Cincinnati Zoo

The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens offers visitors a glimpse into the lives of creatures big and small, ranging from the cute and fuzzy to the dangerous and exotic. The zoo was rated by Zagat as the top local attraction, as well as one of the best zoos in the United States. Over 500 species of animals and more than 3,000 species of flora are exhibited at the Cincinnati Zoo, which receives more than one million guests each year. http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/

The Cincinnati zoo is open year round, and accepts visitors on every day of the year except Christmas. The zoo does not close for bad weather, and is open rain or shine between the hours of 9am and 5pm. However, hours may vary throughout the seasons for some of the zoo's rides and attractions.http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/plan/hours.html

Animals that reside at the Cincinnati zoo include birds (such as parrots, sea birds, and song birds), primates (such as gorillas, bonobos, lemurs and macaques), lions, tigers, bears, bats, reptiles such as alligators and crocodiles, and an assortment of fish and amphibians. http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/animals/fish/default.html A complete list of all animals that are housed on the zoo grounds is available at the official zoo website, www.cincinnatizoo.org.

The Cincinnati Zoo also offers various rides and other forms of entertainment. It is the first zoo in the nation to feature a 4-D Special FX Theater, complete with environmental effects such as aromas and breezes to draw viewers into the cinema experience. There is also a carousel at the zoo, as well as a train and a shuttle. These rides cost anywhere from 2 to 4 dollars to experience, or visitors can purchase unlimited rides which (allows all day access to everything but the 4-D theater) for $7 (or $6 for members).http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/plan/rides.html