Zoos

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Monday

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Tuesday

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Wednesday

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Thursday

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Friday

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Saturday

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Sunday

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

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About

Visitors meet more than 1,500 animals including chimpanzees, elephants, leopards and warthogs as they journey on an African safari, groom goats in the Farmyard, explore the winding trails through the Lyn P. Myerhoff Maryland Wilderness and watch the polar bears swim next to you at the underwater viewing window. Plus, don't miss the new, award winning Penguin Coast exhibit featuring the most successful breeding colony of endangered African penguins in North America.

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Attractions

373 within 6 miles

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840

1.6 miHistoric Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks

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1.8 miEducational sites

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2.6 miReligious Sites

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See what travelers are saying

PFGriff22
Maryland11 contributions
Penguin Encounter at the Maryland Zoo
For my wife's birthday, I signed up for a penguin encounter at the zoo, which costs about $60 per person and is well worth the extra cost. Encounters are limited to 6 people and last about 30 minutes. We learned all about the penguins from Becky and Abby, two knowledgeable and friendly staff members that work with the ambassador penguins. Our encounter was in a separate area with a small pool where we sat while the keepers spoke to us, and 11 African penguins walked around us. We were able to pet them and take video and photos. Overall, it was a wonderful experience that is sure to be a lasting memory for any animal lover!!!
Visited July 2023
Traveled as a couple
Written July 13, 2023
brutus313
Virginia Beach, Virginia109 contributions
Off season visit is disappointing
Off season has a disconnected rate, and you get a disconnected experience. Half the animals to view, no train ride, and glass is so dirty you can’t see animals clear. Small zoo but has the potential to be really great, yet updates and improvements seem half way. Price doesn’t really line up with the experience, would be worth it if promoted the mild attempt to protect the wildlife and environment. Owned by the city & State and it doesn’t offer ANY discounts for military,Vets or first responders- that Needs to change!!
Visited February 2024
Traveled with family
Written February 20, 2024
Dawn R
1 contribution
Expect to pay $10 for your babies to ride even if told they are free!!
We came last week and we're a little caught off guard when they rudely demanded we pay $10 for a baby to ride the carousel. I had an armband and my older had an armband that we paid extra for and the people behind us had an armband and their toddler was able to ride for free. I tried calling several days and only got voicemail but was able to speak with someone today who just said uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh when I tried to explain and asked policy. Lots of people plan down to their last dollar and the website is very misleading insinuating babies are free to ride with a paying parent and having only a $0 option. We also asked at the front gate and were assured she was good. Can't imagine a large family paying for their older kids armbands and going to ride only to find out all of the little ones and babies also have to pay $10 each last minute
Visited April 2024
Traveled with family
Written April 10, 2024

These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0

714 reviews

Excellent

274

Very good

235

Average

122

Poor

45

Terrible

38

Joey R

1 contribution

Penguin “encounter”

May 2021 • Couples

They have completely changed the penguin encounter, but without making that clear in the description of the animal experience. They made it seem like you would just have to be socially distanced and such. In reality, it’s changed from an interactive experience where you can touch and really meet the penguins into watching a video for about 10 minutes, and then they let two penguins in the room and they can walk around. The grand finale is that they put the penguins on a table and you can get in a picture with them (still not touching). Considering each experience ticket is more than $60, and you need to purchase regular admission in addition to that, this feels like a complete scam. I would look very closely at the wording of any “interactive” animal experience they have there because there seems to be a very good chance that you’re paying a o of money for a chance to look at an animal slightly closer. Interactive is truly stretched to its limits as a definition as Maryland Zoo puts it.

Written May 6, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jessica Sisson

Mogadore, OH149 contributions

Waste of time! Will not return. Thankful for our wonderful Ohio Zoos!

Sep 2021 • Family

What an absolute waste of time and money! I would NEVER come back. The walk in to the zoo is long and bland. Exhibits did not seem properly cared for/maintained, which made us question how well the animals were being cared for. (Especially with how expensive our tickets were) The viewpoints and glass were so dirty, it ruined the view and I didn’t want the kids touching anything. No good photo opportunities - even the signs into the zoo seemed “makeshift.” Took only two hours to see the entire zoo, which is smaller than our little Akron Ohio zoo. The Cleveland and Toledo zoos offer so much that it’s difficult to see the entire zoo in a full day! We weren’t sure if we should visit the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, or the Smithsonian Zoo (which is FREE). We chose wrong.

Written October 3, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

darlene H

1 contribution

Brew at the Zoo Horror

May 2023 • Couples

We had bought $130 tickets to go to the Brew at the Zoo event. Someone did not pay any attention as to how many tickets they should sell for one day at this event. When we arrived just 30 minutes after they opened the gates to enter there must have been at least 5K people in a long line that went ( I kid you not ) from the zoo entrance around the front of the entrance twice to the side parking lot up the driveway up the to road past the old reptile house . We went to the event last year and they keep the main event with the vendors in a confined area This was so crazy. You would just be in endless lines trying to get food or drinks, wall to wall people. We did not come with little ones but if we did I would have not felt it safe for them to be at such a event with drinking involved and that many people. We left and basically lost our money paid for our tickets. Unless they put a limit on how many to attend this event We will never recommend it nor will we ever attend it again.

Written May 28, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PFGriff22

Maryland11 contributions

Penguin Encounter at the Maryland Zoo

Jul 2023 • Couples

For my wife's birthday, I signed up for a penguin encounter at the zoo, which costs about $60 per person and is well worth the extra cost. Encounters are limited to 6 people and last about 30 minutes. We learned all about the penguins from Becky and Abby, two knowledgeable and friendly staff members that work with the ambassador penguins. Our encounter was in a separate area with a small pool where we sat while the keepers spoke to us, and 11 African penguins walked around us. We were able to pet them and take video and photos. Overall, it was a wonderful experience that is sure to be a lasting memory for any animal lover!!!

Written July 13, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ashley C

Philadelphia, PA4 contributions

Not with it. Save your money.

Jun 2022 • Family

Planned a Father’s Day trip for my husband to Baltimore and the Zoo. I was embarrassed that I decided to take him here. We saw less than 10 animals the whole time. We paid extra for the the Dino exhibit and saw more statues of dinosaurs than we did real animals. We were able to get through the zoo in less than an hour and a half because have the exhibits were empty (not closed, empty). We could have done it in 30 mins but everything is pretty spaced out. Felt more like a hike that we paid for than an enjoyable zoo visit. Would not recommend or return, much better options of things to do.

Written June 21, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mayaphototrips

Baltimore, MD230 contributions

Summertime at the zoo

Jun 2022 • Family

Perfect weather during Juneteenth weekend to visit the zoo. However due to avian flu, several of the bird areas were closed. Although the flamingos were out and pretty in their orange pinkish closing. They are found along the African wildness
The zoo visit is expensive. If you live in the area, you are financially better to buy membership and come as often as you like.

If you like to photograph animals. This is the place.
From May to November 2022, there is a Dino experience. Dinosaurs are very realistic and with sounds. Additional cost for dinos experience. However we'll worth it.
My family loves zoos. Would highly recommend. There was on ly one issue, an employee operating the shuttle from the front of the zoo was very rude, didn't assist a woman on a walker with using the lift to try and climb into the shuttle. Wish I had gotten his name as would have reported to management. Otherwise, the zoo was fantastic. Shootout to the employee that went beyond expectations to clean our table and chairs near the carousel. He was A+

Written June 19, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jacob H

1 contribution

Rude rude rude workers!!

Nov 2020 • Family

I recommend fireing most of the workers there. iv never been treat so poorly in my life. its extremely obvious they dont want to be there. this zoo is extremely far from my home and these jerks made our trip down right awful and one male worker even went so far as to follow us around the zoo. Weve payed to be a member here for years. next year i will be paying to be a member elsewhere. if u ppl cant handle working during covid then shut down till its over. If ur open to the public then act right.

Written December 9, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John H

Hanahan, SC140 contributions

Good.

Sep 2021

Nice zoo. Agreed with the longish walk to see the exhibits; not a problem for two mobile people on a beautiful day, but if you're not fit or it's a crummy weather day it might be unpleasant.

Animals were good; happy, active, good exhibits. Clean.

Food service was good; actually better than average for zoos.

The only issues aren't zoo specific but visitors need to be aware.

The surrounding neighborhoods require heightened situational awareness. You are not in Mayberry, so pay attention.

On the day we went the children were so poorly behaved it was painful to watch or be around them. Distruptive, taunting some of the animals, all with parents who never looked up from their phones. We went as early as we could, and were glad we did.

Written September 24, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tiyonda F

1 contribution

"Save your money. It was not worth it!"

Jul 2022

Family from Pittsburgh, PA. Perfect weather and officer name Steve was very nice and helpful as we walked to the ticket gate. As a whole family, we was wondering why we did not see anyone at the zoo. There were no discounts at the zoo (AAA, Teachers, Military or Senior Discount). I called the Zoo before coming down and I was never informed about the Zoo being under construction. We had to pay $118.00 for our tickets and $78.87 for five hotdogs, five bags of chips, and four slushies. The staff was nice and shared information about the animals. The children was very disappointed because they did not see all the animals. A lot of walking but not enough to see. I was embarrassed that I decided to take my family here from out of town. It would be nice to receive free membership or tickets when the zoo is completed and not under construction.

Written July 15, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

NorthStarAries6871

Rutherford, NJ9 contributions

What a Day!

Jul 2021

We loved the Maryland Zoo. It isn't exceptionally large in terms of the animals that they have, pretty basic zoo animals but there exhibits are some of the best we have ever seen. The animals were all clearly visible and in most cases very close and easy to see. It is a lot of walking. The first exhibits are very far from the entrance and getting back to the exit after walking the entire zoo is a little challenging but we would definitely do it again.

Written July 23, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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