Pittsburgh Zoo PPG Aquarium

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bluesubaru

Joined 2 years ago

I loved it.. my kids loved it. I think my husband did too. The aquarium is beautiful with well lit displays. I did feel bad for the penquins though. They didn't have a large cage. The gorilla's didn't have a a large cage either. one male gorilla actually spit on the cage as i walked by. I am thinking he wasn't too happy. Some of the animal habits where on the small and boring side. I am going to try and think they are doing the best they can. Te staff is very friendly. the zoo was clean when we were there. they were getting ready for the main season and working on some of the habitats. THere are a of playgrounds for the kids to play on which made a nice break for my 2, and 4 year old.

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pcwanderson

Joined 2 years ago

Wonderful zoo! Couldn't drag the kids out of this zoo!. Had a wonderful experience with the grandchildren--There are so many things at this zoo for kids to do and see! They had a terrific time! Didn't think we would ever leave! They can't wait to go again!

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sambobc

Joined 5 years ago

Oh! The Zoo and the Polar lights..... My husband and I went to the zoo for the Polar lights display in December of '07. We do love the Pittsburgh zoo and the prices can be reasonable. . but, I guess I was expecting more of a lights display. There were cheap Chirstmas displays lathered all over the place and it didn't appear that there was any real effort put into it. The snacks were a little pricey, but the best part of the trip wa there was an ice sculpter doing a series of shows. We stayed to watch and found out he was the person who did our weddiing ice sculpture 5 years ago.

I was expecting alittle more for the money...

Seeing the animals was nice, but since it was dark, it was alttilte hard to see the animals that were outside. And it was very crowded...EVERYWHERE!!!!!!

but on another note, my husband did enjoy it. He complained about the food prices, and the crowds, but he enjoyed it.

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a_barnes

Joined 6 years ago

Get a GRIP people!!!. I just wanted to write because I read some of these reviews on the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Are you kidding me right now?:?? The two people who wrote about how the 'Monkey House' smells SO bad are ridiculous!!!!! Monkeys don't give themselves manicures! YES, most animals stink! Get over it! You visited a freaking zoo not a mall!!! The smell they complained about most likely exists! But that smell has nothing to do with the care for the animals! I love the Pittsburgh Zoo and I DO have animal (exotic) experience, so I'm not just some tree hugger! Have you ever heard the phrase "You look like a monkey and you smell like one TOO!!" There you go!! I have enjoyed the Pittsburgh Zoo since I was a little girl, and everytime I visit it just gets better. I'm actually planning a trip for October 2007. So if you have not visited I suggest that you stop by. It's a WONDERFUL experience for all children (adults too)!!

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matt1970

Joined 6 years ago

Words can't describe the smell of the monkey house. I lived in Pitsburgh until I was 18 and now return once or twice a year to visit family. I took my children to the zoo during my last visit (July 2007) and had a good time. However, I feel compelled to comment on several things that I found detracted from our visit. First of all, the monkey house smelled worse than anything I have ever smelled in my entire life. It was like being inside a dirty diaper. They need to clean it for the sake of the animals. Good thing it is a non-smoking zoo because if someone lit a match in there the place would probably explode due to the foul gases. The penguin exhibit and elephant house weren't much better. I've been to zoos in the Deep South (SC and FL) in the middle of summer with temps of 100+ and never encountered such a putrid smell. Also, parts of the zoo came off as being too preachy- telling you that the weeds you were looking at weren't weeds but Mother Nature. Maybe I'll try this same tactic when the city writes me a ticket for not maintaining my yard properly. Another example- the arctic village where children are bashed over the head with "messages" about how bad people are at every turn. I felt like I was in an Afterschool Special and it was all my fault. What a downer. I just want my kids to see the animals. While the underwater tunnel was interesting, the polar bears were comatose. It made me wonder how much time (if any) they actually spend in the water.

On the plus side, the employees were friendly, the playground was well maintained, and the children's zoo was great. They've put alot into the zoo since I was a kid in the 1970's and it shows. I would recommend visiting but bring a handkercheif doused with Aquavelva if you want to enter the monkey house.

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sandicran

Joined 7 years ago

Oh, the SMELL!. I can't get the smell from the monkey exhibit out of my nose! The poor monkeys. Are monkeys really that dirty or do they just not clean the cages? I have never seen or smelt anything like that before. The habitat for the african dogs looked liked they just slapped up a fence and threw the dogs in. Did they mean for the dogs to have a fallen, dead tree in the middle of their habitat? And the weeds. If you have to have a sign telling visitors they are NOT looking at weeks then you need to rethink your landscaping. And the landscaping that wasn't meant to be weeds was very poorly maintained, dead flowers everywhere. It just makes me think if they neglect this, what else is being neglected? I will NEVER go to this zoo again.

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bkm91

Joined 8 years ago

Enjoyable day trip. The Pittsburgh Zoo is a very nice zoo. You could easily spend at least 8 hours there watching the animals. They have a pretty nice variety of animals, although some of the enclsosures for the animals seemed kind of limited in space. The monkey and ape house was definitely the best part of the zoo and it is very naturalistic. I like this zoo because it's less walking than some of the other larger zoos. It also has a very naturalistic feel and the untamed grasses and shrubs make it look like your in the African Forest.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

While it's not world famous like San Diego or Columbus, Pittsburgh's zoo is good, and it keeps getting better.. In Short
The 77-acre Kids Kingdom--a combination of play areas, learning environments and animal observation areas--has landed the Pittsburgh Zoo at the top of national rankings for children's zoos. Besides sea lions, a walk-through kangaroo yard and ugly, naked mole rats, kids love the meerkat exhibit, where they can tunnel and peer through the homes of these lovable prairie dogs. Among the highlights of the zoo's aquarium is a stingray tunnel.

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doke88

Joined 10 years ago

That's Cheetah Valley?. It didn't have as many animals as I thought, but it's still very enjoyable. You can practically touch the gorillas. The only problem with that is that its made very warm in their building because that's their environment. Unfortunately, it makes it hard on us humans. Like all zoos, there is a lot of walking, and being located on a hill doesn't help. The seal lions are another great viewing. My main problem was Cheetah Valley. As a cheetah lover, I expected a lot of cheetahs running on the plains. Sadly, there was only one that was sleeping, and it was in a little area on a hill, with a large ravine in the middle. Isn't a cheetah the last animal that should be in a small area on a hill? Oh well. All in all, it's a good place to be.

Doesn't Recommend

conreit7

Joined 11 years ago

pay way too much. The cost to get into this zoo is too much. I have been to several zoos at a lower price that had more animals and bigger enviroments for them to live in. Plus no hills to walk.