The Phoenix Zoo

Phoenix Zoo is one of the largest private non-profit zoos in the United States — 125 acres in Papago Park with over 3,000 animals, a flagship Safari Train ride, giraffe feeding, a carousel, a splash pad, and the beloved annual ZooLights holiday light show. For Scottsdale families and visitors, it's the premier zoo experience in the Arizona desert.

The zoo is organized into several themed areas: the Arizona Trail showcases native Sonoran Desert wildlife, the Africa Trail features the large mammals kids expect, the Tropics section explores rainforest species, and the Discovery Trail focuses on more hands-on educational content. The scale means a full visit takes 3-5 hours — families with younger children typically cover less ground than families with school-age kids who can handle longer distances.

The Safari Train — included in zoo admission — is a crowd favorite that circuits the zoo grounds and gives kids an overview of the landscape before choosing which sections to explore on foot. Giraffe feeding (separately ticketed) is an up-close wildlife interaction that children remember for years. The splash pad provides relief during warm months.

Summer management is the critical planning consideration for Phoenix Zoo. Arizona summer heat (110°F+) makes the outdoor zoo genuinely challenging from June through September. The zoo opens at 7am in summer specifically for families who want to visit in the cooler morning hours. Plan to be there by 7am and wrap up by 10am. The aquatic section and shaded areas extend the viable visiting window.

ZooLights, running November through January, transforms the zoo into one of the largest holiday light shows in the Southwest — over 3.5 million lights, warming stations, and holiday food. It's a completely different experience from a daytime zoo visit and worth planning separately.