Columbus zoo and aquarium exhibits full#
Columbus zoo and aquarium exhibits free#

If you don’t mind paying a little extra, the zoo has a train (similar to Cincinnati) and a boat ride that winds through the Islands region. Our 10 year old had to sit out on one, as she passed up the 54” height limit, but was able to play in the absolutely amazing Stings Wings n’ Play Things area (plan to spend a lot of time in here!). There are also two playgrounds, although both do have height restrictions. There are bunches, and we stopped to climb on every single one. If your kiddo is a fan of those large metal animal statues, the Columbus Zoo will be like a little taste of heaven. The ‘roos with a view!Ħ) More than just animals.

Columbus zoo and aquarium exhibits full#

Twice! Most exhibits have amazing full length windows, multiple view points, and, in some cases (like those kangaroos I mentioned earlier!) only a small rope between you and them. Over the course of our day, I had to lift our 2 year old so she could see the animals twice. I find myself spending half the day lifting little people so they can see over the stone walls, vegetation, etc. One of my only issues with the zoo here in Cincy is the accessibility of some of the exhibits. Your legs may get a workout here, but your arms won’t. Our younger ones probably spent more time exploring these than looking at the wildlife! A VERY small part of Heart of Africa’s savannah.

In addition to the enormous savannah, which housed almost every animal on display, there was a public school, a huge plane, a field tent, and a jeep, all accessible to the kids. Our hands down favorite was the African region. The whole place, from the animals’ habitats to the paths you walk help to enhance the out-of-Ohio experience. Walking through the zoo is literally like taking a trip around the world. My husband and I LOVED that North America was one of the six, as I think our kids (and us too!) tend to associate a zoo with exotic animals from around the world, and forget about all those that live a little closer to home.Ĥ) One word: AMBIENCE. Within each are animals native to that area. We loved the tide pool!Ī word of caution: leave your flip flops at home! A zoo this size requires a lot of walking.ģ) Six regions to explore.The zoo is divided into six separate regions: North America, the Heart of Africa, Congo Expedition, Asia Quest, Australia and the Islands, and the Shores. Our kids were also super excited about the aquarium inside the zoo.

Some of our favorites were the bison (they are HUGE!), sun bears (so very cute!), and kangaroos (due in part to their awesome display – more on that later!).

This means, obviously, that much of what you see in Columbus you won’t find here.

Columbus zoo and aquarium exhibits free#

There were optional “extras”, but we found more than enough to fill our time that was free of any additional charge.Ģ) 580 acres, 700 species, 9,000+ animals.For purposes of comparison, the Cincy Zoo takes up 74 acres and is home to over 500 animal species. We could have carried in our lunch as well, but decided against lugging the cooler around the zoo and ate at the car instead. As members of the Cincinnati Zoo, we were able to purchase our tickets for half off the regular price…yay! Like Cincinnati, the Columbus Zoo allows you to carry in your own drinks and snacks, a great way for us to save on costs. With a family of 6, everything has the potential to be over budget, but this zoo trip was not. 1) A full day of fun, for only the cost of admission.