We recently headed to Pittsburgh for a mini vacation and we were so excited to head the Zoo. It was a nice cool, overcast day and all of us were looking forward hanging around at the Zoo and the PPG Aquarium. My kids are on a huge sealife kick right now, so they couldn’t wait to get there.
I received tickets to facilitate this post.
It’s an Adventure!
Getting to the Zoo was a bit funny as our GPS brought us to the back, not the public entrance. Thankfully there are signs to show you where to go, or you can be smarter than us and use the address listed on their website for GPS (also see map below)! When you arrive you can buy your tickets at the gate, or to save time you can get your tickets online here. As with any other location be sure to check the hours ahead of time to make sure they were open. Parking was more than ample and free! Once you are inside the Zoo you can take the escalator/elevator up or make the hike up…we did the hike but it was much steeper than I anticipated!
Lions, Tigers, and Elephants, Oh My!
We had such a good time checking out all the animals, it’s wasn’t very busy so we got to take our time. One of the very first things we got to enjoy was the male lions one was “barking”. We all enjoyed the elephants and seeing how big the elephant babies are compared to our human kids. The Safari Animals were our family favorite. We watched the zebras play a game of tag and the giraffes have a snack. Have you seen their tongues? They are crazy!
Nose to Nose in Close Encounters
Get up close and personal, you know, nose to nose, with animals like sea lions, red pandas, reptiles and more. Tickets can be booked online and must be booked 2 weeks in advance. Or you can be brave and take the Zipline! Get an amazing view from above. I wish we had taken the Zipline but our little ones are too small. Read more about the Zipline requirements here.
Save Your Feet: Ride the Tram
Tram rides are available daily, take a covered rid with 8 different stops. Purchase the tram wristband and you can get on an off all day as needed. The tram passes each stop roughly every 20 minutes. We skipped this adventure because we brought our double stroller and we don’t mind the exercise! But this would have been great for Grandma and Grandpa if they had been with us!
PPG Aquarium and Places to Play
This was our kids favorite part for sure. The kids loved learning about the Sea Turtle rescue program and seeing all the amazing sea life. There is a huge tank (pictured above) that the kids loved seeing both from above and below! We even saw a Shark egg! One thing that I absolutely loved (the kids did too) was the amazing amount of places for the kids to play. There is climbing nets, huge slides, and even tunnel type play areas!
Get Your Tickets:
Admission tickets to the Zoo are Adults $16, Seniors age 60+ $15, Children ages 2-13 $14, Children under 2 are free. Parking is also free! All active duty, reservists, and veterans of the military receive free general admission with proper ID. Does not include family members.
Hours and Location:
The Zoo is open daily from 9:30 am to 6 pm. the entrance gates close at 4:30 pm.
7370 Baker Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
