Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society

1301 Summit Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33405, USA

Address:	1301 Summit Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33405, USA
Phone:	+1 561-547-9453
Site:	palmbeachzoo.org
Rating:	4.4
Working:	9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 4

Alex Black

The Palm Beach Zoo is small compared to, say, the Miami zoo (which I didnt like that much), but the PBZoo is beautiful, very clean, and well kept. The smaller size precludes the addition of animals that require lots of space, like giraffes, rhinos, and elephants (which Zoo Miami does have, and has the room for them). But dont let that dissuade you. My favorites are the big cats, and they have Panthers, Tigers, Jaguars, and African Servals (small big cats). Theyre all beautiful and I feel fortunate to see them close and in person. The tiger enclosure is especially nice, if a bit small, with a pond and a waterfall for them to play in. Leading to the tiger pen from the west side youll walk through a bamboo forest that sometimes has mist added, and embedded tiger tracks in the walkway, which is an ingenious touch and really sets the mood to prepare you for a tiger confontation. Well done. Walking a zoo the size of the Palm Beach Zoo is relaxing, while I found walking Zoo Miami exhausting. I know I got tired of dodging pedal cars clogging the walkways there... (Imagine trying to shop at Publix if 3/4 of the shoppers are riding in those little scooters and youre pushing a cart; thats what trying to walk around Zoo Miami was like.) The structures built for the Tropics of the Americas section are fantastic and my favorites (a Mayan pyramid, sacrificial altars you can get your picture taken on, and other Central America-themed creations), very realistic, and quite picturesque. The Amazon Marketplace is also really cool. There is tropical foliage throughout, some of it labeled, which is great for those that are interested and wishing to learn about plant life as well at the animals here. While not quite a tropical garden as the likes of the Naples Zoo, it is close enough that Im surprised this place is not designated as the "Palm Beach Zoo and Botanical Garden". The lush settings alone are a good reason to visit the zoo to hang out and relax. Just beautiful. This zoo was badly damaged by hurricanes in the mid-90s and partially rebuilt, so much of the zoo is newer and up-to-date. It shows. Ive not had much interaction with staff, other than the ticket booth personnel, but others have praised the employees here. The size of the zoo is perfect for a few-hour walkabout, and perfectly sized for those with small kids. There is a lot of shade to be found for the hotter days (something sorely lacking at Zoo Miami), an interactive ground-level fountain located just past the main entrance that is usually teeming with small children having lots of fun, and a reasonably-priced cafe for basic foods and drinks. A gift shop sits at the zoo exit, where you can buy rare, dangerous, and exotic animals that are being retired by the zoo (just kidding! but there really is a gift shop... However, the toy animals sold there are all cute, not dangerous, soft and squishy, and happy to go home with you). The zoo sits astride the interstate and so is easy to reach, sitting between the Southern Blvd. and Forest Hill exits. Again, much more convenient to reach than Zoo Miami. On the same property and immediately north of the zoo is the South Florida Science Museum and Aquarium, which is, unfortunately like almost all museums nowadays, geared almost exclusively towards young children. Zoos, however, can be equally enjoyed by people of any age, and the Palm Beach Zoo is one of the best. Good enough that I have bought a yearly pass. Highly recommended.

Brittany White

This is THE BEST ZOO if you have little ones!! I came here with my mom and my boys (2 years and 2 months old) and it was one of the greatest days ever! Its organized very well so you dont get stuck on a long path if you need to leave quick and so you dont get lost; we didnt even need to use our map once! Almost the entire place is shaded by the vast amounts of trees and foliage, which was great for my infant! The last zoo I went to had really long confusing paths (even with a map) and I to carry an umbrella the whole time to keep the sun off my babys head, but this was perfect! Even though it was 80-90 degrees it didnt feel bad at all because of the shade. Also the Waterplay area in the center was perfect for my toddler to cool off! He ran around and played with other kids, while I was able to play with him or just sit and watch, it was terrific! Even the restaurant was great! The food was brought so quickly(which you know is important with little ones) and it was delicious! Not to mention the view! I enjoyed a yummy BBQ and pineapple cole slaw sandwich while overlooking the exhibit full of flamingos. The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is that anytime we saw a tank we couldnt really see any animals in it because the glass was pretty dirty; overall thats not a very big deal and it could have easily been a cleaning day because it was during the week when we went. Anyway, this place is pretty close to perfect! If I lived closer we would go every month!

Mohammed B

This zoo was smaller than safari near by but they had somewhat different animals. What I liked: 1- clean environment and good place for kids who like to pet animals 2- we went there during week and when it is quiet. We got to restaurant close to end of day and they were cleaning things however we got very welcoming gentleman that didnt mind going extra mile and making us fresh fries. 3- good selection of animals What I didnt like: 1- most of animals were single and I felt bad for them being alone. 2- animals I could interact with were extremely hungry. 3- other places usually give you some food for couple dollars that I gladly paid every time and wouldnt mind to do same here however there wasnt anything to buy. They had fish food available for $0.25 but no place to get change and also you cant feed it to all animals. They had a deer that was sooo hungry that was trying to squeeze her head through fence to get something from us. Unfortunately we didnt have food and felt bad leaving her there. I understand that this zoo has financial problem so why they are not making money out of feeding animals???? This way poor animals get fed more and better also zoo would make some money too. I would give 5 starts if animals werent starving

gohappypanda1

Beautiful and clean zoo, where it feels more like a nature walk and the animals were a plus. The entire park is mostly shaded by their trees so you dont suffer through heat and blaring sun. We were there at noon when it should be the hottest time of day but we were cooled the entire time. The exhibits were easy to find. There are plenty of places to sit if one wants to take his time to enjoy the view. The only cons about this place are the lack of restrooms stalls and the cafe. Avoid the cafe! The customer service is horrendous, the hostess was rude, the waitress was missing from the floor most of the time and the wait time was way too long considering there were less than 20 patrons there. I even overheard how a child complained to her mother, "Where is the food? Im hungry. " and rightfully so, they waited over 45 minutes for a plate of french fries and chicken tenders. Food arrived at room temp and wasnt worth the price or wait. I would recommend eating before coming to the zoo or bring lunch with you.