If you ask travelers how they spend their time in Arizona, you’ll get answers like hiking in Sedona, driving down to the Grand Canyon National Park, hunting ghosts in Jerome, or cruising through the Petrified Forest National Park. While these are all fantastic experiences, you’ll have to approach a local to find treasures that won’t be inundated with tourists and show a different side of Arizona. For instance, Reid Park Zoo is a Tucson favorite that tends to get overlooked by travelers.
While large zoos often have interesting animals and exhibits, visitors agree that small zoos are underrated. Some zoos present their animals in depressing enclosures with a low quality of life, but Reid Park makes the animals the stars of the show above all else. Focusing heavily on conservation, the zoo emphasizes sustainability, ensuring a comfortable ecosystem for wildlife from around the world. These values are ingrained into its mission and are part of the reason why locals love visiting the over 250 animals living comfortably in habitats that closely recreate their native environments.
More than just a zoo, Reid Park is an experience that’s earned a 4.5-star Tripadvisor rating, with reviews touting it as a “Great place to visit with young kids” and an “Amazing little zoo.” At only 24 acres, it is not a massive zoo, but there is plenty to see and do at Reid Park for locals looking to fill the day or travelers who want to enjoy an authentic Tucson treasure.
Animals and activities at Reid Park
Topping the showbill is a collection of more than 30 adorable, exotic, hilarious, and sometimes intimidating species. From the white-faced squirrel monkeys lounging among the tree branches to stone-faced American alligators, Reid Park Zoo offers it all. Bears, elephants, goats, meerkats, zebra, and an array of other mammalian exhibits round off a packed map of enclosures you can visit…