Calgary Zoo is one of the most visited attractions in Calgary. People of all ages enjoy it, and it’s easily accessible for strollers or wheelchair users. There’s so much to see that it can be overwhelming, so we’re sharing our experience of visiting with many useful tips for your next visit.

Calgary Zoo has several indoor and outdoor pavilions with lots of animals and offers several exciting events during the year.

What I love about the Calgary Zoo the most is that they think of events for kids and adults.

Kids can watch zookeepers while attending to animals and giving them special treats for their birthdays, watching them play, host Santa Claus at Christmas, have several games at Zoolights event, and even offer summer camps.

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While all these events are fantastic, let’s talk about the most important thing at Calgary Zoo – the animals.

What you can expect to see at Calgary Zoo

I will tell you the most important thing at the beginning. The first time we visited the Calgary Zoo for two hours, we didn’t get to see everything. If you’re visiting with kids, you can easily spend there the whole day. There are different areas for animals, restaurants & buffets, and outdoor playgrounds. 

In this blog post, I’m sharing my honest review of the Calgary Zoo and the best tips for visiting.

Penguin Plunge

As soon as you walk into the Zoo area, there’s the Penguin Plunge.

It’s a small indoor pool with rocks for penguins. The best thing is you get very close to the penguins and watch them splash and play around. Either under the water through the glass or above water in their playground.

You can see four different penguins – Gentoo penguins, Humboldt penguins, King penguins, and Rockhopper penguins.

King penguins are the most popular. They’re the only ones that go on a Penguin walk outside the Penguin Plunge, and you can watch them walk around the Zoo on a Penguin walk in winter (see our video here).

Occasionally they wander outside where they can walk on the grass or play in their water fountain – see below.

Wild Canada

The most relatable habitat for Canadian visitors is the Wild Canada area of the Calgary Zoo. The paved path around the Zoo takes you to see bison, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, cougars, grizzly bear and black bears.

The grizzly bear has its own enclosure, and right next to it is an enclosure for three black bears. While the species is black bears, they have different colour – white, brown, and black. I didn’t get a chance to ask for their names, so we call them Black Sabbath, Rubio (blond in Spanish), and Cinnamon based on their colour.

Remember that bears hibernate in winter, and you won’t see them until spring.

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You can see the bears even without entering the Zoo. When the Zoo was closed, I used to bike on the Bow River Pathway to see the bears every day. It was so fun to see how they climb the high trunk and rest on their tree saddle.

In late 2023, the construction of new extension to Wild Canada have been finished, now featuring bighorn sheep, caribou, river otter, and a polar bear. 

Polar bear Siku occupies a large area of Wild Canada where he can play on big meadows, in the pools, or a wading stream.

Did you know polar bears do not hibernate? Or that they have black skin? You can learn a lot about them and with a bit of luck, they might swim and play in the pool right in front of you.

Bugtopia playground

Right in the Wild Canada is a big playground with slides, a tree tower, and several obstacles. While the big climber is aimed for kids 7-12, our 3 year old son played there as well on a smaller slide.

Crossing Bow River to other pavilions

Destination Africa

The big indoor pavilion at Destination Africa is hot (great to warm up in winter) to accommodate the African animals.

One part of Destination Africa is a humid, hot and steamy rainforest with African plants and animals. The other part is a huge area where hippos usually sleep on the ground or swim in the pool while giraffes are grazing behind them. There are several porcupines, monkeys, birds, and snakes.

This building has a huge sitting area, and it’s a place where we often stop for a bit to rest and have a snack while still watching the animals.

I highly recommend going to see the gorilla baby playing with her mama.

Land of Lemurs (in Destination Africa) is Canada’s first immersive lemur experience where you can walk through an indoor and outdoor area to see 13 lemurs up close.

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Download the Calgary Zoo map here for easier navigation.

Zooventure Playground

Another playground is in the Destination Africa section. It is aimed for smaller kids with lots of low-to-the-ground slides and tunnels, and a climbing tower for kids 3-5 (on the last picture).

Exploration Asia

Exploration Asia section is an outdoor area with tigers, snow leopards, and flamingos. I think they’re outdoors year-round since we’ve seen them walking on snow.

The zookeepers told us that Amur tigers sleep 23 hours a day so if you see them, consider yourself lucky. During our visit, the tiger went out of their wooden shelter, yawned, growled, looked around and went right back in.

Calgary Co-op Kids Zone

The section Exploration Asia features another playground. It’s aimed for toddlers and also has a Wildlife Carousel – a hit among all kids. A single ride costs 3 Cad.

There’s also an electric train traveling from Exploration Asia to Amur Tiger. A single ride costs 3 Cad.

Gateway to Asia

You can see here a new member of Calgary Zoo, the tanuck. Gateway to Asia also features Komodo dragons and camels.

The gateway to Asia used to be the Panda Passage. Sadly, pandas are no longer at Calgary Zoo. Because of the many cancelled flights during the pandemic, it was increasingly hard to supply pandas with 40 kg of fresh bamboo daily. To provide them with an abundance of nutritious bamboo, they’ve been relocated to the Zoo in China.

Conservatory Gardens & Butterflies

The botanical area of Calgary Zoo features interesting plants, such as kiwi, banana trees, and pineapple plants. We have yet to explore this section of the Zoo.

Tips for visiting the Calgary Zoo

Calgary Zoo tickets

There have been changes in admission to the Calgary Zoo. Since 2024, Calgary Zoo uses dynamic pricing  – which means the busier (and more popular) days cost more, and less busy days cost less. Average ticket price during the weekend is 38 Cad, and week day is around 35 Cad. The sooner you buy your tickets the better.

• FREE under 3 years old
• 24.95 -28.95 CAD children 3-15 years
• 34.45 – 40.45 CAD general admission 16-59 years
• 32.45 – 38.45 CAD seniors
• 13 CAD daily parking

As you can see, the daily admission for a family with kids can be pretty steep; that’s why we recommend the next option.

Calgary Zoo membership

Calgary Zoo offers different tiers for membership with various perks:

• Wild Explorer (94.95 Cad/year)
• Wild Adventurer (149.95 Cad/year)

They both have unlimited admission and free parking. The difference is in the discounts for the gift shop, camp discounts, Zoolights discount, and guest admission discount.

Then there’s:

• Wild Scout membership for kids 3-15 and costs 49.95 Cad/year
• Wild Access Pass with unlimited access to the zoo and costs 74.95 Cad (it doesn’t include free parking, access to member events or discounts. It’s ideal for those who just want to visit the zoo and are interested in visiting via transit.)

Buying a membership is a cost-effective solution because it pays for itself in just three visits.

Parking at Calgary Zoo

The main North parking lot is open year-round, located at 210 St. George’s Drive NE (between Zoo’s entrance & Telus Spark Science Center). The West Parking Lot (closed in winter) is located at the west end of St. George’s Island, off Zoo Road NE.

The daily parking fee is 13 CAD; there’s no option for hourly parking. Parking is free with a Calgary Zoo membership.

Calgary Zoo opening hours

Winter hours are 9 am – 4:30 pm because of the Zoolights afterwards. When Zoolights end in January, the opening hours change to 9 am – 5 pm (with the last entry at 4 pm).

Spring & summer hours are 9 am to 6 pm daily (with last entry at 5 pm).

Check out their website for the current schedule.

Amenities at Calgary Zoo

• Calgary Zoo has several small outdoor buffets and indoor restaurants
• You can also bring your own lunch or snacks
• You can rent a pull wagon for kids, located just before the Penguin Plunge
• Calgary Zoo has four outdoor playgrounds suitable for kids of all ages
• There are outhouses located at the big playground in the Canadian Wilds
• There’s no free Wi-Fi at Calgary Zoo

Special events at Calgary Zoo

For adults, the first event that comes to my mind is Zoolights in wintertime with colourful light displays and festive drinks, and an adult-only evening on Valentine’s Day.

Another fantastic event is called Focused, where photographers get special access to the Canadian animals and take photos you won’t be able to take during a regular visit.

Calgary Zoo also offers a Sunday Brunch, which you can pair with the Penguin Walk in winter. The Sunday Brunch tickets include the Zoo admission (with the Penguin Walk) and the brunch. You can enjoy a chocolate fountain with fruits, omelettes, waffles, and more. They have lots of events during the year, make sure to check out their website.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to walk through Calgary Zoo?

For adults, I recommend at least 2 hours to walk through the Zoo. However, if you visit with children, I recommend at least 3 hours or even a whole day. It’s a day well spent with restaurants, playgrounds, and so many areas with animals.

The best thing is that you can visit Calgary Zoo year-round – there are plenty of restaurants and indoor animal areas to warm up in winter.

What is the best time to visit Calgary Zoo?

The best time to visit Calgary Zoo is in January or February. The reason is simple – with your zoo admission, you can experience the super cute Penguin Walk. After the hustle of the Christmas season and seeing all the lights, this is the time to cheer up seeing the animals.

Another great time to visit Calgary Zoo, especially when visiting with kids, is spring or summer because that’s when they can access all playgrounds (without snow).

How do I get to the Calgary Zoo?

Take the Memorial Drive, set your GPS to 210 St. George’s Drive NE (close to downtown Calgary) if you’re driving, and it will lead you to a big parking lot.

You can get to the Zoo by bike or foot by following the Bow River Pathway as well.

If you prefer transit, take the Blue line (route 202) C-train to the Zoo station. The station is located directly above the Zoo, and signs will lead you to the main entrance.

Have a great time visiting the Calgary Zoo!

More family-friendly activities in Calgary

• Granary Road: Active Learning Park & Petting Zoo
• 10 Best indoor playgrounds in Calgary
• Cobb’s adventure park & petting zoo
• 33 best family trip movies you’ll love
• Creative Kids Museum at Telus Spark Science Centre
• 15 Best Playgrounds in Calgary
• Sikome Lake
• Early Learning Centres in Calgary Public Libraries

Are you planning to visit the Calgary Zoo? Let us know about your experience in the comments.

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