Vienna Zoo
Vienna Zoo
SCHÖNBRUNN ZOO
Vienna Zoo
The spot where the zoo now stands was used by Emperor Maximilian II. as a hunting ground back in 1569. By 1914, Schönbrunn Zoo was home to almost 3000 animals representing more than 700 different species. And now? 8000 animals live on the site spanning 17 hectares.
My rating:
The positives:
The zoo is absolutely huge and plenty big enough for all the animals and visitors.
The negatives:
The Desert House and Palm House are not included in the standard ticket price.
Top tip:
If you’re visiting the zoo on a hot summer’s day, make sure you pack a reusable water bottle. You’ll be able to refill it at the drinking fountains dotted around the zoo when you’re running dry.
Last Modified: 21.03.2024 | Céline & Susi
Vienna Zoo
Tickets
The details
at a glance
Opening Hours
January: 9.00 a.m. – 4.30 p.m.
February: 9.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.
March: 9.00 a.m. – 5.30 p.m.
April-September: 9.00 a.m. – 6.30 p.m.
October (until the end of daylight saving time): 9.00 a.m. – 5.30 p.m.
November-December: 9.00 a.m. – 4.30 p.m.
Ticket office closes half an hour before closing time.
Passes
Free admission to the Schönbrunn Zoo.
The Vienna Pass is available for 1, 2, 3 or 6 days.
-> More about the Vienna Pass
Reduced admission to Schönbrunn Zoo.
The Vienna City Card is available for 1, 2 or 3 days.
-> More about the Vienna City Card
Vienna Zoo
Photo Gallery
WHAT IS THERE
TO SEE?
The zoo is not exactly one of Vienna’s best-kept secrets, so you may find you have to wait in a long queue at the ticket office. Or you could just buy a ticket online right now and skip the line? Either way, the zoo makes for a fantastic day out – even if you don’t have kids with you. Schönbrunn was voted as Europe’s best zoo for the fifth time in 2018. And rightly so! Even though the zoo in Vienna has been open for almost 300 years, it can still compete with some of its more modern counterparts.
As it stands, more than 8000 animals representing over 700 different species call this 17-hectare site their home. Pandas, elephants, monkeys, zebras, giraffes, goats, rabbits and so on and so on. Even fish and jellyfish are in their element here with their very own spot at the aquarium, which is guarded by a cute little crocodile at the entrance. Well, it seems cute at least… Anyway, it’s good to know that there’s no need to panic if you can’t quite fit in a separate trip to the Haus des Meeres aquarium in Vienna.
At Schönbrunn Zoo, you can watch animal feeding times and/or shows every half an hour or so. The elephant enclosure is one place to head when the time comes, but none of the animals disappoint. No trip to the zoo would be complete without a demonstration or two. If the weather is playing ball, the seal feeding show is a real hit because the audience sometimes ends up getting sprayed by the excited animals as they show off what they can do.
The zoo owners and staff take their responsibilities very seriously and all the enclosures here are plenty big enough for the animals inside them. You may even find that you don’t get to see all the animals, as they are left to their own devices. Sometimes they parade proudly around their outdoor areas and sometimes they just want to stay snuggled up out of sight.
If you’ve got kids in tow, you’ll be pleased to hear that there are plenty of playgrounds for burning off excess energy and seats for resting tired legs. Not to mention all the opportunities for little ones to learn about the incredible animal kingdom.
Whilst you enjoy a fun family day out and soak up the baroque surroundings, you can rest assured that Schönbrunn Zoo is dedicated to lots of animal conservation projects.
The spot where the zoo now stands was used by Emperor Maximilian II as a hunting ground back in 1569, on the grounds of Schönbrunn Palace. He would never have imagined that his descendant Emperor Franz Stephan I would go on to open a menagerie right there with his wife Maria Theresia in 1752. Up to 1778, the grounds were only open to the imperial family. And then the doors were opened to the public on Sundays and tickets were free. But you’d only be let in if you were properly dressed!
Vienna Zoo
A BIT OF HISTORY
Vienna has been a bit of a hot spot for animal lovers for centuries now. The first zoo opened up in the city back in the 15th century (1453) and elephants were introduced to Austria’s capital for the first time 100 years later (1552). Fast forward another 150 years and Schönbrunn Zoo welcomed its very first elephant (1770).
And the zoo kept on expanding and evolving from there. For example, the roof height needed to be raised so the giraffes could fit in (1828) and the walls between the animals were replaced with bars (1884). All of this work to make the zoo bigger and better meant that Schönbrunn was one of the largest zoos in the world by 1914, with almost 3000 animals representing over 700 different species.
The zoo was committed to maintaining that high standard and its efforts didn’t go unnoticed. And now it has been voted as the best zoo in Europe a whopping five times and was even named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
The zoo faced tumultuous times during both world wars, with many animals dying and enclosures being destroyed. But donations of money and animals along with the help of sponsors and labourers meant that the zoo could rebuild and come back stronger. Who would have thought that this site dating back almost 300 years and only open to the public on Sundays for so long would eventually become one of Vienna’s main attractions? Its imperial past and modern approach to keeping animals give the zoo its irresistible charm that attracts around two million visitors every year.
Official website of Schönbrunn Zoo (EN): www.zoovienna.at
Text and image rights: © Céline Mülich, 2020 – 2024
With the support of Susanne Vukan.
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