Tips for going to the National Zoo (Cleveland: house, allergies)

[Caladium]

What are your favorite tips for going to the National Zoo? For example, is it easier to drive or take metro--and if you take metro, which stop do you prefer. When you get to the zoo, which exhibit should you hit first? Which exhibits do you completely avoid, and why? What's the best place to get a bite to eat? What's the ebst time of day to go? Etc.

[Pandoras]

Originally Posted by Caladium

What are your favorite tips for going to the National Zoo? For example, is it easier to drive or take metro--and if you take metro, which stop do you prefer. When you get to the zoo, which exhibit should you hit first? Which exhibits do you completely avoid, and why? What's the best place to get a bite to eat? What's the ebst time of day to go? Etc.

If you drive, I recommend that you get there at opening time. I prefer to drive there instead of taking metro.

I think the best exhibits are the cheetahs, pandas, and the Think Tank. I typically wander around and see what I can see.

I usually go in the morning or at 3 PM. I have a FONZ membership so I visit about once a month.

[cdmurphy]

If you're taking Metro, don't get off at Woodley Park. You'll have to walk uphill. Get off at Cleveland Park instead. When you leave, walk down the hill and use Woodley Park.

For navigating the zoo, especially when it's hot, I think it's better to start at the street entrance and work your way down the hill. Unfortunately, if you drive and park, you're more likely to be starting at the bottom of the hill.

You can't take strollers into most of the buildings. If you have to use a stroller, be prepared to do the ol' in-and-out thing several times.

[patriot201]

I like to take the Metro and get off at Cleveland Park. You still have a bit of a hike, but it is a nice walk past the Kennedy-Warren and all.

I LOVE the elephants, big cats, cheetahs, pandas, Think Tank, and great apes exhibits. I don't think there are any exhibits I avoid per se, but I might skip them for a while if they look overly crowded.

I bring food with me when I go. I pack a picnic and throw it in a backpack or stroller (if I am going with kids). I don't have much of a choice but to do this, though, because I have life-threatening food allergies and cannot trust that foods are "safe" unless I have 100% control.

[CaliTerp07]

The best zoo days are when it's overcast and a little chilly. The animals are more active then.

[waagbuck]

If you're driving and you can't get there right at opening, try arriving around 1:30-2:00 pm. That's when the early shift seems to get tired and starts going home, which means you can find parking.

[Caladium]

The zoo is open daily 6am-6pm. If you happen to be an early riser, head straight for the monkey wire walkway that crosses over the pedestrian pass. You will see lots of the monkeys crossing early in the morning, plus they sing at the beginning and end of the day. Hearing the monkeys sing is quite an experience.

The tropical house is a lovely place to spend a cold snowy afternoon in the winter.

[roanoker 4]

Originally Posted by cdmurphy

If you're taking Metro, don't get off at Woodley Park. You'll have to walk uphill. Get off at Cleveland Park instead. When you leave, walk down the hill and use Woodley Park.

For navigating the zoo, especially when it's hot, I think it's better to start at the street entrance and work your way down the hill. Unfortunately, if you drive and park, you're more likely to be starting at the bottom of the hill.

You can't take strollers into most of the buildings. If you have to use a stroller, be prepared to do the ol' in-and-out thing several times.

A GREAT SUGGESTION!!
I Learned the hard way in navigating that hill up to the zoo!!

[normie]

The Amazonia Habitat has a research library and exhibits as you exit the building. It's air conditioned, has a nice bathroom, lots of places to sit, interesting books to read, and plenty of exhibits to look at. It's also fairly quiet and uncrowded. All of these things make it my favorite place for Grandma to get a little R&R when she needs a break but the kids want to run around for another hour. You can walk staright to the library from the back of the exhibit, so there's no need to walk all the way through Amazonia first.

[normie]

In January/February the flamingoes do their mating dances. It's pretty funny.