Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium

Had a wonderful time at zoo. Was tired and hurt from all the walking but that’s the best way to see everything. They had plenty benches to stop and rest and I sat at everyone that was in the shade. Lunch at Dillion’s was good and filling. Wonderful people that work there.

Nice zoo but a little overpriced. The best part of the zoo was feeding the giraffe’s but other than that nothing that I’d be rushing back to see for the cost of admission

This place was great!
It was on my list of things to do while visiting my friend here in AZ. There was a groupon so it made things a little better, made the trip a little cheaper.
My daughter absolutely loved the birds, monkeys and aquarium.
This place is huge and we didn’t get to explore the entire venue but we did have fun seeing the exhibits we did see! It was pretty dead day, it was Sunday and REALLY hot!
We were able to rent a stroller for $ 5 for the entire adventure! It’s a cute little thing and my daughter enjoyed riding it in!

Nice small zoo. Pros: Nice exhibits. Grounds are clean. We enjoyed the petting zoo. The animals look well cared for. We really liked the aquarium. It allowed us to escape from the heat. The location is great for those living on the west side. The stingray touch pool is a part of the admission fee. You can buy food for the sting rays. Best part is Dillon’s KC BBQ is right next door to it. Great barbecue, and check out the huge shark tank inside. Dine with the sharks. Going to Dillon’s is worth the trip out there.
Cons: It is a little on the expensive side.
There is a $ 5 off coupon on their website:

Yes, this park is expensive without a coupon, but it’s true what they say. You get what you pay for. The animals were lively and happy, enjoying the enclosure’s shade, perches, swings and other toys. The animals seemed to enjoy their homes more than those stuck at the Phoenix Zoo which provides little shade and impersonal attendants.
Peacocks roam the grounds and enclosures are cleaned and well maintained. The aquarium has multiple sections of aquatic wildlife and was quite surprising in size. You are given a chance to get up close and personal with the furry, scaly or feathered critters who seem genuinely interested in the attention.
There are learning exhibits devoted to dispelling dangerous myths about snakes and other creatures that typically inspire caution amongst people. There are also several rides well intergraded with different animal exhibits in various ways. Be warned you do need to carry cash or utilize the park’s atm machines and it can stack up quickly.
Over all the experience was fantastic, with much to see and do compared to other local zoos and aquariums. This is easily a return destination.

We keep coming back hoping for a change… nope. The Groupon route for tix yielded $ 67.00 for 2 adults, 1 child.
The bus station in Total Recall is a cleaner experience. There seems to be a lack of quality control with the cafés, in particular, the Safari Café. A cheeseburger, 2 med drinks, 1 chicken wrap and a kids meal hot dog = $ 31.00. What you also get is a disgustingly dirty table. Take your pick, they’re all filthy. The animals in the cages are more hygienic. Sad.
I can’t blame the sense of apathy completely on the kids working there as much as I would rather hold the management responsible for low performing employees and a total disregard for standards.
No more. The total day was an astounding $ 128 ($ 3 for feed and $ 12 for waters, $ 15 for train ride plus previously mentioned). The next time, I’ll donate my money to a charity.

I love this place. Up close and personal with the animals! Bogo on admission on local eggs cartons and a sale on groupon! Go pet the sting rays, deers, goats, llamas etc. Very interactive, great education AND fun!

I have lived in the Valley for years and this was my first trip to wildlife world zoo and aquarium. I have heard it is nice and their advertising makes it looks inviting. Very deceptive and very disappointing. The grounds were dirty, trash everywhere, restrooms old and dirty, even the snack bar was dingy and dirty. We only went in the snack bar for water no way would I even consider eating there. Expensive at $ 39. And FYI it is CASH ONLY.
I agree with Camille H. «The zoo feels very DIY. Very shabby, run down, workers in trucks driving way too fast through the park.» They also don’t have many animals. The Animals are not in habitats they are in cages. Dirty everywhere, no grass, trees or shade. Nothing to stimulate the animals and no companion animals. It made me very sad for these beautiful creatures. How depressing for them. Aquarium? Fish tanks. One Otter — I felt bad for him. How lonely. It appeared people had thrown plastic pieces into the water and he kept trying to eat it. If WE noticed this why didn’t the STAFF.
I am from Portland Oregon and their zoo is amazing. Great habitats. They even have areas where different breeds live together in the same enclosure as they would in nature.
The only good thing was I went with two friends. We got to spend time together and catch up. They had never been their either and were just as disappointed as I was.

What a great zoo! The animals looked very happy and healthy while the service from various stores/​shops, and groundskeepers and animal people was friendly.

This zoo is filled with animals from all over the world. Although not as modern as the Phoenix Zoo, Wildlife World Zoo has an authentic environment.

This zoo is absolutely amazing. It is far superior to the zoo in Tempe. Better animals, more animal interaction and the new water exhibits are astonishing
The reason I gave it 3 stars? It’s $ 39 a person. I know you get what you pay for but that’s steep! Lower the prices some and people will go more frequently.

My family and I love Wildlife World Zoo. We’re annual pass members and living up the 303 from the zoo. It’s a great place to take our young children and let them walk and run around in a safe environment and they love seeing the animals and fish. The Lory Parrots and Giraffe feeding is a favorite experience of my children. We also think that the expansions that they have been doing with the aquariums and new areas has been great.
My two major complaints about the park are the need for cash and the quality of the food. It’s 2016. There’s no excuse for not accepting debit/​credit cards in the restaurants. They accept them at the entry gates and in the stores. Yes, I know that there’s a transaction charge for tickets, but nobody wants to carry cash anymore.
Second, I understand that Wildlife World Zoo is not subsidized by anyone other than themselves. They pay for everything, including the land, and therefore need people to pay for food on site instead of bringing in outside food. But if that’s the case, fix the food issues. The quality of the food compared to the price that is charged is unacceptable. The Safari Grill serves cold hamburgers that aren’t cooked well at all. It’s $ 5 for a large Pepsi and $ 3 for a bottle of water. A hamburger costs something like $ 9. I pay similar prices at the airport, but as a frequent traveler, I feel like the quality that I get from the airport is a better value. How about healthier options like sandwiches that are better cold than the burgers?

Today was such an exciting adventure! Who knew you could have so much fun in a Zoo? We got there at 11am and it was packed!!! Couldn’t find any parking so we had to go in the dirt. Didn’t know what to expect and honestly it was a ton of fun. So much fun that we left at 4pm, and we were able to see everything! All the animals were awesome and I had some great experiences today. Seeing how excited the kids were to see animals was really amazing. The zoo is doing something great for the future. Taking care of wildlife!

This place is better classified as a bird park. The same animals and birds are scattered throughout in different exhibits. We would walk so far to one end of the park to find the same bird species in a different spot. This happened several times which was tiring and disappointing. The bathrooms are horrendous and super disgusting. $ 4 for a small snow cone, $ 9 quesadillas, and $ 6 rides are excessively expensive. What’s worse is the place is really dirty, full of trash scattered here and there the day we went and the staff is rude; particularly the front cashier.
Also, we had to walk back to the entrance car park through the outside where there is no sidewalk because the gate was already closed. With 2 young kids you can imagine how much fun that was.
We do not plan on returning, but I hope that management reads my review and improves the park for future guests.

It saddens me to only give 3 stars because my kids love the zoo and we always have a good time. We have had a membership for almost a year now and we’ve visited several times and as mentioned, the zoo is fun.
However I’ve had some not so good feelings as of late and upon reading the recent reviews, I have to agree that this zoo is pretty shabby. We of course love watching the animals (hence why we got a membership) also we are a homeschooled family so having the membership has allowed us to visit a couple times a month, for just a couple hours at a time. But… I have to say that the daily admission price is absolutely absurd. I have been to other zoos that are far superior (Omaha zoo being one) and MUCH less expensive. Not to mention the RIDICULOUS prices for the rides, honestly it makes me sick to my stomach when I think of it. The only ride we’ve ever gone on is the train. Everything else is a huge ripoff with the new ‘soaring eagle’ ride costing $ 15 per person. What is this, Disneyland? Food is a non issue-​We bring our own or eat at Dillon’s.
Also the membership prices have raised dramatically. For my family of five it will be an extra $ 80 per year. So even if I wanted to renew the membership, I couldn’t. I wish they offered some kind of a discount for homeschooled families. We made trips to the zoo a part of our curriculum (that we already have to pay for).
But what I really wish is that instead of upping their admission and wasting money on the rides (don’t get me started on that nonsense again) they would use their money for the good of the animals. Make their habitats better and also more pleasant for us, the paying public. They are pretty shoddy and worn down, anything interior is dirty and appears not well taken care of.
I also have to agree about the trucks driving around way too fast. Yes it is my responsibility to keep my littles close but they SCREAM by way too fast, not even slowing down when there are small children around. I’ve made eye contact with several of the workers and their look says ‘screw you lady’.
I think I’m done with this zoo unless they up their game.

This Zoo is special. If you go with your first impression you may leave disappointed. If you have a love of nature and know a little something about animal conservation and zoology you will love this place. Did a little deeper and you will learn that this is in the top 30 zoos in the world largely because it is focused on preservation of endangered and extinct speciesL They have been recognized for their work in ornithology having successfully bred several species previously not bred in captivity. The collection is vast.
Do check out the nursery where you can see newborns from the zoo. We saw a pair of lion cub twins born Jan 30 2016. So cute! This place is bigger than is seems so allow time. There is a full service resto that is part of a local chain of seafood restos. Very good and even has live music on weekends. Give this place a try. If you pay attention you will realize what you are seeing!

What a waste of a drive and $ 39. My son’s class had a field trip here and he wanted me to come and I figure so long as he wants his mom around, I’m going to be there.
The zoo feels very DIY. In fact, it reminded me of a zoo in Mexico. Very shabby, run down, workers in trucks driving way too fast through the park. They also didn’t have many animals. Honestly, 80% of the exhibits were birds, many of which were ducks. I’ve seen ducks. I don’t need to pay $ 39 to see more. The petting zoo was ridiculous. The fair has a by far better petting zoo and many areas smelled horrible. I work for the Tempe PD Mounted Unit and I’ve mucked plenty of stalls and I know exactly what that smell is: no one is digging out the pee spots. They’re just letting it sink into the earth. Also, the animals surroundings were alarming. One of the tigers had a log, weeds and an old tire. It is heartbreaking.
Don’t waste your money and head to the Phoenix zoo instead. It’s also privately owned but they did a much better job.

What a fantastic zoo! They may not have everything but they sure do have some interesting species! I loved the two albino alligators and some of the really unique bird species. What’s also really neat about this zoo is the way the exhibits are set up, you often can get really close to the animals (beware the llamas spit!).
The aquarium aspect isn’t that awesome but it’s not bad. My last zoo experience was at the Monterrey Aquarium so expectations were high.
Pathways are dirt so be sure to wear hiking shoes or bummer shoes you don’t mind getting dusty and dirty.
I’d skip all the extra rides. They are really expensive and don’t look that spectacular.
Pack a lunch in the car cooler and bring it in to eat to save a bunch on food.
I’d also recommend getting there early to buy your tickets. They only have two very slow ticket handlers and if there’s at all a crowd, you’ll be waiting for a really long time to get in.

Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium (WWZA) is a Zoo/​Aquarium/​Theme Park located about 30 minutes from Phoenix. Despite it being smaller than the Phoenix Zoo (95-​acres vs 125-​acres) the layout of WWZA feels more open and inviting. I honestly didn’t think it was going to be that great, but they were open on Thanksgiving, and it felt like something to do. We had a lot of fun because it had a lot of interactive aspects, and it just felt like you were that much closer to the animals than most other zoos – which makes for great picture opportunities!
Admission (as of Feb ’16):
Adult (13+): $ 37.00 +tax
Child (3 — 12): $ 16.00 +tax
2 & Under: Free
Special Evening Admission to Aquarium Only (After 5:00 p.m.)
Adult (13+): $ 16.99 +tax
Child (3 — 12): $ 8.99 +tax
2 & Under: Free
They also have senior discounts, AAA, group discounts and –because I’m a swell guy– here a link to a $ 5-​off coupon:
Highlights:
–Animal feeding stations! Feed the Ducks, Giraffes and Petting Zoo for 50¢; Seals for $ 5 and the Lory Parrots are free with admission. The Giraffes and Lories are a *Must Do* – especially if you have young kids!
–Dillion’s KC BBQ (
) is attached right to the Aquarium, and has some great seating to view the Shark Tank if you sit inside. The also serve up some pretty decent Q, as well.
–The 15-​acre Safari Park (that you can take a train ride through) was really well put together and lots of fun. This exhibit really put you almost in the cage with the animals.
–Dragon World which featured lots of really cool Crocs, Gators, Snakes and much more!
–180,000 Gallon tank Aquarium that’s the only public Aquarium between San Diego and Albuquerque.
–With their recent addition of three California Sea Lions, this is the only place in AZ that you can see Marine Mammals.
The WWZA just opened their brand-​new 15-​acre section titled «Adventure Land» on Feb 1, 2016. This was still being built when I visited, so I’ll be sure to check it out next time. Regardless, the WWZA is a fun and entertaining way to spend the day with your family. If you’re visiting Phoenix area and want to visit a zoo, I highly recommend skipping the Phoenix Zoo and taking the short ride here to WWZA.

I don’t know where to start. My first visit to Wildlife World Zoo was today and I had a blast. I’ve wanted to go for years– and finally just bought a Living Social deal for myself & went. It was worth it! Admission for adult is $ 32, which I think is kind of steep, so paying $ 22 for my Living Social deal was worth it. There are 2 lines to get your tickets to get in and can be fast. Parking is close and plentiful.
Once in, the exhibits are laid out in a large circle with no empty space without an animal in between. They have a TON of birds– finches, peacocks, macaws, etc– all throughout the park. Then they have indoor exhibits– houses like «Dragon World» featuring large lizards and snakes, and «It’s a Small World» with small mammals like rodents, monkeys, etc. There’s a new Safari area with lions, hyenas, baboons, warthogs, ostriches and more, that is accessible on foot or on guided tram ($ 5). Want to feed the giraffes? 50¢ a handful and they come right up to you!
The gem of the park is their aquarium collection. As a scuba diver and ocean lover, there were some sharks I had not seen IRL before (Port Jackson & Wobbegong), and a massive collection of different kind of ocean fish– lionfish, look downs, damsels, puffers, clownfish, barracuda, piranha, araima, and more! Plus penguins, the most playful otters I’ve ever seen, and sea lions!
There are some scheduled feelings for birds, sea lions, penguins, but other animals you can buy food at the exhibit and feed.
We spent an entire day there– saw every animal & exhibit, and even had lunch at Dillon’s next to the shark tank. I would totally go again. Worth the trip, worth the money, worth the time. I only dock it 1 star because some exhibits show their age– a handwritten name placard and a duct taped empty exhibit. I hope they put some more money into it and make it even better!