Mobility:
The Oklahoma City Zoo has several electric scooters to rent as well as wheelchairs. As I’ve mentioned at most zoos, these devices may be sold out on weekends, holidays, and reasonably nice days. The zoo kind of has an “upper” area and a “lower” area. This is not excessively steep but for people with limited mobility, it could be a challenge without a scooter or wheelchair.
They also had some cute scooters which have a limited range.
Also, if you go to all the exhibits this is a fairly large zoo. This is nice for the animals, in that their habitats are fairly large, but it also means a lot of walking.
Food and Drink:
There are several places to eat at the zoo. However, I did not get many photos.
Near the entrance there is a general cafe, called Safari Cafe. It has general items like hamburgers, salads, and such.
Very near the center of the zoo was Scratch Kitchen. This place had a bit different selection of items like catfish and fried okra. They also had burgers and fries.
Both the Lakeside Taqueria (near the lake and a bit off the beaten path) and Savannah Snacks (over by the African herbivores) were closed when I visited.
Lastly, there is the Canopy Restaurant. I did not go into this restaurant. It is located near Raptor Ridge and the children’s zoo area.
Souvenirs:
The main gift shop, near the entrance, had a good assortment of t-shirts, mugs, glasses, and toys. There were a few gift shops scattered about the zoo, but they were not open when I went.
Safety:
I can not think of any major safety issues. Except, the zoo is in Oklahoma so in the summer it will likely be quite hot. It will be important on those days to stay well hydrated. I would also suggest taking a break near the lake where it will be a bit cooler.
Miscellaneous:
I was impressed with the extra effort the Oklahoma City Zoo takes to being kid friendly. There were 3 different playgrounds (photos of 2 below), as well as a few open areas where kids could just run.
Right next to the red, white, and blue playground there is a ray petting pool.
In front of Lakeside Taqueria was a big rock, with a history about it.
Like I’ve seen at other zoos, the Oklahoma City Zoo had various displays in both 2023 and 2024. In 2024, they had two kinds of displays. They had story book characters in some of the zoo and larger than life animals throughout the rest. Also, off to one side they were pulling their Christmas displays together. My guess is that this zoo has something different throughout the year.
