Phoenix Zoo
Arizona Center For Nature Conservation (Nonprofit) · Phoenix, Arizona
A non-profit zoo in Papago Park among red sandstone buttes, opened in 1962 and today one of the largest privately run non-profit zoos in the US. In its first years it took part in Operation Oryx, which helped save the Arabian oryx from extinction by breeding a small herd in Phoenix. Four themed trails — Arizona, Africa, Tropics and Children's — lead past giraffes, orangutans, Sumatran tigers, elephants and desert animals of the Southwest, and visitors can walk among squirrel monkeys in Monkey Village. In winter the zoo lights up for ZooLights. Summer heat is intense, so in 2026 the zoo opened 7 AM to 1 PM, and gate admission was $39.95 for ages 14 and up and $29.95 for ages 3-13.
455 North Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, Arizona, 85008, United States
Summer (2026): 7 AM-1 PM. The rest of the year the zoo opens daily with longer hours; ZooLights runs on winter evenings (check phoenixzoo.org).