Zoo Atlanta

Zoo Atlanta is one of the oldest zoos in the country and one of the best-loved institutions in the city, set in the hilly, shaded grounds of Grant Park a couple of miles southeast of downtown. It is a manageable size, which makes it an easy half day with children, and it has real strengths. Its great apes are the headline: the zoo is home to one of the largest populations of western lowland gorillas in North America, living in family troops in the forested Ford African Rain Forest, and its orangutans swing on high climbing structures nearby. The African Savanna has elephants, giraffes, zebras and lions, the Scaly Slimy Spectacular is one of the best reptile and amphibian houses in the country, and the zoo has birds, otters, red pandas and much more spread along shady paths. The biggest news is the return of giant pandas. The zoo's long-running panda program ended in 2024 when its pandas returned to China, but two new giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, arrived in 2026, and they make their public debut on November 6, 2026, in the newly renovated Arthur M. Blank Panda Grove, with expanded dayrooms, pools, climbing structures and water features. Expect crowds at the panda habitat in the first weeks. Admission includes the zoo train and carousel, daily animal feedings and keeper talks, and outside food is allowed. The zoo opens at nine and closes in the late afternoon, an hour later on weekends. It is hilly, so bring a stroller with good wheels, and it can be hot in summer.

The zoo began in 1889 when a traveling circus went bankrupt and its animals were bought for the city, and it has been in Grant Park ever since. By the 1980s it was in poor shape and was nearly closed, but a complete reinvention under new leadership turned it into an accredited modern zoo. The turning point was the Ford African Rain Forest, which in 1988 gave Willie B., a gorilla who had lived alone in an indoor enclosure for decades, his first time outdoors on grass; he went on to father offspring, and his story made him a civic hero. A statue of him still stands near the gorillas. Zoo Atlanta has since become known for its great ape and reptile programs and its role in giant panda conservation, which began in 1999.

To visit well, arrive at opening, when the animals are most active and the paths are cool, and head straight for whichever exhibit matters most to your group; the gorillas and the new Panda Grove are the two that draw crowds. Check the daily schedule of keeper talks and feedings when you arrive. The zoo is laid out in loops, and walking all of it takes about three hours with stops. The train and carousel are included and are great breaks for small children. Outside food is welcome, so packing a picnic saves money; alcohol, glass, straws, drones and scooters are not allowed. Strollers and wheelchairs can be rented.

The zoo is in Grant Park, one of Atlanta's oldest and prettiest neighborhoods, with Victorian houses and the Atlanta Cyclorama's former building nearby. Parking is in a deck next to the zoo; buses and rideshares also serve the area. The zoo hosts seasonal events, including Boo at the Zoo in October and a winter lantern festival in the evenings, which require separate tickets. Pair a morning at the zoo with lunch in Grant Park or nearby Cabbagetown and Reynoldstown, then the BeltLine Eastside Trail, or with a visit to historic Oakland Cemetery a short drive away.