as large a collection as possible of exotic mammals, then possibly it is not for you. However if you want to visit a zoo that since it's founding 67 years ago has redefined what is possible for a zoo, is acclaimed throughout the professional zoo world and continues to excel at its mission then the Desert Museum is for you. Sorry, I have not visited any other zoos in Arizona.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is the only Arizona zoo I've been to (I was able to convince my mom to take us as a road-trip pit-stop) and I personally highly recommend it. It's a lovely zoo but just fair warning with the heat (some portions are quite out in the open with no shade). I believe @Arizona Docent would be a good person to answer this question.
I'd recommend the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum as the #1 animal attraction in the state. Tucson's Reid Park Zoo is a small zoo (24 acres) but has decent selection of ABC animals, and a really nice elephant exhibit. Also, both Reid Park and the Phoenix Zoo exhibit African spotted-necked otters, so if you've never seen that species, be sure to visit either one.
List of collections in Arizona The Camel Farm (Yuma) Wildlife World Zoo Liberty Wildlife (closed to the public this August SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium Phoenix Zoo Superstition Serpentarium OdySea Aquarium Butterfly Wonderland Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center Phoenix Herpetological Society Sanctuary Keepers of the Wild Nature Park Bearizona Wildlife Park Grand Canyon Deer Farm The Arboretum At Flagstaff Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary Out of Africa Wildlife Park Navajo Zoological Park Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Reid Park Zoo Tucson Wildlife Center The Oasis Sanctuary
Oh, forgot to mention, the Phoenix Zoo has a pleasant little Easter egg nearby the Komodo dragon exhibit (I call it an Easter egg because it's not marked on the zoo map): an exhibit of a Chinese alligator. So if you've never seen that species, be sure to pay Phoenix a visit.
