Catch the C-Train from downtown to the Calgary Zoo and gardens located on St. George’s Island and the banks of the Bow River. Here you’ll find creatures large and small, and even prehistoric! If you’re visiting the zoo on Sunday, kick off your visit with a safari brunch in the Destination Africa area.
Start your zoo exploration at the Penguin Plunge, in the chilly Antarctic area. Meet four types of penguin: the Humboldt, gentoo, rockhopper and king. On this side of the water you’ll also find the dinosaur park, where you can get close to life-sized replicas of dozens of dinosaur species lurking in prehistoric foliage. Nearby in the Canadian Wilds habitat you will encounter local species of bear, moose, buffalo, puma, otter, marmot and many more creatures that are difficult to spot in the wild.
Take the footbridge over to St. George’s Island, where the creatures of Eurasia, South America and Africa await. Keep your eyes peeled for the red river hogs in the African Savannah as they often have cute piglets. The Calgary Zoo has also had success with gorilla breeding programs.
Be sure to visit the Amur tigers in the Eurasian habitat, where you’ll also see snow leopards, Japanese snow monkeys and red pandas. In the South American habitat, the marmosets and other monkeys steal the show.
As you walk through the different habitats of the zoo, keep an eye out for the changes in flora. One of the most striking features of the zoo is its botanical garden. The Dorothy Harvie Gardens has almost 6 acres (2.4 hectares) of native plants. The conservatory here houses many species of birds and invertebrates, and has four themed sections: the tropical garden, arid garden, rainforest and butterfly garden.
Calgary Zoo is located in Bridgeland, a few minutes’ drive east of downtown. There are two on-site parking lots, which charge a daily fee. The zoo is open daily, except for Christmas Day, and has an admission fee.
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Reviews of Calgary Zoo
5/5 - Excellent
Great zoo! They 100% care for their animals.
4/5 - Good
Very nice place. Great for kids. Lots of walking, if that's an issue for you. I only did the Canadian exhibit. I suppose I can always go again.
5/5 - Excellent
Be sure to wear good shoes you’ll want to see everything
5/5 - Excellent
Make time to see the bears and moose
5/5 - Excellent
Must visit if you have kids ! You will need MInimum of 2.5 hrs to 3 hrs. We live around at Bay Area and have access to great zoos but this one beats it! My 10 year old learnt so much an d took over 100 photos.
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Best Lodging Options Near Calgary Zoo
Check availability on hotels close to Calgary Zoo
Holiday Inn Calgary-Airport by IHG
Divya Sutra Plaza and Conference Centre Calgary Airport
Great house in Inglewood, walking distance to Zoo, Downtown, Restaurants
Alt Hotel Calgary East Village
Hotel Arts
McGill Loft | Trendy | Iconic | Best Location
Retro Glam in Ramsay Walk to Stampede Grounds, Inglewood, BMO Center
Hilton Garden Inn Calgary Downtown
Hyatt Regency Calgary
Best time to go to Calgary Zoo
The best time to visit Calgary Zoo is dependent on what kind of holiday you are seeking. July is its hottest month on average. At this time, visitor numbers are moderately high and weather is mostly sunny with light rain. December is its coolest month on average. At this time, visitor numbers are average and weather is mostly sunny with no rain.
 Calendar Month |  Temperature |  Precipitation |  Cloudiness |  Occupancy |  Pricing |
| January | 17.6°F (-8.0°C) | No Rain | Mostly Sunny | Moderately Low | Slightly Low |
| February | 17.2°F (-8.2°C) | No Rain | Mostly Cloudy | Moderately Low | Slightly Low |
| March | 27.0°F (-2.8°C) | No Rain | Mostly Sunny | Average | Average |
| April | 37.8°F (3.2°C) | No Rain | Mostly Sunny | Average | Average |
| May | 50.4°F (10.2°C) | Light Rain | Mostly Sunny | Average | Average |
| June | 57.4°F (14.1°C) | Light Rain | Mostly Sunny | Moderately High | Slightly High |
| July | 62.8°F (17.1°C) | Light Rain | Mostly Sunny | Moderately High | Slightly High |
| August | 62.2°F (16.8°C) | Light Rain | Mostly Sunny | Moderately High | Slightly High |
| September | 54.1°F (12.3°C) | No Rain | Mostly Sunny | Average | Average |
| October | 40.1°F (4.5°C) | No Rain | Mostly Sunny | Moderately Low | Average |
| November | 26.2°F (-3.2°C) | No Rain | Mostly Sunny | Average | Average |
| December | 16.2°F (-8.8°C) | No Rain | Mostly Sunny | Average | Slightly Low |
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