The Zoological Parks are a memory every child should have. Every child should have that memory of mom or dad walking them down the sidewalk touring every funky creature, and dangerous creature alike. You will see animals that you never thought existed, or that you never thought you could see. There will be creepy crawlies and giant beasts. The lions will roar and the birds will soar. Monkeys will try and con you for food, while snakes will slither while hissing at the glass. Dolphins will jump, and whales will splash you for the show. Tigers will growl, while the elephants let out their trumpet using their trunks. Not to mention any of the delicious food to be ate at zoos.

Children and parents could spend hours to days at a zoo, depending on how large it is. Some zoos even have gardens attached for you to tour. The gardens will take you into a whole other world with lush-green plants and beautifully arranged flowers. You never know what you could see here: a child’s birthday, a special engagement, or a dreamy wedding. Zoos are such magical places for a child or an adult. Below is a comprised list of the 20 best zoos from around the world.

20 20. San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo is run by San Diego Zoo Global, which is a not-for-profit organization. It operates the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Safari Park, the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, and the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy. The San Diego Zoo is a 100-acre zoo where all the magic happens. It has over 3,500 rare and endangered animals that will represent more than 650 species and subspecies. The zoo also has a botanical collection with more than 700,000 exotic plants. You can visit Baird’s cute little Tapir Calf at the Elephant Odyssey section. You can watch live streams of the polar bears, penguins, and pandas. You can even enjoy the summer Nighttime Zoo, which brings a concert, food, and fun every night for the summer. This zoo is nothing shy of spectacular and you won’t want to miss the fun.

19 19. Singapore Zoo

The Singapore Zoo is set in a rainforest environment and is known for its “open concept”. This means that the only thing separating you from the animals might be a man-made ditch. This “open concept” has enhanced learning. The zoo is home to more than 2,400 animals and over 300 species. The Singapore Zoo has become internationally known for its conservation initiatives and breeding programs, because it has over 34% of 300 species as endangered. If you visit this zoo you will find the enchanting white tiger, the intense African painted dog, the incredible cotton-top tamarin, the cute naked mole rat, the tiny pygmy hippo, the rare white rhinoceros, and so much more. You can even pay to have a camp out with the animals at night. The “open concept” is definitely a new and intimidating factor, but it is worth the bravery because the zoo is absolutely stunning and loads of fun.

18 18. Wellington Zoo

The Wellington Zoo is the very first zoo to be built in New Zealand. Not only is it the first zoo built in New Zealand, but also it is the first zoo in the world to be CarboNZero certified. This means that it is reducing carbon emissions through a range of energy efficiency and waste reduction measures. It has over 500 animals and over 100 species. If you visit this incredible zoo, you will find the slithery blue-tongued skink, the gorgeous cape barren goose, the royal caracal, the beautiful derbyan parakeet, the lovely dingo, long nosed kiwi bird, and so much more. The Wellington Zoo has a lot of firsts, but you wouldn’t want to miss out on your first visit to this zoo!

17 17. Toronto Zoo

The Toronto Zoo has over 5,000 animals with over 450 species. It is located in Canada in the beautiful Rouge Valley. The zoo has a discovery zone for kids to be able to play and interact with the animals. The discovery zone features a water play area, a theatre, kids zoo, and an interactive experience. Also, the Toronto Zoo has 4 rides: the Gorilla Climb Rope Course, Zoo Mobile, Conservation Carousel, and the Tundra Air Ride. You can tour and see the slow Asian brown tortoise, the slender zebra dove, a clouded leopard, the giant ornamental tree spider, the gorgeous Indian peafowl, the greater one-horned rhinoceros, Barbary sheep, the red panda, grizzly bear, sly raccoon, a fly river turtle, and so much more. The Toronto Zoo even just had a new baby girl born to its 20-year old endangered Western lowland gorilla.

16 16. Welsh Mountain Zoo

The Welsh Mountain Zoo is located in North Wales. It is considered to be a Zoological Gardens, because it sits on 37-acres of gardens. It has around 750 animals with over 140 species in over 60 enclosures. Some of the enclosures fun are the winged wonders, chimp encounter, sea lions rock, and penguin playtime. The Welsh Mountain Zoo does house rare animals such as the red pandas and snow leopards. It has the California sea lion, Bactrian camel, red-faced spider monkey, green-winged macaw, ostrich, boa constrictor, tarantula, turkey, and so much more. The zoo is a beautiful place to check out rare species and to see the magical gardens.

15 15. Philadelphia Zoo

The Philadelphia Zoo is located in Pennsylvania, U.S.. The Philly Zoo has over 1,300 animals with over 340 species of which many are rare and endangered. It sits on roughly 42 acres. It is one of the premier zoos in the world for breeding animals that are difficult to breed in captivity. It is among the top ranked zoos in the U.S.. The Philly Zoo has special features that include a children’s petting zoo, a paddleboat lake, a rainforest themed carousel, a balloon ride, and many interactive and educational exhibits. Some of the most endangered animals are the amur leopard, Bali mynah, blue-eyed black lemu, black and white ruffed lemur, Chinese alligator, black-headed spider monkey, guam kingfisher, mhorr gazelle, and much more. The zoo even just had a new baby beau giraffe.

14 14. Nogeyama Zoo

The Nogeyama Zoo is located in Yokohoma, Japan. It is the first zoo to be opened up in Yokohoma, Japan. It sits on a hill in a quiet neighborhood in Yokohoma. In fact, it is hard to even find out about it. It has over 1,000 animals and over 100 species. It is mostly known for its red pandas, because of this the red pandas are placed right at the entrance for guests to see them as they first walk in and last as they walk out. Animals at the zoo include the Mandarin duck, cranes, chimpanzees, tanuki (raccoon dogs), pheasants, badgers, flamingos, camels, and much more. This zoo may be small, but it is worth the visit in the quiet neighborhood that it sits in.

13 13. Henry Doorly Zoo And Aquarium

TrippAdvisor deemed the Henry Doorly Zoo as the “world’s best zoo”. The Henry Doorly Zoo has over 900 species. It is located in Omaha, Nebraska. It is known for its large enclosures. It has the world’s largest indoors dessert called the “dessert dome”. It features the largest cat complex in North America. It has the world’s largest indoor nocturnal exhibit and swamp called the “kingdoms of the night”. It has one of the world’s largest indoor rainforests called “the Lied Jungle”. Animals here include the Indian rhino, pere davids deer, elephants, cheetah, humpback whale, macaws, and much more. The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is a one-of-a-kind Zoo that has some of the world’s largest indoor enclosures that you wouldn’t want to miss out on.

12 12. National Zoological Park

The National Zoological Park is a part of the Smithsonian located in Washington D.C., Washington. It is called the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. The SCBI scientists have bred animals more than 20 species at their headquarters, even animals that were once extinct in the wild such as the black-footed ferrets and the scimitar-horned oryx. It has over 1,800 animals that represent over 300 species. Animals here include the African clawed frog, the alpaca, the arapaima, the Brazilian rainbow boa, Cuban crocodile, dwarf mongoose, eld’s deer, and more. This zoo has a lot of history behind it and is something you and your family would enjoy!

11 11. National Zoological Gardens Of South Africa

The National Zoological Gardens is located in Pretoria, South Africa. It is home to over 3,117 animals and home to over 500 species. It has over 1000’s of specimens too. The National Zoological Gardens is the largest zoo in the country. It is the only zoo in South Africa that has national status. There is an aquarium that is attached to the side of the zoo, and the aquarium is the only one in the country. Animals included here are the black rhinos, western lowland gorillas, African penguin, cape vulture, pygmy hippo, African-savannah elephant, southern ground hornbill, and lions. If it was just for the cutest little pygmy hippo, that alone would be a great reason to visit. Who gets bragging rights on seeing a pygmy hippo?

10 10. Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo is located in Bronx, New York. The Bronx Zoo is one of the world’s largest wildlife conservation parks in the United States. It is home to over 4,000 animals that represent more than 650 species. Exhibits include the butterfly garden, children’s zoo, congo gorilla forest, and jungleworld. There are even rides here: 4-d theater, bug carousel, camel rides, wild Asia monorail, and a zoo shuttle. Animals included are the aardvark, anaconda, baby doll sheep, barred owl, Carribean flamingo, chinchilla, fennec fox, king cobra, komoda dragon, magellanic penguin, mini donkey, Nile crocodile, red ruffed lemur, squirrel monkey, tufted puffin, and much more.

9 9. Zoologishcer Garten

The Zoological Garden is in Berlin, Germany. This zoo is the oldest one in Germany with the richest tradition. This zoo is the most species-rich zoo in the world. It has over 19,400 animals that represent 1,400 species. The zoo houses the only pandas in Germany, Meng Meng and Jiao Qing. Some of the zoo’s most famous inhabitants are the Ivo the gorilla, Ede the hippopotamus, and Molly the common seal. Other animals include the African penguin, ankole-watusi, arctic wolf, Asian black bear, bonobo, coati, common eland, defassa waterbuck, gaur, giant anteater, grevy’s-zebra, meerkat, orangutan, sloth bear, warthog, and more.

8 8. Australia Zoo

You have probably heard about this zoo through the television show Crocodile Hunter, and if you haven’t then you probably have heard of Steve Irwin. Steve Irwin was a nation-wide legend. He was known for being brave and messing with dangerous animals, but he is the one who started this zoo. After Steve Irwin passed away his wife, Teri Irwin, and children, Bindi and Robert, run the zoo. There are over 1,000 animals in this zoo. Some of the animals include dingoes, goats, koalas, Tasmanian devils, cormorants, exotic parrots, storks, boas, pythons, the legendary crocodiles, and more. This zoo was created by a legend and the zoo has become a legend for housing endangered species and for conservation.

7 7. Barcelona Zoo

The Barcelona Zoo is located in Barcelona, Spain. This zoo was most widely known for housing Snoflake, the only known albino gorilla, who passed away in 2003. The zoo’s exhibits include a primate house, a terrarium, a “Land of Dragons”, and an “Aquarama”. This zoo has over 7,500 animals that represent over 400 species. Many of the animals that are housed here are on the endangered or threatened species list. Some of the animals housed here are the Saharian Dorcus gazelle, guanco, white-naped mangbey, mouflon, brown bear, Iberian wolf, European bison, Brazilian tapir, meerkat, Sumatran tiger, California sea lion, and much more.

6 6. Artis Royal Zoo

The Artis Royal Zoo is located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Artis is latin for “nature is the teacher of the arts”. It is the oldest zoo in the Netherlands. Alongside of containing the zoo, Artis has an aquarium, planetarium, arboretum, and a large art collection. Artis does contain over 27 monumental buildings, which makes Artis a unique cultural heritage for the 19thcentury in the Netherlands. The Artis Royal Zoo has over 750 species of animals. Some of the animals include the jaguar, elephants, penguins, giant turtles, monkeys, sea lions, giraffes, gorillas, and sea lions. The Artis Royal Zoo is a historical place that you would want to visit at least once.

5 5. Copenhagen Zoo

The Copenhagen Zoo is located in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is one of the oldest zoos in Europe and is comprised of 27 acres. It has over 1.6 million visitors per year and is the most visited zoo in Europe. It is well known for its Elephant House designed by the famous British architect Sir Norman Foster. The Elephant house has mud baths, deep pools of water, and sandy expanses for the elephants. Also, the Elephant House has an underfloor heating system so that the elephants feet don’t get cold in the winter months. It has over 3,000 animals that represent over 264 species. Some of the animals included in the zoo are polar bears, grizzly bears, Indian elephants, tigers, lions, African dwarf goats, and much more.

4 4. Lisbon Zoo

The Lisbon Zoo is located in Lisboa, Portugal. There are around 2,000 animals that represent more than 300 species. It has around 114 mammals, 157 birds, 56 reptiles, and 5 amphibians and anthropods. The attractions here are dolphins bay, pelican feeding, enchanted forests, flying birds, children’s farm, cable car, and snakes and lizards presentation. The options are endless on what you can take part in the Lisbon Zoo. You can catch a dolphin show or you can feed the pelicans. Some of the animals here are dolphins, madail’s aviary, zebras, impalas, penguins, cheetahs, bears, white tiger, white rhino, squirrel monkey, and more.

3 3. London Zoo

The London Zoo is found in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s oldest scientific zoo. It was originally opened up for scientific use back in 1828, but the animals at the Tower of London menagerie needed a home. Therefore the London Zoo was open to the public by 1847. It is home to over 20,000 animals that represent 698 species. It has the largest collection of animals in the United Kingdom. This zoo has lemurs, tigers, blackburn pavilions, gorillas, an aviary, fruit bats, an aquarium, ginormous spiders, butterfly paradise, komodo dragons, giraffes, bugs, otters, meerkats, Galapagos tortoises, and much more.

2 2. Madrid Zoo and Aquarium

The Madrid Zoo and Aquarium is located in Madrid, Spain. The Madrid Zoo sits on 49 acres. It is one of the largest zoos in Spain. It is one of the few zoos in the world to house giant pandas. It includes a petting zoo, aquarium, dolphin exhibit, aviary, several restaurants, boat tour, and train tour. It is home to over 6,000 animals that represent over 500 different species. It is home to giant pandas, koalas, common chimpanzees, western lowland gorillas, American bison, bongo, African forest buffalo, barbary sheep, ring-tailed lemur, Bactrian camel, leopard, cassowary, African sea eagle, mandrills, dolphins, mantled guerezas, and more.

1 1. Tallinn Zoo

The Tallinn Zoo is located in Tallinn, Estonia. This zoo is the only one in Estonia. It houses over 13,000 animals that represent over 584 species. It is the most visited zoo in the Baltic states. The lynx is the zoo’s emblem animal, because it was the first animal ever added to the zoo. In 1937, a team of Estonian marksmen won the World Champion title in Helsinki. They had brought back a lynx with them and that is how the Tallinn Zoo began. Also, the Tallinn Zoo has the world’s largest mountain goat and sheep collection. It also has an eagle and owl collection. Some of the animals housed here are the golden eagle, Eurasian buzzard, white tip reef shark, axis deer, Amur leopard cat, fishing cat, black rhino, Asian minor spiny mouse, yellow anaconda, and more.