Oregon Zoo: A place where animals and people really seem to enjoy themselves
Written: Aug 12 '03 (Updated Aug 13 '03)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Wide variety of habitats ranging from African Savanna to Alaska Tundra
Cons: Parking, extra costs for train ride and Deep Sea Simulation Ride, hillside location
The Bottom Line: After having seen the National Zoo earlier this year, I can say that the Oregon Zoo competes with the best of the best.
|
|
|
| pilarzmom's Full Review: Oregon Zoo |
Earlier this summer on a family trip to Washington D.C. we included a stop to the National Zoo. But, alas, it was the one rainy day of our week-long stay. I grew up in rain but my California kids are not used to such weather, so our trip to the zoo was rather short. I vowed to make it up to them and the opportunity arose last week on a perfectly beautiful day on a trip to my native Oregon (land of perpetual rain).
I took Nicholas and Justin to my one of my favorite childhood destinations, the Oregon Zoo, formerly known as the Washington Park Zoo, on Portland's west side. It turned out to be a hugely successful afternoon.
GETTING THERE
As a former Oregonian, I knew the backroads from my family's house, or so I thought. But after missing one or two roads I finally got there. For out-of-towners, probably the easiest way is to follow the directions provided on the Oregon Zoo website, www.zooregon.org, or use Mapquest or Yahoo. The Zoo is roughly 5 minutes from downtown Portland on Highway 26 (known as the Sunset by locals). It has own exit right after you go through the tunnel, going west. Really not too hard to find. Another alternative is using MAX, Portland's light rail system, which drops you right off at the zoo and saves you from dealing with parking.
PARKING
Parking at the zoo is free. Unfortunately, however, while the zoo has grown, the parking lot has not. It took me a couple spins around the lot before I was able to find a space. The lot is also shared with the hugely popular Children's Museum, which took over the building once occupied by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) which has now moved across town. I was there on a regular admission day, but I imagine it's even worse on their free admission days (second Tuesday of every month). The parking spaces also seemed tiny. Fortunately my rental car was small and much easier to maneuver than my big minivan.
ADMISSION
Admission was quite reasonable (although nothing can beat the free admission of the National Zoo). However, the "extras" can add up.
Members are free. Once again check their website for details as there are several different types of family memberships, which also allow you entrance to more than 100 zoos nationwide.
General admission is as follows:
Adults (ages 12-64) $8
Children (ages 3-11) $5
Seniors (ages 65 ) $6.50
Infants (up to 3) FREE
You may also purchase tickets for the zoo train (more on that later)
Adults $3
Children $2.25
Seniors $2.25
Infants FREE
And lastly you may purchase tickets for "Deep Sea, the Ride", a simulation ride by SimEx of Toronto, Canada.
$4 general admission
$3 members
THE HABITATS
There are so many exhibits and when you're with kids you're bond to miss a few. Plus, since the zoo is on a hillside, your legs might get a little tired so plan accordingly (or at least the best you can--with kids that means any plan you might have tends to get changed on the fly).
Bears
I think this was our favorite habitat. The polar bears were in a playful mood that day and also enjoyed swimming. What's neat about this exhibit is that you can see the polar bears swimming from below, too. You truly appreciate their immense size and gracefulness. Also in the bear exhibit in a separate area are the Sun Bears, that, as their name indicates, love to take sun baths.
Asian Elephants
The Oregon Zoo is well known for its successful elephant breeding program. Its most famous resident is Packy, who became the first elephant born in captivity in the Western Hemisphere in half a century when he was born in 1962 (Packy and I share something in common!). Located next to the elephant exhibit is the Lilah Callen Holden Elephant Museum, which tells of the history of elephants from ancient times to the present, as well as the history of the Oregon Zoo herd.
Africa Savanna
Definitely a hit with my boys. Besides the giraffes and hippos, we were able to catch a glimpse of a black rhino. Justin and Nicholas tried their hardest to make him charge but guess he's used to silly little kids. Although the exhibit is small they have done a wonderful job in creating a lifelike replication of the East African Savanna, with a feeling of a dry plain with water holes.
Alaska Tundra
We missed seeing a grizzly, but we did get to see a wolf and some cool shaggy musk oxen. Also hiding in the bushes was a snow owl. You can see why this snowy white creature would be easy to miss in the Alaska winter.
Cascades
The Cascades are the mountain range which run through the Pacific Northwest. There are 2 habitats at the Oregon Zoo, Cascade Stream and Cascade Crest. The Cascade Stream exhibit is closed right now due to construction of another habitat. However, we were able to see an elk from the zoo train. The Cascade Crest exhibit features a snow cave and mountain goats. Both the elk and mountain goats are truly awe inspiring animals and although I've actually seen both in the wild, I love the fact that the zoo is includes these animals in their exhibit.
Cats of the Amur Region
This habitat features cats of the Russian Far East, Amur tigers and Amur leopards. These beautiful cats were taking a nap when we cruised through (typical!).
Penguins
Like the polar bears, you can see Humboldt penguins from above and below the water. Always a kid pleaser!
Primates
What's a visit to the zoo without seeing the primates? The zoo has come a long way from my childhood days to create a more natural habitat for these playful creatures. Included in the exhibit are tamarins, chimpanzees, orangutans, gibbons, lemurs, siamangs, mandrills, and monkeys.
Amazon Flooded Forest
This exhibit replicates the flooded rainforest of the Amazon region. It has a variety of fish, insects, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, and birds. My kids' favorites were the sloth and anaconda. Needless to say, Mom didn't want to stay in this area too long.
Stellar Cove
Another outstanding sea mammal display featuring sea otters and Stellar sea lions, also including underwater views.
African Rainforest
Another rainforest exhibit featuring a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, and fish. Besides the crocodiles, my kids absolutely loved the fruit bat cave.
THE ZOO TRAIN
I gave the boys a choice between the zoo train and the Deep Sea simulation ride. Well, the train won and I'm glad it did. The 3 trains are 5/6 models of the old narrow-gauge railway lines. The ride takes about 35 minutes and is 4 miles roundtrip. It takes you through the lush forest of Washington Park, giving you a chance to rest your tired legs. In Justin's case, he took a nap! You may get off halfway at the Washington Park Station and visit the International Rose Test Gardens and Japanese Gardens.
FOOD
We had lunch prior to coming so all we bought initially was water($1.50 a bottle), which was reasonably priced. However, late in the afternoon, my little one got hungry and decided he wanted some popcorn. We spotted a popcorn stand and hiked back down. CLOSED! Well, Justin (and Mom) almost lost it. Finally we found a stand near the top. $3 for a small popcorn. Okay, a little bit better than the movies.
CONCLUSION
I love zoos and have a hard time finding anything wrong with the Oregon Zoo. They have done a fantastic job of upgrading it over the years and I think Portland should be proud. My only advice is plan to go in the morning and get good parking!
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.