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thecopes
thecopes
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Oregon Zoo

  • October 22, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by mafnet from Lake Forest, California
If you've never been to a zoo before, I highly recommend this one! It is relatively large and has many animals in their natural habitats! They had penguins in an ice room, a simulation of actual Arctic conditions! They had koalas on actual eucalyptus trees! The zoo keeper definitely went way out of his way to make his animals at home, something that I feel actually aids the overall experience. When the animal is from Africa, its exhibit looks and feels like Africa. When the animal is from the polar ice caps, its exhibit is as cold as the polar ice caps. If the animal is from Central America, its exhibit... well, you get the point. The animals are right at home and the guests do not intrude whatsoever!

From journal Oregon

Editor Pick

Oregon Zoo

  • June 15, 2006
  • Rated 4 of 5 by ak1 from Auburn, Washington
I’ve visited the Oregon Zoo twice now; I enjoyed it much more than most zoos that I have been to. The Oregon Zoo is the oldest Zoo west of the Mississippi. It is situated on 64 acres with an incredible layout for visitors. This Zoo is very organized and provides easy to follow paths and signs.

This zoo has my favorite animal, the polar bear in an arctic exhibit. One of the polar bears walked backwards in a circle for us while we were there watching; I was just thrilled that they weren’t sleeping. This zoo also had a Sun bear which isn’t all that common to see, they are significantly smaller than most bears; they have deep brown to black coloring and usually weigh about 150 pounds.

This zoo has several different themed exhibits with lots of posted signs to help distinguish what the animals were. There was an exhibit for Africa which included hippos, giraffes, rhinos, and zebras. There was another exhibit for the African rainforest which included bats, monkeys, birds, and water fowl and the exhibits described some of the dangers that these animals face. This zoo also had a fair amount of exotic tigers and leopards to view.

The Oregon Zoo is located in Washington Park in Portland. This park offers many other things besides just the zoo; they have several picnic areas, a rose tester garden, trails through forest areas, tennis courts, an arboretum and playgrounds. If you pay for admission into the zoo you have the option of paying a little extra to ride on one of the three trains that loop from the zoo out to Washington Park and then drops you back off at the zoo. This is a fun and easy way to see some of the beautiful surroundings and to experience a little relaxation while enjoying your visit to the zoo.

From journal Weekend Journey in Downtown Portland

Editor Pick

Oregon Zoo

  • May 30, 2005
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Kathi A E from Salem, Oregon
Oregon Zoo

The Oregon Zoo has gone through many a transformation over the years. It began its incarnation as the Portland Zoo, then morphed into the Washington Park Zoo and - by far the best transformation - the Oregon Zoo. With each transformation, major changes have occurred, with the exhibits going from the old-fashioned cement and bars to the fantastic habitats of today. The Oregon Zoo shows off the best the Northwest has to offer by specializing in native species, as well as other animals shown by continent. If you only have time for one set of exhibits, don't miss the Great Northwest and the Pacific Shores. The native northwest animals are a sight to behold and are frequently quite active, as this is their climate. The exhibits have been designed to get you up close and personal with the animals and have several interactive and educational stops along the way. There is even a "beach" sand pit for kids to play in at Pacific Shores - under cover, in case Oregon's "liquid sunshine" is making itself known. The Oregon Zoo also maintains a world-class elephant exhibit. The Oregon Zoo has one of the most prolific captive elephant-breading programs, where you can see Packy and all his elephant pals. Likewise, the polar bears and penguins are also distinctive exhibits. Seasonal activities also add to the fun. Summer brings the Wells Fargo Summer Concerts, featuring the likes of Susan Vega and the Indigo Girls. October hosts Howloween at the Zoo, and starting right after Thanksgiving are the Zoo Lights. For more information, visit the Oregon Zoo online.

From journal Portland for Pee-Wees

Oregon Zoo

  • October 5, 2002
  • Rated 4 of 5 by noelle_1 from Midlleton, Wisconsin
The Oregon Zoo is in Portland and is the only zoo in all of Oregon! It is a bit out there, so it's best to take the Max to the zoo. The stop is only a few ft from the entrance. The zoo itself is on a large plot of land and is a good walk to see the whole thing. There is a special emphasis on Pacific NW animals - mtn goats, marine life, otters, eagles, hawks, deer, etc. Very neat and educational. There are also the zoo standards - polar bear, lion, tigers, giraffe etc. Check out the African savannah exhibit and the Alaskan tundra exhibit as well. Very natural exhibit spaces w/ lots of room for the animals to move around. The animals are well taken care of. The docents are better than average. If you come in the summertime, make time for the Birds of Prey show at the main auditorium. The birds fly and perch right over your head. The kids get a kick out of it!

From journal Portland Oregon from a native's point of view

Editor Pick

Oregon Zoo

  • August 4, 2002
  • Rated 3 of 5 by thecopes from Issaquah, Washington
Oregon Zoo

The Oregon Zoo reminded me of Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo about 10 or 15 years ago. It's in transition from an old fashioned zoo with cages and "Monkey Houses" to a modern zoo with open area natural habitat viewing.

Our favorite exhibits were Stellar Cove with it's excellent underwater viewing of the sea lions swimming, the Africa Rainforest which features a thunderstorm with rain and lightning, and the Amazon Flooded Forest with it's exotic animals -- poison dart frogs are always a kid favorite!

While the elephants weren't being too cooperative at first (see picture), there is also indoor viewing that let us see their faces. The adjacent Elephant Museum has some excellent pachyderm artifacts.

One disappiontment was the penguin exhibit. It seemed run-down and being indoors it was obvious that these guys' diet consists of fish! Phew!

It was 92 degrees the day we were there, so a lot of the animals were in hiding so we only were able to get distant glimpses of some the larger mammals such as the grizzly bear and tiger. To beat the heat we bought a souvenir soda for $3.50 which allowed you to refill it for free at any of the concessions stands. If you're a Coke or Pepsi lover, be advised that the cola choice here is RC! We didn't care - it was cold and wet! The food is standard zoo fare - slightly overpriced burgers, hot dogs, pizza, etc., but decent quality. The animal shaped french fries were a big hit.

Our 12 year old decided he was too old to ride the train but we saw a lot of little kids and parents enjoying it. The cost is $2 for kids, $2.75 for adults.

This summer the zoo is featuring the Butterflies! Winged Wonders exhibit which was in Seattle last year. It's pleasant but to charge an additional $2 to enter seems a bit of a gouge. We've always felt that the butterfly exhibit at the Seattle Pacific Science Center is far superior and is included in the admission price.

The Zoo is easy to get to either via Tri-Met or by car off Route 26 (excellent signs). Parking can be a challenge as the lot is shared with the Forestry Center. We had to circle the lot a few times to find someone leaving.

All in all, the Oregon Zoo is nice destination for a half day family outing.

From journal Weekend in Portland -- Embassy Suites Downtown

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