Mobility:
The Woodland Park Zoo is fairly flat, but large. There are a few areas with steeper grades, specifically the Assam Rhino Reserve and Living Northwest Trail. The zoo has electric scooters, as well as wheel chairs. However, just like at other zoos, they can run out on special events, holidays, and summer weekends.
Food and Drink:
There are various places to pick up drinks and snacks dispersed throughout the zoo, though not as frequent as the St. Louis Zoo. There are two main places to eat: Gather + Graze Cafe and The Grove.
The Gather + Graze Cafe is located just outside the Trail of Vines in the Tropical Asia area.
The Gather + Graze has a minimal selection with a Mexican food slant. They do have a few vegan selections as well as some gluten free. The cafe also serves a handful of alcoholic beverages.
The Grove is the largest place to eat at the Woodland Park Zoo.
I forgot to get a photo of the outside. There are several unit areas within the Grove. It reminded me of a food court at a mall. One of the units at the Grove has a pretty good selection of things from a grill, including hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken tenders. This area also has a pretty good selection of salads. Another area is more for a quick snack or meal with pizza by the slice and pre-made salads. Another unit has a pretty good selection of pastries, and a nice selection of coffees. Most of the areas had vegan and gluten free selections.
Souvenirs:
There are gift shops, which they refer to as Zoo Stores, at both the west and south entrances/exits of the Woodland Park Zoo. They have a reasonable selection of items for sale, with various species. I did not spend much time in either, since I was strapped for time by the end of the day.
Safety:
This is a fairly large zoo, so pace yourself. Since construction was going on, it would be important to make sure children don’t wander into the work zones. They are labelled well. I do not know if it is typical, but a pair of Hawaiian geese were wandering the Temperate Forest area. These birds should not be touched due to safety for the birds and the person.
Miscellaneous:
Also, after you go by the carousel they have the “North Meadow”. Most of the time this area is open. If the grown-ups in the group are tired but the kids still have energy this is a great place to let them run. Maybe pretend they are some of the animals they have seen.
Many years ago, the Woodland Park Zoo had a board game called Zoo Quest. It was kind of a trivial pursuit of animals. I did not have time to look if they still had it, but if they do it is a wonderful game.
