Philadelphia Zoo
The Philadelphia Zoo is a zoo located in the Centennial District of Philadelphia on the west bank of the Schuylkill River. Its history begins in 1874. Around it, USS New Jersey (4.1 mi) comes first on our list.
A zoo & aquarium inside Philadelphia
You can stay in Philadelphia
Philadelphia Zoo is inside Philadelphia, which has 168 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from New York City
New York City is about 82 miles northeast and Baltimore is about 88 miles southwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Established in 1874
Philadelphia Zoo dates from 1874. About ↓
Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Sep and Oct
April, May, June, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 64–83°. When to go ↓
An airport 7 miles away
Philadelphia (PHL) has airline service, about 7 miles from Philadelphia Zoo.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
The year’s weather
Every month near Philadelphia Zoo is set out below.
Philadelphia Zoo
The Philadelphia Zoo is a zoo located in the Centennial District of Philadelphia on the west bank of the Schuylkill River. It was the first true zoo in the United States; it was chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, but its opening was delayed by the Civil War until July 1, 1874. The zoo opened with 1,000 animals and an admission price of 25 cents. For a brief time, the zoo also housed animals brought to U.S. from safaris by the Smithsonian Institution, which had not yet built its National Zoo.
The Philadelphia Zoo is one of the premier zoos in the world for breeding animals that are difficult to breed in captivity. The zoo also works with many groups around the world to protect the natural habitats of the animals in their care.
- Type
- Zoo & aquarium
- Animals
- 1 animals · 340 species
- Area
- 42 acres
- Owner
- The Zoological Society of Philadelphia
- Established
- 1874
- Wikipedia readers
- 22K a year
A base for Philadelphia Zoo
For a bed close by, look to Philadelphia (168) and Lower Merion Township (12).
- 1USS New Jersey
- 2Eastern State Penitentiary
- 3Lincoln Financial Field
- 4Independence Hall
- 5Xfinity Mobile Arena
- 6Philadelphia Museum of Art
- 7Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
- 8Lynnewood Hall
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Philadelphia Zoo | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | in town | — | 168 133 hotels · 2 motels · 17 inns & B&Bs · 9 lodges & cabins · 3 hostels · 4 campgrounds | 1,574,281 | $243K | D− |
| Lower Merion Township | 6 mi northwest | 10 min | 12 9 hotels · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds | 64,691 | $810K | B− |
| Upper Merion Township | 13 mi northwest | 20 min | 26 23 hotels · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs | 36,674 | $455K | C− |
| Tinicum Township | 8 mi south | 10 min | 13 13 hotels | 3,985 | $207K | C− |
| Mount Laurel Township | 16 mi east | 25 min | 34 31 hotels · 3 motels | 47,738 | $357K | C |
| Bellmawr | 9 mi southeast | 15 min | 11 8 hotels · 3 motels | 11,874 | $239K | B− |
| Cherry Hill Township | 12 mi southeast | 15 min | 14 11 hotels · 3 campgrounds | 79,965 | $386K | — |
| Bensalem Township | 16 mi northeast | 25 min | 21 17 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground | 62,783 | $364K | C |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Nearby, too
The best known nearby are within 8 miles.
Big draw14 mi MuseumUSS New Jersey
Big draw2in town MuseumEastern State Penitentiary
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaLincoln Financial Field
Big draw43 mi Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year
Big draw55 mi Stadium & arenaXfinity Mobile Arena
6in town MuseumPhiladelphia Museum of Art437K visitors a year
72 mi MuseumAcademy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
Big draw88 mi MuseumLynnewood HallPhoto credits
USS New Jersey: Camera Operator: PH3 BRYANT, Public domain · Eastern State Penitentiary: Davidt8, Public domain · Lincoln Financial Field: The original uploader was Betp at French Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Independence Hall: Mys 721tx, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Xfinity Mobile Arena: Jen Smith, CC BY 3.0 · Philadelphia Museum of Art: Unknown, Public domain · Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University: See below, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lynnewood Hall: Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Planning a visit to Philadelphia Zoo
Is Philadelphia Zoo in Philadelphia?
Yes. It’s inside Philadelphia, PA.
When is the best time to visit Philadelphia Zoo?
April, May, June, September and October, with highs of 64–83°.
How far is Philadelphia Zoo from Newark and Jersey City?
About 75 miles northeast of Newark and about 78 miles northeast of Jersey City, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Philadelphia Zoo?
Philadelphia (PHL), about 7 miles away.
Where should I stay near Philadelphia Zoo?
Philadelphia (in town, 168 places to stay), Lower Merion Township (6 mi, 12 places to stay) and Upper Merion Township (13 mi, 26 places to stay).
Inside knowledge from Philadelphia
Nobody has posted a tip yet; ask or answer in Philadelphia’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.