Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (PDZA) is located in Tacoma, Washington, US, and is the only combined zoo and aquarium in the Pacific Northwest. 1905 is when its story starts. Add Space Needle, 23 mi away, to a visit.
A zoo & aquarium inside Tacoma
You can stay in Tacoma
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is inside Tacoma, which has 43 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Established in 1905
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium dates from 1905. About ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep
May, June, July, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 66–77°. When to go ↓
An airport 4 miles away
Tacoma Narrows (TIW) has airline service, about 4 miles from Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
When to go
Each month’s highs and lows around Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium are below.
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (PDZA) is located in Tacoma, Washington, US, and is the only combined zoo and aquarium in the Pacific Northwest. PDZA is owned by Metro Parks Tacoma. Situated on 29 acres (12 ha) in Tacoma's Point Defiance Park, the zoo and aquarium are home to over 9,000 specimens representing 367 animal species. The zoo was founded in 1905; the aquarium was founded in 1935 near Commencement Bay and relocated within the zoo in 1963. Both are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. In Pierce County, Washington, this is said to be one of the most popular tourist destinations, bringing in over more than 600,000 visitors per year.
- Type
- Zoo & aquarium
- Area
- 27 acres
- Established
- 1905
- Wikipedia readers
- 6.9K a year
Hotels and campgrounds near Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Rooms are nearest in Tacoma (43) and Seattle (201).
- 1Space Needle
- 2Lumen Field
- 3Climate Pledge Arena
- 4Tacoma Dome
- 5T-Mobile Park
- 6Seattle Underground
- 7Wild Waves Theme Park
- 8Husky Stadium
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tacoma | in town | — | 43 30 hotels · 3 motels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 5 lodges & cabins · 1 campground | 229,816 | $480K | D− |
| Seattle | 23 mi north | 35 min | 201 148 hotels · 8 motels · 32 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 5 hostels · 1 campground | 784,777 | $939K | D− |
| SeaTac | 14 mi northeast | 20 min | 49 39 hotels · 7 motels · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 RV park | 34,578 | $520K | D |
| Vashon | 8 mi northeast | 10 min | 21 5 hotels · 8 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 5 campgrounds | 9,934 | $791K | — |
| Federal Way | 9 mi east | 15 min | 19 14 hotels · 3 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground | 99,729 | $553K | D |
| Fife | 9 mi southeast | 15 min | 15 11 hotels · 3 motels · 1 RV park | 11,061 | $543K | D− |
| Lakewood | 10 mi south | 15 min | 15 10 hotels · 5 motels | 62,755 | $461K | D |
| Gig Harbor | 4 mi northwest | 5 min | 6 3 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 RV park | 12,630 | $767K | C− |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Worth adding to a visit
These well-known sights sit within 26 miles.
Big draw123 mi LookoutSpace Needle
Big draw222 mi Stadium & arenaLumen Field
Big draw323 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena
46 mi Stadium & arenaTacoma Dome
522 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Park
622 mi Ancient siteSeattle Underground
710 mi Theme parkWild Waves Theme Park
826 mi Stadium & arenaHusky StadiumPhoto credits
Space Needle: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lumen Field: "Smart Destinations", GoSeattleCard.com, and Go Seattle Card Blog, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Climate Pledge Arena: Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tacoma Dome: Broran28, Public domain · T-Mobile Park: MyName (Cacophony), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Seattle Underground: Mark Hursh, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wild Waves Theme Park: Jessica Spengler from Hove, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0 · Husky Stadium: Atomic Taco, CC BY-SA 2.0
Questions before you go
Is Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma?
Yes. It’s inside Tacoma, WA.
When is the best time to visit Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium?
May, June, July, August and September, with highs of 66–77°.
What is the closest airport to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium?
Tacoma Narrows (TIW), about 4 miles away. The nearest big hub is Seattle–Tacoma (SEA), about 14 miles.
Where should I stay near Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium?
Tacoma (in town, 43 places to stay), Seattle (23 mi, 201 places to stay) and SeaTac (14 mi, 49 places to stay).
From people who live in Tacoma
Tips will appear here once someone posts in Tacoma’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.