African Lions, White Tigers & Spectacled Bears--OH MY
Written: May 29 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Affordable family fun with an educational edge
Cons: Slow ticket lines
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| mrkstvns's Full Review: Houston Zoo |
Hardly glitzy, hardly huge, the Houston Zoo provides an entertaining, educational experience that's affordable and lots of fun for the whole family.
The Houston Zoo might not be able to claim a panda exhibit as its big draw, but they do have some very popular exhibits, and they do have some very rare species. One of the most unusual animals in the zoo is M'Kubwa, the lowland gorilla, housed in his own specially designed habitat (and one of the few air conditioned places for visitors to escape from the heat). I wonder if the huge crowds that gather at his exhibit are there because they realize that this wonderful animal is the only one of his kind at any zoo in North America, or if they're just escaping the sometimes brutal heat and humidity of Houston's summer days...
One of the most popular exhibits in the Houston Zoo is the koalas, located just to the left as you first enter the park. Because koalas are largely nocturnal animals, you sometimes have to look for them among the trees of their faux forest habitat.
On the other side of the entrance is a nice little aquarium. Not particularly huge, but it's a nice overview of the undersea world.
The zoo also features a large open aviary housing some 200 species of tropical birds. They've got a duck lake for waterfowl, and a huge Primate World in the very center of the zoo (although it's easy to pass it by on the sides, so make sure you seek it out). The zoo has quite a few giraffes, and they often seem to be outside, though if they duck into their huge barn, you can walk in to see them up close.
Because the zoo is such an affordable outing, my family likes to go there often. But as many times as I've gone, I don't think I've ever seen the tigers up and about. They always seem to be sprawled out asleep on rocks, or maybe sprawled out asleep under bushes. We were lucky last time to catch the wolves up and about.
What I Like About the Zoo...
Manageable Size
The Houston Zoo is not a huge zoo. In fact, it's probably less than half the size of some of the big nationally famous zoos, such as San Diego. You'll find all of the major types of animals in the zoo, but you won't find every species. For example, there are a few different types of bears, but no grizzlies and no polar bears. Frankly, most kids get bored with too many detailes about species and subspecies, so having a few different types to show them variations is great, and helps keep the pace moving a bit. We spent about four hours at the zoo on our most recent trip.
Childrens Zoo
Hardly exotic species, but kids can see and pet various types of domesticated animals, including sheep, llamas, rabbits, and more. There is a hatchery showing chicks being hatched, and there is an underground tunnel that gives you a bottom-side view of a Texas wetland, complete with catfish, turtles, and small alligators.
Public Accessibility and Outreach
More important than probably any other aspect of a zoo is how well it reaches out to the community and how well it succeeds in opening its door to the total community. I think the Houston Zoo does pretty well at this.
Affordable Prices
Prices are affordable ($2.50 for adults), so a trip to the zoo is something that even a young family can enjoy. This also puts educational opportunities within reach of families that most need it.
Language Accessibility
Houston is almost half hispanic and has a huge international community. All signage is in both english and spanish, as are the free maps handed out at the front gate.
Handicapped Access
There are a few observation platforms that have stairs or doors without automatic opening devices, making them a bit of a challenge for the handicapped, but otherwise the exhibits are easy for everyone to get to.
Amenities
The zoo is nicely landscaped with lots of tall shade trees, broad concrete walkways, and good signage. They also have plenty of restrooms and snack areas.
One of things that irritates me with some parks is the lack of bathrooms, especially if they don't have changing tables for taking care of little peoples' needs. No problem at the Houston Zoo. They had large clean restrooms at various locations in the park, especially in the Childrens Zoo area, which is where I think parents would be most likely to need to take care of their little folks.
Plenty of snack areas too, and with a good selection of snacks, from the Starbucks coffee sold near the front entrance, to a nice open area selling pizza and burgers near the duck pond, the park seems to have something for everyone.
A large gift shop is located near the front entrance and is stocked with plenty of little plastic animals, T-shirts, and little knick-knacks. I was a bit disappointed in the poor selection of books and similar educational material. Toys are fine, but I'd really like more science type things -- maybe some National Geographic videos and some good books about different animal species and the myriad problems caused by human activities.
One of my nits with the Houston Zoo is their frequently long, slow lines getting in. For some reason, they seem to feel that because two lines are perfectly capable of handling the traffic on a Wednesday morning, that they will suffice on Saturday too. No matter that the line of people waiting to get in stretches back to about Bush Airport, city employees can't be pushed to open another cashier...
Getting There
The Houston Zoo is located inside Hermann Park near the Medical Center. Enter from the circle near the Houston Science Museum, or from the entrance off MacGregor. Keep in mind that the zoo is closed on Mondays (even holidays).
Zooperb!
Overall, I really like the Houston Zoo. While it's not quite as big as some of its more famous brethren, it's friendlier, more manageable, it's cheaper, and it does better at educational outreach. The zoo is well designed and a program of expansion calls for several new exhibits and observation facilities to be added over the next few years. The first of these will be an expanded children's zoo, slated to open this September. Can't wait!
Recommended:
Yes
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