Explore the Free-to-Enter National Zoo

The National Zoo is right for you

It’s not all elephants and donkeys in DC. At the National Zoo, visitors can find all sorts of animals that don’t subscribe to party lines. Lions, tigers, giraffes and the zoo’s beloved giant pandas are just some of the 2,000 animals that call the 163-acre park home. The zoo’s habitats feature animals from 400 different species and about 25 percent of the zoo’s residents are endangered. All of the animals at the National Zoo – which is also a global research center and conservation center – are cared for by world-class zoologists and veterinarians.

The National Zoo is located in DC’s residential Woodley Park neighborhood and, like all Smithsonian museums, admission is free. The main entrance (you’ll know it by the two Instagram-friendly lion statues flanking the gate) is on Connecticut Avenue. The zoo is just a short walk from both the Woodley Park and Cleveland Park Metro stops on the Red Line and the L1 and L2 buses drop off right in front of the entrance. The National Zoo is open from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. (until 4 p.m. in the winter months) seven days a week. Be prepared to do lots of walking! The National Zoo, which is handicapped and stroller accessible, is a large park with 18 distinct areas to explore.