Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati

The Cincinnati Zoo was a great experience. We have visited many zoos around the country and this was right there with the Omaha Zoo as our favorite. The zoo has a few really unique experiences. The pathways are all beautiful with some areas having giant bamboo on both sides. The red pandas have the nicest enclosure I've seen in a zoo for red pandas. The lions and elephants were also in very nicely designed and size appropriate areas. Bring a map as some of the areas just end and you have to backtrack. We ate at one of the zoo cafes and the food was good. The zoo is pricey overall (tickets, food, and gift shop) but it is all for a good cause. They have things going on almost every hour and we lucked out by going on a slightly rainy day which slashed admissions. They offer discounts for admission on a few professions.

Absolutely worth every penny. We went on a rainy day (not a drop while we were there) so it was less crowded. That was a bonus because this place gets crowded quickly...for great reasons! The park is gorgeous. The plants are breathtaking. There are lots of exhibits to see and the animals appear so healthy and happy! Seeing the gorillas without glass between them and you...well that was humbling. Seeing the bjrd show was fun for everyone. Plan on spending the whole day to see it all. Seriously.....plan on 5+ hours at a minimum.