www.nationalzoo.si.edu

This 163-acre zoo features what seems like almost every creature known to man, with 2,400 animals representing 400 species, 20 percent of which are endangered or threatened. The zoo was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the ingenious landscape architect who also designed New York's Central Park and Boston's Public Gardens.

This zoo has so many highlights, it is difficult to narrow them down. Without a doubt, the current star of the zoo is the little panda bear Tai Shan, born at the zoo in 2005. The kids will also love the antics at the monkey house, the Amazonian tropical rain forest, the Kids' Farm, and the seals. There are also lions, tigers, bears, elephants, hippos, snakes, and a wonderful aviary. Children find the exhibit of mole rats in the small-mammals building particularly fascinating. The National Zoo is also the home of one of the few Komodo dragons ever bred in captivity. To see everything, you'll have to walk around, so be sure everyone wears comfortable shoes! It will take you a minimum of four hours to do the zoo justice.

Exhibits at a Glance

During the summer months, four exhibits are often crowded: Amazonia, the invertebrate exhibit, the Reptile Discovery Center, and especially the giant panda exhibit. Amazonia, the zoo's largest exhibit, features a steamy habitat for free-roaming amphibians, small mammals, and birds, as well as an aquarium to hold tropical fish. The Reptile Discovery Center has a number of interactive exhibit areas for children to learn about the biology of reptiles and amphibians. The invertebrate exhibit features a giant octopus, which is fed several times a day. The museum director claims that the octopus has been able to open a screw-top jar with a shrimp inside all by itself! The Pollinarium, a glass-enclosed addition, illustrates the mechanics of pollination and the role insects play.

The giant panda exhibit features baby Tai Shan (“Peaceful Mountain”) and his parents Mei Xiang (the mommy) and Tian Tian (good old dad). Although the baby was born here, he will probably be returned to China soon to become part of the breeding population. The older pandas are here on a ten-year loan from China, where there are only about 1,000 giant pandas left. Only twenty of those live outside China, which is why this family is so popular with American visitors. The older pandas are due to return home in 2010, but experts expect them to breed again before that. In the winter months the pandas may be indoors, but in the summer they can be seen through glass walls strolling through their outdoor yard. You'll have to get free, timed tickets to view Tai Shan. It's best to get them in advance, although a limited number of same-day tickets may also be available.

Other exhibits at the museum include the recently renovated monkey house that features the Think Tank, where orangutans play on computers. In addition to housing giraffes, rhinos, and hippos, the elephant house has a wonderful indoor exhibit on the anatomy of the elephant in comparison to dinosaurs that will leave any child fascinated. The small-mammal house features everything from small cats to mongooses. The Indoor Flight Room and the Outdoor Flight Cage combine to make a wonderful aviary with 150 species of birds. The outdoor cage is particularly well done, like the neighboring exhibit on the wetlands, which contains five wading pools featuring waterfowl and wading birds. The lion and tiger exhibit is also quite interactive, with many displays for children to learn about these animals' jungle instincts and preservation of the species.

Other exhibits include Beaver Valley, a fun-to-watch habitat when the animals (especially the otters) are active and viewable behind a glass wall, and the new Asia Trail.

Food and Shops

There are several places to eat on the premises. The full-scale Mane restaurant is located on Lion/Tiger Hill, and the Panda Café is near the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat. Express Grill is at Panda Plaza, and Popstop (seasonal) is across from the small-mammal house. There are snack stands and picnic areas (you may bring your own food) scattered throughout the park. Three fabulous gift shops (at Panda Plaza, Lion/Tiger Hill, and the Visitors' Center) feature all sorts of zoo-related toys, books, plates, scarves, and jewelry with an animal motif. If you forget to buy something here, there are Smithsonian stores at Union Station and Reagan National Airport.

Location and Hours

The National Zoo is located on the 3000 block of Connecticut Avenue, between Cathedral Avenue and Devonshire Place, and is accessible from the Woodley Park/Zoo or Cleveland Park Metro station (Red Line) — a ten-minute walk will get you from the station to the zoo. From April 2 to October 28, the grounds are open from 6 A.M. until 8 P.M.; the buildings from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. From October 29 to April 1, the grounds are open from 6 A.M. to 6 P.M.; the buildings from 10 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. There is limited pay parking on the zoo grounds, which fills up in the summer by 10 A.M. Stroller rentals are available.