Los Angeles Zoo

The Los Angeles Zoo sits in the hills of Griffith Park and covers 133 acres of animal exhibits designed around naturalistic habitat principles. As urban zoos go, it's well-maintained, continuously improving its exhibit quality, and occupies one of the more scenic settings of any major US city zoo — the surrounding Griffith Park hills give the experience a less concrete feel than downtown zoo alternatives.

The animal highlights are substantial. The Campo Gorilla Reserve is one of the better gorilla habitats in the US, with multiple habitats connected by overhead climbing structures that allow the gorillas to move freely. Watching a silverback male go about his morning is a different experience than seeing gorillas pacing in smaller spaces.

The elephant experience is similarly thoughtful — the LA Zoo has invested significantly in their pachyderm program.

For kids who want more than observation, the giraffe feeding experience is the standout interactive option. For an additional fee, families can feed giraffes romaine lettuce from an elevated platform where the animals approach eye-to-eye. The combination of the giraffe's size, the long prehensile tongue collecting the lettuce from your hand, and the animal's calm disposition produces a memorable close encounter.

Ages 4 and up handle it well; younger children sometimes hesitate when the giraffe actually approaches.

The zoo is hilly — significantly more terrain variation than flat urban zoos. Bring a stroller for children under 5; the hillside paths are manageable but tiring for small legs. Arrive early in summer because the exposed hillside paths get hot by midday.