Oakland Zoo

About Oakland Zoo

Oakland Zoo sits in the Grass Valley neighborhood of Oakland, California, at the edge of Knowland Park. Naturalist Henry A. Snow founded it on June 6, 1922, originally at 19th and Harrison streets in downtown Oakland — the site is now Snow Park. The zoo is managed by the Conservation Society of California, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit governed by a volunteer board of trustees, and it holds accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The zoo's collection spans more than 850 native and exotic animals, with at least 101 species listed on its website, ranging from lions, jaguars, and sun bears to reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates housed in its Children's Zoo discovery rooms. Its grounds split into a lower zoo, reachable on foot from the main entrance, and the newer California Trail section higher up Knowland Park's hillside, connected by an aerial gondola. Beyond exhibits, the zoo runs a LEED-certified veterinary hospital, a Biodiversity Center, and a Condor Recovery Center, and it partners with more than 25 wildlife conservation organizations worldwide, in addition to accepting and rehabilitating wildlife displaced by wildfire and human-wildlife conflict through its work with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

History

Snow's zoo moved several times in its early decades: first to Sequoia Park, then to Joaquin Miller Park, and finally in 1939 to Durant Park, which the state later renamed the Joseph Knowland State Arboretum and Park under California State Parks Commission chairman Joseph R. Knowland. In 1936, Snow's son Sidney established the nonprofit East Bay Zoological Society — originally called the Alameda County Botanical and Zoological Society — which ran the zoo for the City of Oakland from 1982 until August 2017, when it was renamed the Conservation Society of California to better reflect its conservation mission.

New exhibits followed through the late 20th century: habitats for hamadryas baboons and chimpanzees, a spacious elephant exhibit in 1987, and the sun bear exhibit in 1995, later featured on Animal Planet's Ultimate Zoos. White-handed gibbons moved onto Gibbon Island within the Tropical Rainforest, and the African Savannah — with camels, lions, elephants, meerkats, and hyenas — was completed in 1998. An Education Center opened in 1999, followed by a new main entrance in summer 2001, a squirrel monkey exhibit and renovated tiger exhibit that autumn, and a larger, fenced camel enclosure in spring 2007.

The 2010s brought a wave of infrastructure: a fully funded, LEED-certified veterinary hospital in 2012, the Oakland Zoo Biodiversity Center in 2013, and the Condor Recovery Center in 2014. The zoo's largest expansion, California Trail, opened in summer 2018 at the top of the hill above the main zoo — a $70 million piece of an $81 million multi-phase development, reached by an aerial gondola and designed by Noll & Tam Architects and built by C. Overaa & Co. Most recently, in July 2024 the zoo announced that Osh, its last elephant, would move that fall to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, joining the zoo's previous elephant, Donna, who now lives there too; Osh left Oakland on October 16, 2024, arriving after a nearly 46-hour road trip two days later.

Exhibits and habitats

The African Savanna, in the lower zoo past the gondola station, holds lions in a tree-filled enclosure, two aviaries of birds and mammals including the red-tailed monkey (Schmidt's guenon) and white-faced whistling duck, and an expansive zebra habitat. The Tropical Rainforest is home to chimpanzees, white-handed gibbons, siamangs, cotton-top tamarins, and squirrel monkeys, along with several bird and reptile species and a tiger habitat with a pond and waterfall; a Sky Ride passes overhead for aerial views. Wild Australia keeps emus and wallaroos, viewable from the zoo's Express Train.

California Trail, reached by a four-minute gondola ride to 650 feet above sea level, explores how humans have shaped the Bay Area's ecology through native animal and plant habitats. Along the trail, visitors encounter bears, wolves, mountain lions, bison, and birds of prey, learn at the California Conservation Habitarium — which includes a wall-length window into the grizzly bear habitat — and pause at a San Francisco Bay overlook with views of seven Bay Area counties. The half-acre California Wilds! playground gives children five play zones themed to the state's ecological regions, and the hillside between the lower zoo and California Trail is preserved as native plant habitat for local wildlife, including the endangered Alameda striped racer snake.

The Wayne and Gladys Valley Children's Zoo, opened in summer 2005 on three acres, includes a Reptile and Amphibian Discovery Room, a Bug Room, a petting yard with goats and sheep, an Otter Den for North American river otters, American alligators, bats, pigs, rabbits, lemurs, and tortoises, plus the Clorox Wildlife Theater for animal shows. Brass insects embedded in the walkways serve as public art throughout the area. Parrott Plaza, the zoo's main entrance area, was renamed in 2021 in honor of former Oakland Zoo president and CEO Dr. Joel Parrott after his retirement following 37 years at the zoo.

Animal highlights

At least 101 species are listed on the zoo's website, part of a collection the zoo describes as more than 850 native and exotic animals overall. Mammal residents include lions, jaguars, sun bears, spotted hyenas, gray wolves, American black bears, chimpanzees, siamangs, white-handed gibbons, ring-tailed and crowned lemurs, meerkats, warthogs, and reticulated giraffes. Bird species range from California condors and bald eagles to lesser flamingos, hooded vultures, and several macaw and Amazon parrot species. The reptile, amphibian, and invertebrate collection — much of it housed in the Children's Zoo — includes Aldabra and desert tortoises, Gila monsters, black tree monitors, poison dart frogs, and species such as the emperor scorpion and several tarantulas.

Conservation and programs

Oakland Zoo organizes its conservation work around pillars that include species and habitat protection and human-wildlife coexistence, guided by a published 2025–2027 Conservation Strategic Plan. Locally, the zoo works to stabilize western pond turtle populations before release, tracks urban wildlife movement across Oakland to study the effects of urbanization on biodiversity, and supports multi-agency efforts to prevent the extinction of the riparian brush rabbit. It also runs programs for mountain lions, native yellow-legged frogs, black-crowned night herons, gray wolves, California condors, and black bears, particularly in the Tahoe Basin region.

Globally, the zoo supports work protecting jaguars from Arizona to South America, sun bears through rescue and habitat protection, macaws against the illegal wildlife trade, lemurs in Madagascar, and reticulated giraffes, African elephants, cotton-top tamarins, chimpanzees, American bison, and African lions through a network of partner organizations. Through its partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the zoo has accepted and rehabilitated wildlife displaced by wildfire and human-wildlife conflict, including 22 mountain lions, 38 California condors, and 8 bears, along with more than 600 yellow-legged frogs. The zoo also runs free and discounted science education programs for underserved Title 1 schools in the Bay Area, distributing about 5,500 vouchers annually and reaching an average of more than 3,000 students and 1,000 adults each year through its Zoo-to-Community program.

Planning your visit

As listed on the zoo's website, Oakland Zoo's hours have recently run 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., though hours change seasonally and the zoo has occasionally closed on specific weekdays — always confirm before visiting. General admission uses a "Plan Ahead Pricing" system in which prices can rise the closer you book to your visit date. Qualifying low-income Bay Area residents can instead reserve discounted "Bay to Zoo" tickets at $5 for adults, $3 for children, and $3 for seniors, plus a free parking pass — a separate program from standard general admission.

Advance reservations are recommended for general admission, though Oakland Zoo members and Friends of the Wild members no longer need them for regular daytime hours as of January 2024. The zoo is wheelchair accessible overall, though some pathways are steep; an ADA accessibility map is available, and strollers, wheelchairs, and electric mobility scooters can be rented at the gift shop near the main entrance on a first-come, first-served basis. Dining options include Tusker's Grill, open daily near the main entrance, and The Landing Café at the top of the California Trail gondola, plus seasonal snack stands throughout the grounds. Because ticket pricing, hours, and reservation requirements change, check the zoo's official website before your visit.