Houston Zoo Tours and Tickets

Q: What days is the Houston Zoo closed?

The Houston Zoo does have regularly closed days. The zoo is open seven days a week, all year round. It does close on Christmas Day (December 25) plus January 10 and January 11, but is open on all other major holidays. Some exhibits may close early for special events.

Q: What is the best time to go to the Houston Zoo?

As with other family-friendly attractions, the Houston Zoo can get very busy on the weekends, particularly during school vacations. Visiting at 9am (right when it opens) offers the best chance of beating the crowds. Some animals are also livelier early in the day, and animal encounters generally happen in the morning.

Q: Can I bring a backpack to the Houston Zoo?

Yes, you can bring a small backpack to the Houston Zoo. Many people bring smaller packs with food, drink, spare clothing, sun protection, and baby items, but larger bags can be a burden. Note that there is no luggage storage a the zoo.

Q: Can I bring food and beverages to the Houston Zoo?

Yes. Although the Houston Zoo has on-site dining venues, you can bring food and non-alcoholic drinks to the zoo, in a cooler if you’d like. Note that glass bottles, plastic straws, and alcoholic beverages are not allowed on zoo grounds. The zoo’s food and beverage outlets only accept credit cards, not cash.

Q: Does the Houston Zoo close due to the weather?

Yes. The Houston Zoo occasionally closes early or cancels the Houston Zoo Lights due to extreme weather, be that freezing conditions, heavy rain, or thunderstorms. When this happens, you can transfer your unused ticket to another date.

Q: What do Houston Zoo tickets include?

A Houston Zoo ticket includes admission to the 55-acre (22-hectare) zoo and a look at its more than 4,500 animals, as well as access to keeper talks and many shows and displays. The wildlife carousel, animal encounters, and giraffe feedings cost extra, as do stroller and wheelchair rentals.

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Maximize your time with Houston CityPASS® and explore the best of this vibrant city. Your mobile ticket grants you free admission to the renowned Space Center Houston and four other top attractions of your choice, like the Museum of Fine Arts with over 60,000 artworks or the lively Houston Zoo. Whether you’re into nature, science, or thrilling rides at Kemah Boardwalk, there’s something here to make your Houston adventure unforgettable.

from $82

Awesome Scavenger Hunt: Houston's Museum District

2 hoursFree Cancellation

3.6

(8)

from $15

Houston Self-Guided Audio Tour

A good choice for first-time visitors to Houston, this small-group van tour offers a comprehensive overview of the city in a comfortable enclosed vehicle with hotel pickup included. Visit must-see landmarks, parks, and stadiums, including Market Square, Discovery Green, Buffalo Bayou, and more. Admire lavish homes and boutiques in River Oaks while your guide shares insider information about what to see, where to eat, and what to do in town next.

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Houston City Tour 2.5-hour Van Tour

2 hours 45 minutesFree Cancellation

4.8

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Private City Tour of Houston 3-hr Sightseeing Tour

See the highlights of Houston without having to rent a car on a private tour in an air-conditioned vehicle. Explore neighborhoods, murals, and attractions such as River Oaks, the Museum District, and Buffalo Bayou Park, with customizable stops for photos and insider insights from your guide. Enjoy pickup from your hotel and the option to return to your departure point or end your tour at a different location.

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Private City Tour of Houston 3-hr Sightseeing Tour

3 hoursFree Cancellation

4.8

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from $375

Per group

What are people saying about Houston Zoo

Houston CityPASS®

Tyler_U, Apr 2026

If your coming from...

If your coming from another city like Dallas or Austin, make sure you leave with plenty of time the traffic is horrible in Houston. The museum, zoo, and aquarium are relatively near each other which is nice. You do get a lot from the pass compared to if you bought tickets for each individual event. Some of the places may have difficulty, we had to talk to 3 different people at the museum to actually get in with the mobile ticket.

Houston Self-Guided Audio Tour

Stevan_S, Apr 2026

Interesting comcept. Very...

Interesting comcept. Very flexible. Exactly matches the descriprion. Basic tour of some landmarks and basically museums. Price is good.

Houston CityPASS®

Denisha_L, May 2025

80% satisfied

Some activities within the venues aren’t included so be prepared to pay a little extra. The pass helps save if you have time to visit at least 4 different locations

Houston CityPASS®

Tanya_A, Dec 2024

Happy Sad

The hours for each venue. The rain put a damper on our experience. The food at the Aquarium was excellent!!!

Houston CityPASS®

Erick_P, Jan 2024

Wonderful!!

We really liked and enjoyed the Houston zoo, Aquarium we were all disappointed with, very small not much to see and parking lot was the most expensive of all the places we visited, the Houston space center was another place we were excited about and loved it,and last of the places we visited was the Kemah boardwalk nice place and very fun for all the family, city pass was very worth buying, thanks my family had a lot of fun!

Houston CityPASS®

moproiu, Apr 2024

City Pass is the best way to visit Houston.

Short visit in Houston. In two days, we were able to visit 4 museums. We would've liked to visit the National Museum of Art also, but we were unable to find parking. The most we liked was the Museum of Science which we visited t days in a row. Chase, our min-pin Chiwawa service pop, fell in love with the zebras in the Zoo.

Houston CityPASS®

Crystal_H, Jun 2023

Money well spent - good decision

We went to the Children's Museum, Houston Space Center, Houston Zoo, Houston Aquarium - getting into each place was easy with CityPass (we only chose to "upgrade" at the zoo). CityPass definitely did as it advertised and all 5 of us were able to get into each attraction without issue. Definitely worth the money spent (or we'd have spent MUCH MORE purchasing tickets at each attraction separately).

Houston Zoo

4.5

(441)

Houston

Know before you go

Remember to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat as there’s limited shade in the outdoor areas.
Wear comfortable walking shoes and be prepared to spend significant time on your feet.
The zoo grounds are accessible to both wheelchairs and strollers.
You are welcome to bring outside food, drink, and coolers into the zoo.

Houston Zoo Tours and Tickets

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What are people saying about Houston Zoo

Houston Zoo

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