Attraction of the Week: The Albuquerque Zoo
Disclaimer: We are not paid to promote any restaurant, hotel, activity, product, or attraction. All opinions are subjective and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
We have taken a few trips to Albuquerque since moving to Arizona as it is a close weekend roadtrip. It is an underrated city with great food, outdoor recreation, and cultural attractions. If you are a non hiker looking to enjoy the outdoors without working up a big sweat, the zoo is a great pick. It is part of the ABQ Biopark, one of the city’s best attractions for new tourists. This great city attraction includes 3 great parks for 1 price. For just under 30 bucks, you can check out the zoo, aquarium, and botanical gardens, which makes for a perfect little relaxing morning out before the temps get too hot.
Although it is quite tiny (just 64 acres), it packs in some nice exhibits despite its’ small size. My favorite exhibits include: a fantastic indoor reptile house, an underwater polar bear viewing area, and the Australian Outback featuring an adorable koala bear.
The zoo is easily walkable and I would say an hour or 2 is easily enough time to stroll the 2 miles of paths. While it is clean and well-maintained, it could use a little more signage. Most of the exhibits were lacking interesting plaques to read more about the animals as you typically see elsewhere. They could make it more of an educational experience by adding more info.
On the bright side, it is not overly congested with crowds. You can easily get a great view of any animal without pushing through people. This was one of the least crowded zoos I have ever visited. It was a nice change of pace to stroll leisurely without dealing with intense tourist traffic.
There is a surprising amount of greenery for a desert. We enjoyed the many beautiful touches like this small waterfall by the impressive polar bear exhibit. In 2024, they expanded this exhibit further by combining with a former lion exhibit.
While I wouldn’t put it up there with San Diego’s world class zoo (one of 3 where you can see a panda) or Chicago’s incredible Brookfield, it happens to be much more affordable (tickets to the San Diego are over $70 as of 2024!). Plus strolling the grounds will not take up all your time, therefore, giving you more time to enjoy other fun activities. It’s a great add on for anyone who loves animals.
A photo tour: Meet some of the residents
Below are a few pics of some of the animals you will see during your visit. Unfortunately, we arrived a bit too late to see the cats in action. If you want to see the cats walking out and about, especially during the hot summer season, be sure to visit right at opening when the temps are cooler. This also happens to be the best time for you to stroll comfortably without overheating in the desert.
Beautiful zebras – a classic inhabitant at zoos across the country. Zebras are native to Africa and related to the horse. There are 3 types of Zebra: Grevy’s, Plains, and Mountains. Grevy’s are endangered and Plains near endangered. The zoo welcomed 3 new Hartmann‘s Mountain Zebras in November of 2023.
Polar bears are so cute! It’s hard to imagine that they are really dangerous. They are aggressive and not afraid of humans. Attacks on humans are becoming more common as they are drawn to food and waste. As I mentioned earlier, this is one of the nicer exhibits and the new expansion definitely makes it the must-see here.
This underwater seal viewing area is pretty cool. You see seals at a lot of zoos, but I love seeing them swim underwater from this viewpoint.
Lazy Caturday! Just like our cats at home, the big cats also love to relax! Consider yourself lucky if you see them hunting in action.
Overall, a quick hour or 2 walk around won’t take up much of your day. I recommend visiting before noon in order to take advantage of the discounted pass to all 3 attractions, not to mention the cooler weather. If you aren’t into hiking (this area has some beautiful mountain hiking), this is a perfect alternative to enjoy the mild “most of the year” dry climate. Spring and fall temps are the most attractive: mostly 60’s and 70’s with low humidity. Based on the affordability, low crowds, and attractive laid-back atmosphere, it is one of the area’s best values in terms of tourist attractions.
Address, pricing, & parking info
Location: 903 10th St SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102. Parking is free.
Pricing is $27 for all 3 parks (includes unlimited train rides). Resident admission is just $16. Pricing current as of 2025.
Hours are 9am-5pm daily. From June-August, the park is open until 6pm on weekends and holidays. Closed on Mondays during the winter from Veterans to President’s Day.
Dining: There is an ice cream shop and 2 caes. You can also bring a food and cooler in. If you are looking for somewhere great to eat in the city, I recommend El Pinto for lunch (they serve awesome burritos and their patio is gorgeous).
