Edmonton Valley Zoo

Great walk really neat seeing the animals made out of Legos. And we got to see Lucy rare site. She's up there in age.

Lucy the world's loneliest elephant hasn't seen another elephant in decades. Her only "companions" follow her with bull hooks when she's not in her concrete cell. She has two sanctuaries waiting for her, but the zoo won't let her leave because $$. It's depressing and infuriating that they refuse to give her a better life.
I don't know how anyone can support this cruelty.
#FreeLucy

It’s a very small zoo but still you can see many animals there. You can have food inside- there are like 3-4 shops from where you can buy food but it’s little bit overpriced. Zoo staff is friendly!

The environment is well maintained and buying tickets on site is more expensive than buying tickets online. It is not convenient to go by bus. I recommend taking a taxi. You must go in the morning, there are almost no animals if you go in the afternoon. I arrived at about 2: 30 in the afternoon and saw less than 10 animals, but the official website said there were more than 250 species of animals... Because there were so few animals, it only took an hour to walk around.

A lot of the animals seem to be bored, and pacing a lot. As well as a lot of empty enclosures.

I haven't been to the Valley Zoo for years. It was a real treat. Lots of kids watching otters, seals, zebras, tigers.lots of splendid creatures. The teacher-leader did a good job of bringing information to the kids by introducing several small unusual animals and some skulls.
Well worth the time and money.

Lovely place but not enough animals. Might be the end of the warm season. Otherwise nice place to spend a day with your family.

Clean. It is a cute space for families and it's not over whelming for young kids. A few interactive spaces for kids to enjoy. The mini train, carousel, and rock park are the big hits with my toddlers.
We booked our timed entry. Almost no line.

Horribly disappointing. This place is still considered a zoo? Close to a third of the animals left in the zoo were unavailable for display, most of the displays were that of Lego animals, and so many displays were closed or unavailable for viewing. Don't waste your time and money on this place and go to a real zoo down the highway in Calgary. Even the Saskatoon wild animal park is better than the valley zoo. Felt sorry for poor lonely Lucy the elephant which were able to see.

Personally recommend! Amazing zoo and stuff.
Their tour program Animals talk is very informative for adults and for kids as well over around zoo locations.
Planning your time with family, friends, even alone to walk over here and jump out of your daily routine!)

J'ai adorer mon expérience, un zoo pas trop achalandé, j'ai vue plusieurs animaux. Je recommande pour une belle sortie en famille le prix d'entrée est très abordable

Enjoyed the Red Panda he was running around and playing.enjoyed the zoo very knowledgeable staff.

Its a shame that humans feel the need to toss garbage wherever they feel.
The staff was friendly and informative. The animals were well kept and looked great.

My favourite place to take our two year old. So much fun. Staff are great. We especially appreciate when they mention that Lucy is out for a walk. Hidden gem of a place in Edmonton. Highly recommend chicken fingers and fries for lunch from 40 Acre. Feeds a family of three!

A lot nicer than I remembered it being (I haven't been in a few years). The new entrance is great, and it's nice seeing the raptors have been moved into larger spaces. I also think moving towards mostly northern species is a great idea conservation-wise! Seems like they're continuing to upgrade exhibits as well, so that's great! Go Edmonton Valley Zoo!

Last visited the zoo over 10 years ago and it has vastly improved since then. One of Edmontons hidden gems. Go visit I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Would have loved to see the sloths today, but everything was great otherwise our favs were probably the Red Pandas and the goats of the roof!
Everyone who works there is super friendly too, but I found the Gift shop lady kind of rude. We quickly checked it out upon leaving the Zoo and as we got in she said "you have five mins" then a moment later. "bring your stuff to the front" um, no thanks, we won't buy anything at all in that case.

Some nice animals, but a lot of it was
Fairly depressing to be honest. Half of the exhibits were closed and a lot of Enclosures could really use some updating. The newer areas are much better. Wouldn’t go back tbh

Price is good for what you get but it's nothing out of this world. Considering we have the WEM I thought we would have an awesome zoo. This zoo is quite boring. Most areas they cut off because of covid I'm guessing, so for example the lemurs, you could only see them from the outside view but they cut off the section to get close and look at them so we couldn't even see the good action from them. They don't have many animals so I'd expect to at least see the cool ones better.

Every year I want to go and then every year I forget how unsatisfying it is.

Our favourite part was the serval cat.

Spend at least 2 hours. Not too many animals too see. Prefer to go 2 hs before they close as not to many people. Went there in the summer and fall this year. Fall colors are just so beautiful there.

Could have been the time of year, but there was very little animals to actually see and enjoy, other then monkeys and otters.

The EVZ has physically come a long way in the last decade. It provides a better quality of life for the animals then in the past. Its a fun, engaging and informational experience in a very pretty setting. The staff are very nice and care a great deal about the animals.

The zoo had a number of exhibits and areas closed for our visit, but it was well laid out for social distancing. The new community farm looks like a great area and the diner there serves up some really good food.

Found the set up for COVID kind of frustrating. The one way system kind of defeated the purpose where crowds easily formed trying to go through. Was also frustrated with bathroom access. My 4 year old nephew needed the washroom and of course he mentions this when we were quite far from one. We made our way to it and there was a worker there stating we needed masks. I understand for adults as I could easily put one on. But she insisted he have one too even after I stated we were rushing him to the washroom. The only mask they had was an adult sized one so she made us take the time to tie knots in the strings so it would fit his little face. We finally got into the building which again was another one way and had to wait for crowds to move out of the way for us to get to the washroom. We luckily made it and then had to continue following the one way through two buildings and more crowds just to get back out. Was not the greatest experience.

The route is set up quite easy to follow throughout the different habitats. We had a great time and everyone was friendly and helpful.

PLEASE STOP SUPPORTING THIS ZOO. This place is one of the worst zoos I have seen besides Lloydminster zoo. This place should be closed down. Seeing Lucy being neglected is inhumane. Hurts my heart and is on every level unethical.

The fact that the zoo was offered free assessments for Lucy who has lived her life in the unfit, subzero temperatures of Northern Alberta with no family is beyond sad.

This zoo denied top professional vet help including Cher who wants nothing but the best for this elephant. They would not benefit off of Lucy and only have her best interest at heart. It is the Edmonton Valley Zoo that has denied this help and best interest for Lucy.it is beyond outrageous.

Have assessments done outside the people that make money off of her presence in this zoo.

Animals have rights. Lucy has rights.and they do not belong in the hands of people using them for financial benefit.

Sad and sickened by the people entrusted with Lucy and all the animals
care. This goes to show that Lucy is nothing more than a money maker for this establishment.

Send them to sanctuaries where they should live out the remainder of lives.

The Edmonton Valley Zoo is a wonderful experience for young families. Not as fancy or as wide a selection of wildlife compared with other major city zoos, but a very Edmonton centered selection. Glad to have this facility and those that support it nearby. Wildlife, diversity, and our understanding and respect of the same are important parts of global citizenship. Would highly recommend a visit to all young families. I would note that about a whole third of my time was spent with the kids rolling down grass hills and exploring the rock maze area. The kids also spent a large amount of time looking at and laughing about young chickens, goats on the roof, and the mooing cows. Book a visit now. Support this great facility. Help it grow.

I visited early morning on a weekday, expecting it to be relatively low action and likely would miss out on some displays. BUT, not the case! It was bustling with activity and zoo workers to educate me and my daughter about the animals!

Good but with covid I thought people could have distanced a little more felt I had too distance myself from crowds pressed against animal habitat. Otherwise amazing they have goats on there roofs no joke pre cool

It’s a wonderful place to go to. Going to ZooBrew, one of their premier events, you really see that the people who work at the Valley Zoo enjoy what they do for a living. Their passion can be seen through the events and overall friendliness. 5 stars all round.

Amazing experience! Staff was wonderful (huge shout out to the gentleman on security, he was knowledgable and so friendly) and most everything is open and available to see (Lucy was off for the day). The scenery and paths were beautiful and well kept. Definitely recommend if you're in Edmonton

Well.attractive and educated but when we went there on Wednesday around 10am, 90%animals were hiding or still sleeps perhaps. I can't find pinguin and hippos there. I missed Calgary zoo since we moved from Calgary to 2hours north of edmonton.

What a fun place place to spend the day! Supporting the zoo supports all the cute animals you would not be able to see otherwise in your everyday life! The staff and the animals are all amazing. I suggest buying your tickets online before arrival and spend the day/ take your time. The poison frogs are my favorite. We can't wait to go back.

This was a magical day for the kiddos! It's been a long while since I've been to the zoo. Protocols for masks were in place and explained quite well with staff at every building entrance with extra masks. Very clear path layed out to follow (one way). Lots of animals to explore and some wicked structures and play on sculptures for the kiddos. Will definitely make this a yearly trip

I've been to the valley zoo around 10 times in the past 8 years. To say the least, it is very unimpressive. I have never gotten to see a lot of animals when I am there. They always seem to be sleeping or hiding and when they are out they look so depressed. Also, the animals are difficult to see because they put up massive fences all over the place and you can only see the animals from like 30 feet away in most cases. This was probably the last time I will waste my money taking my kids here.

Lots of beautiful changes since the last time we visited but disappointed that many of the sanitizer stations were empty and the handwriting station had no soap. When I asked the custodial staff to refill soap, they said its not their area.

We visited the zoo on August 13th, 2021 and we spoke with a very nice young lady working there by the name of Dallas. She was very good at interacting with my son who is almost 5 years old.

The animals were really cool to see but I felt bad for the larger animals. They looked bored. The lemurs, meerkats are the red panda were our favorites.

Nothing to compare to Calgary's Zoo, but still is a very nice place! The barn yard has a cool design! It would be wonderful, if explanations were put next to adapted animal cages! Where an animal was found, its name etc. Thank you!

Makes perfect sense to have an elephant is freezing Canada. Time to retire the elephant that people have to kindly asked to do so. Won't you be compassionate?

Absolutely heartbroken about Lucy the resident elephant here. She had to endure bitterly cold winters, and is completely alone which is not natural for an elephant. There is an option to let her go to a sanctuary, please, use your voice to implore these people to let this animal be happy

This facility should get 0 stars because of their poor management of Lucy the Elephant alone never mind the rest of the dump. Disgraceful conditions in which this poor elephant lives, the zoo continues to deceive the public about Lucy's health and her options for transport to sanctuary. She should have been retired a long time ago, keeping her alone is cruel. Where is her pool?

As for the rest of the place, it's generally poor as well. The animals housed here are suffering. The only decent areas are those for the general public. Citizens should be ashamed of this so called attraction. Shame on the City of Edmonton.

I feel so sad when I think about Edmonton Valley Zoo and poor Lucy locked up, alone and cold. She has been given TWO chances for freedom in a warm sanctuary but the zoo refuses to let her go. Please EVZ do the right thing! The world is watching and we wont give up. Send Lucy to sanctuary so people can believe you actually care about the animals in your care. #FreeLucy

We have been here before and it wasn't all that impressive but the kids liked it and that's what counts.

Last time though we went to their zoominescence event, and that, the kids didn't enjoy.
It was dark so all we got to see were a couple sheeps and yes they had some nice lights displays but nowhere near enough to wow the little ones.

We will return, during the day.

Zoo Lights is fairly quiet and very easy to distance with other patrons. Saw several animals including tiger and wolves. Hot chocolate and snacks available.

Attended Zoominessence with the family. We all enjoyed seeing the beautiful light/art displays and some animals - especially the birds of prey. We were also pleased with how they adapted this annual event to adhere to pandemic guidelines.

I really enjoyed their winter lights and activities. The works of art were beautiful and there were lots of interactive stations and photo ops. I got a Chai Latte in the cafe to drink while we wandered and it was quite good

Bery nice place was a great experience its very friendly staff. We went the last day of the show of incredible christmas ligths to the rhythm of music

The Valley Zoo is such a magical place this time of year. The Zoominesence festival going on with the lights is amazing. It's a great place to go with the family and take in the sights. Take the kids, learn about the animals and get a little festive. Can't recommend this enough. As an added bonus, they have meeting rooms for smaller get together and parties!

I feel like this shouldn't be called a Zoo but rather a Sanctuary. The staff are always friendly and helpful. The programs and daily schedule is easy to find. My advice is.don't go there expecting to see a lot. Some days you do, some days you don't. These are animals. They are living and breathing things and don't care if you want to see them. Overall if you make day of it, its worth the price. Buy lunch at one of the vendors or places.or have a picnic on the hill or table.

Instead of Edmonton being named "the city of champions" we should name it "home of the worlds most depressed elephant"
Her enclosure is far too small for one elephant and her indoor living area is disgusting and the cement is crumbling apart. It is really such a sad sight to see. If you want to go see a beautiful zoo with animals running around in large enclosures go visit the Calgary zoo.more worth your time and money.

Great zoo to visit with family. Even in the middle of the winter it had a great variety of animals to see and learn about as well as a great light display. Easy to follow paths and very helpful staff. Happy to have taken the time to visit while in Edmonton.

Although i would love to see more exhibits in Edmonton Valley Zoo in near future- this is still a good one. You can visit the zoo in less than 2 hours altogether. Its a lot fun in the summer than in the winter to visit the zoo. During winter, they have the Christmas zoo lights - good place for photoshoot just before sunset. Visiting the zoo when the temperature outside was -12DegC was good indeed.

Visited during Zoomenescence. Will definitely be back as was our first visit during this Christmas light show. Absolutely amazing however not many critters viewed as too dark. Lights were magical. Very icy in spots due to rain the other day and dispute gravel being down.

Small but enjoyable zoo. Well maintained and animals seem to be all in a good spot. Was able to see Zoominescence: A Festival of Light, nice light displays throughout the zoo

When I first came to Edmonton people told me not to go to this zoo. Ok! It’s not Calgary but I really like it and would recommend it to people visiting

Many areas closed and confusing signage. Paid full price for winter zoo and if Iveson wants to charge our hamlet taxes to keep this zoo going (when we pay admission to go and donate and attend fundraisers) we will likely stop going. Our schools pay huge to field trip there as well.

Went during Zoominesence, the lights were very stunning. The zoo itself is beautiful during the winter and we were able to see several animals we don't normally see in the heat of the summer. The size of this zoo makes it really great for kids. There are also many newly renovated sections of the zoo with new exhibits, so that made it even more interesting!

Went to see Zoominesence? And what a wonderful display of Christmas lighting. Absolutely magical. Was too dark to see many animals but the lights and colors made up for this. Walkways, despite gravel down, were very slippy in spots. Will certainly attend this event again as was our first visit during this annual celebration.

Went at night to see the light set up. Everything was amazing, the animals where very active, wolves howled, otters play fighting, elephant playing tag and hide and go seek with an attendant. Had a great time and will be going again

Not many exhibits open during winter and the renovation period but, it was a highlight seeing the reindeer in a snowy minus 22 degs. A true winter experience.

It's pretty good, but not the best zoo. They are slowly updating exhibits so that it does not look so dated. But the Zoo still has an old feel.to it. But the staff and events do a great job at offering interactive and fun events.

The zoo appears to be under a lot of construction right now but was still a good time with the kids. Red pandas were lots of fun and sloths are always a win.

Poor excuse for a zoo and Edmonton city attraction. Almost all animals weren't available. The enclosures are poorly maintained. Some areas are under construction, there is a dead end after the lemurs (that weren't in there). Bathrooms spread apart, and the women's bathroom in the Saito Centre needs alot of cleaning. Hardly any staff available for assistance or help. The strollers are dirty. Overpriced food, only one concession open and tucked away. The 2nd ice cream place was closed. For the admission we paid for we could've went to any other attraction and had alot more fun probably for a cheaper cost.

It's extremely cynical n sick to lease baby-cows from farmers, then return them knowing that male calf will be butchered in the near future by his owner! Take only rescued animals to the zoo. This is absurd to practice such things! I never saw this cruel idea about cows in any other zoo. If zoo is about animals it's should be about animals' lives - not only about how many people this male cow will attract to the zoo n how much u will earn with his help! I've had disgusting experience yesterday cuz of this situation. Won't come to this zoo again n won't bring children there.