Want to visit the Smithsonian National Zoo? We spent the day there and had a blast!
We are fortunate to live about 2 hours from Washington, D.C., but this was our first time at our nation’s zoo.
The day was gorgeous and we had a great time meandering the walking paths to see all of the animals.
I loved the flamingos. Aren’t they gorgeous yet funny looking at the same time?
While zoos are an awesome opportunity to see exotic and beautiful animals, I struggle with the fact that they truly are out of their natural habitat.
If you are planning a trip to the Smithsonian National Zoo:
- The price for admission is FREE
- Parking at the zoo is $16 for the first 3 hours and $22 for over 3 hours. We arrived to the zoo at noon and the parking lots were full. We were directed to a residential area where the parking was free, but the limit is 2 hours. We forgot about the parking limit and stayed at the park for about 3 1/2 hours. Fortunatly for us, we were not ticketed, but a car across the street was not so lucky; it had a boot on the tire.
- You are allowed to take your own food and drinks into the park. The park offers typical park food: burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, etc. There aren’t any restaurants surrounding the park that we could see to walk to, so be prepared to either buy at the park or pack your own.
- For more information, check out the park website, National Zoo.
Have you been the to National Zoo in Washington, D.C.? Tell us about it in the comments.
Anybody going to the National Zoo should be prepared for walking up a large hill. I love the zoo but there is no way to go without hiking up hill! So wear comfortable shoes. We had a membership one year (free parking!) and really enjoyed going.
Emily – Good Point! I consider myself fairly fit from running, but my 4 year old pooped out walking and I ended up carrying her up that long hill. I was pooped out too at the top. Thanks for the comments!