Oregon Zoo

About Oregon Zoo

Oregon Zoo sits on 64 acres at 4001 SW Canyon Road in Portland, Oregon, inside Washington Park. It opened in 1888, making it one of the older zoos operating in the country, and it is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The zoo is home to roughly 1,800 animals representing about 230 species, based on figures published by the zoo, and its own species list includes everything from Asian elephants and Amur tigers to red pandas, sea otters, and dozens of smaller reptiles, birds, and invertebrates.

The zoo is organized into a set of themed habitat areas that visitors move through along a mostly one-way path, and it runs a full daily schedule of keeper talks and animal activities, including a Sunday crocodile feeding and orangutan or gibbon keeper talks. Support for the zoo's daily operations runs partly through the nonprofit Oregon Zoo Foundation, which has funded more than $100 million in initiatives and capital projects since 1997 and has received high ratings from independent evaluators Guidestar and Charity Navigator for its fundraising practices.

Beyond exhibits and daily programming, the zoo positions itself as an active partner in conservation research, a role covered in more detail below, and it draws visitors year-round with seasonal events such as ZooLights during the winter holidays.

History

Oregon Zoo opened in 1888 in Portland, Oregon, and has operated in Washington Park for well over a century since. Today the zoo covers 64 acres and holds Association of Zoos and Aquariums accreditation. The Oregon Zoo Foundation, the zoo's philanthropic arm, was established and has funded more than $100 million in projects for the zoo since 1997, supporting both the ongoing care of the animal collection and infrastructure across the grounds.

More recently, the zoo has continued to add and update its collection: 2026 news from the zoo includes the arrival of a Bali myna at the Vollum Aviary, the pairing of red pandas Enoki and Liu, and the vaccination of young Asian elephant calf Tula-Tu against elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), reportedly the first elephant on the West Coast to receive that vaccine.

Exhibits and habitats

The zoo's habitats are connected along what the zoo describes as a primarily one-way path, with an in-park interactive map available to help visitors navigate and catch daily programming. Elephant Plaza is a central hub, home to Elephant Lands and an amphitheater, and sits near several of the zoo's dining locations. The Vollum Aviary houses bird species including the Bali myna, a striking white songbird recently added to the collection.

Daily keeper talks and animal encounters rotate through the exhibits, including a Sunday-only crocodile feeding and scheduled orangutan or gibbon keeper talks; the zoo notes that its animals can move freely throughout their habitats and may choose not to be visible at any given time, so no single visit looks the same as another. A zoo train and carousel, both accessible to wheelchair users, are available on-site; the train ride is a six-minute loop through the grounds, though the zoo cautions that animals may not be visible from it.

Beyond the animal habitats, the zoo hosts seasonal events on its grounds, including the winter ZooLights display, held from late November into early January, with adults-only evening sessions offered on select dates.

Animal highlights

Oregon Zoo lists at least 157 species on its website, out of a published total of roughly 230 species and about 1,800 individual animals. The collection spans large mammals such as the Asian elephant, Amur tiger, polar bear, giraffe, lion, and black rhinoceros, alongside primates including the Bornean orangutan, chimpanzee, white-cheeked gibbon, and ring-tailed lemur. Smaller and more specialized residents include the red panda, sea otter, naked mole-rat, and a long roster of birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates, from the golden eagle and snowy owl to the crocodile monitor, green tree python, and Oregon spotted frog.

Several species on the list are native to the Pacific Northwest itself, including the Oregon chub, Oregon silverspot butterfly, and Taylor's checkerspot butterfly, reflecting the zoo's regional conservation work alongside its broader global collection. Recent additions highlighted by the zoo include a Bali myna at the Vollum Aviary and a pairing of red pandas, Enoki and Liu.

Conservation and programs

Oregon Zoo describes its research work as answering conservation questions that are difficult or impossible to study in the wild, and the zoo collaborates with universities, government agencies, and other zoos on both short- and long-term projects. In partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey, keepers trained polar bear Tasul to wear an accelerometer collar so researchers could match her recorded movements to her behavior, work intended to help calibrate identical collars for use on wild polar bears. Polar bear siblings Tasul and Conrad also took part in a separate USGS study measuring the proportion of land- versus marine-based prey in wild polar bear diets.

The zoo has supplied blood samples from Chendra, described as the only Borneo elephant in the western hemisphere, to a study on how habitat fragmentation affects the genetic diversity and social structure of Borneo elephants, a population the zoo notes is critically endangered and genetically distinct from other Asian elephants. Zoo sea lions were fed fish marked with tiny glass beads to help researchers develop a technique using near-infrared spectroscopy to identify fish species in wild sea lion scat, informing understanding of the animals' effect on endangered salmon runs. The zoo also fitted a turkey vulture with a non-invasive leg-loop harness on behalf of the USGS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, testing a method intended for eventual use tracking California condors. Separately, the Oregon Wildlife Institute trained conservation detector dogs using water samples supplied by the zoo to help the dogs recognize the scent of western pond turtles and their nests for field surveys.

Planning your visit

The Oregon Zoo is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with last entry at 4:30 p.m., as listed on the zoo's website; hours shift seasonally, with earlier closing times in effect on some dates, so visitors should check before they go. Tickets must be purchased in advance online, and all guests, including children under 2, need to be included in the reservation; tickets can be booked up to 30 days ahead, and admission is allowed up to 30 minutes after the scheduled entry time.

For getting around, the zoo publishes an in-park interactive map with real-time location sharing, and it recommends downloading the map ahead of a visit. Wheelchairs and mobility scooters can be rented on-site on a first-come, first-served basis, and the zoo is served directly by TriMet's MAX light rail, with the Washington Park station adjacent to the parking lot; the train accommodates wheelchairs and service animals. The zoo is a KultureCity Certified Sensory Inclusive Venue and offers free sensory bags with noise-canceling headphones, sunglasses, fidget tools, and weighted lap pads, along with a visit-planning social story for guests who want to know what to expect in advance. Adult changing tables are available at three plaza restroom locations.

For food, the zoo has several dining spots including Cascade Cafe near the entrance, Aviary Cafe near Elephant Plaza, Elephant Ears (a zoo signature treat for more than 35 years), Trailhead Snacks, Brat Haus, and Growler's Pizza, most open across the late morning and afternoon. As always, confirm current hours, ticket requirements, and event schedules on the official Oregon Zoo website before visiting.