A fabulous way to spend the day! The giraffes were such a treat to watch. They animal demonstrations were also time well spent to slow down and enjoy what they were sharing. The tortoise and the snakes were a interesting watch! Family great adventure!
My husband and I were amazed by this zoo and we both grew up visiting the San Diego zoo often throughout our childhood. The environment may be smaller, however, it feels like we are just walking through the animals natural habitat instead of forcing the animals to live in our created habitat in cages like San Diegos. We could see how much all the workers loved what they do, even a lady who was clipping the plants was telling another lady how much she enjoys doing it. We did the rhino encounter, and, feed the giraffes for my husbands birthday and it was an incredible experience! The animals seemed happy, comfortanle, well taken cared of, and, trusted their care takers. We will happily visit this zoo again with our future kids
Go!! Omg. This may have been my fav experience in palm springs! The habitats theyve created are amazing and the staff is super informative. I couldnt finish the entire zoo so I do plan on returning.
A well planned animal zoo. Summer is definitely not the best time to go though the zoo has made arrangements to handle hot weather well. Restaurants inside the zoo are well staffed and has a decent menu and of good quality. The fee seems like a premium compared to other zoos but there are carousel and a mini-train area that makes it worth the time and money for kids.PS: The tour on trolleys is not of the full zoo but only of the inside areas and skips the actual attractions that have to be walked through. So read through info before getting on to the zoo tour trolley which is an extra charge.
Located in Palm Desert (palm springs)The zoo offers a lot of different animals on exhibit. The best thing was seeing the giraffes make her smile. My lady loves animals. So she appreciated the trip. ❤️
Discovered this gem on my way back from Joshua Tree, a fantastic zoo with diverse animals from Africa and America. They allow outside food and drink, and the in-zoo food prices are reasonable. Despite the hot weather during our visit, I plan to return in the fall/winter. Highly recommended!
Great program and layout. Best to come when it’s not as hot as the animals are less active when it is.Only reason it’s 4 instead of 5 stars is the cost. Gatorade is $7 each. I know it’s a good cause but after the entry fee, it starts to get really expensive…
We had such a great time here. I loved seeing the desert animals and knowing that they are a non-profit. Everything you buy helps them take care of the animals and supports their efforts in increasing their population. If you can, do the rhino experience (about $50 each). You get to learn about rhinos, their plan, and you can touch and feed one of them! (8am daily, I suggest you pay for it in advance) You can also pay to feed the giraffe(s) ($10 per person, 3 pieces of lettuce, worth it for the close up and to help them with their efforts). This was an on-the-spot decision.Lastly, it will get hot because its the desert and especially if youre coming in the summer. Be prepared with water, sunblock/screen and whatever else you may need as it takes a bit of time to go around to see all of it.
My husband has been going here since he was little and he introduced me to this wonderful conservation in beautiful Palm Desert! I absolutely love it here and the staff are super friendly, helpful, and informative.We love it so much, we are members now!Definitely would recommend!
Excellent exhibits, good habitat size, plenty of restrooms and rest benches. Clean facilities and friendly staff. Overall a great experience.
I’ve been wanting to come here for a while now. Glad I had the opportunity today. I arrived with no expectations and had a fantastic time walking around and asking the staff questions about the animals. You can expect school field trips to be there as well, but the zoo is quite large. Some of the walkways are a bit narrow and there’s a lot of soft ground and dirt, so watch your step. Different viewing areas for each of the animal exhibits and lots of small gardens to appreciate with labeled plants. Plenty of restrooms and places to stop for drinks and snacks. Plentiful parking and a nice gift shop. Took about 2 hours to make an entire loop around the zoo.
One of the best zoos Ive ever been to. Conditions for the inmates er animals are apparently quite good with lots of space and excellent maintenance. We saw active cleaning of enclosures while we wandered about. The grounds are expansive and carrying water is advisable. There are lots of places to get snacks. The model train layout is absolutely fabulous (what its doing in a zoo I dont know).
I been to different zoos but this ones the best so far. I love how much space the animals have. We came last minute, so we must come again.
Always a great time at the Living Desert. Staff is very kinda and goes the extra mile. Carousel is unique and fun for adults and kids to ride. My mom and I are annual pass owners and come back often. Got this awesome photo of the cheetah last time I was there :)
What a fun little gem of a place. Went first thing in the morning, because of how incredibly hot it was going to be, lots of animals out and about. A lot of the cactus were knocked down due to the storm earlier in the week, still fun to see them!
Very fun place to visit, and it is very informational about the animals and the environment they live in from all over the globe. Granted these animals are only desert 🏜 region animals it was still a fun time.
It wasnt particularly impressive, but kids will likely have a good time. There are different tickets for the morning and the evening light show. Unfortunately, we didnt get to see all the animals mentioned, but we did spot giraffes 🦒, rhinos, and camels 🐪.
This is a great little zoo with an emphasis on deserts around the world. They close early during the summer, but its too hot to wander around anyway. You can feed giraffes for an extra $10, which was a lot of fun.
I bought the yearly pass. Best deal for family. Great place for the kids. Well done! Super clean and plenty to do.
Underrated zoo! This is my go to place when Im in the area. Took my husband here for the 1st time and he loved it!
Awesome zoo. They have an indoor enclosure where wallabies walk next you, similar to Taronga Zoo in Sydney Australia. Really cool.
Location: Out there, Parking: Okay, Service: tickets(okay), park attendants (good), vending (okay), retail sales (okay), Military discount: yes, Areas where animals lived: some looked great others need to change ( according to a plan areas are being adjusted to better support the animals expected to be done in 2 more phases). Overall: This was a first-time visit and for the outside it does seem to have a good vibe as to decent areas of space.for the animals to roam and not be as caged up as was done in the past. The best example is the Giraffe exhibit. The amount of space is great, and the animals look so comfortable. Where as when you walk over to the Leopard exhibit, it seems cramped and closed in as well as the striped hyena exhibit. Another interesting piece is the huge model train exhibit. This remarkable creation will keep you looking for quite a while as it must be over a quarter acre of model buildings, bridges, and cities along the miles of track. I plan on. going back to see the new changes and updates. Until all the animals are in better accommodations..2.5 Stars...
The zoo itself is an expansive, curated, and enjoyable place to visit. We thoroughly enjoyed the animals, most of the staff, exhibits, and atmosphere. No complaints there. Our displeasure started with the entry price per ticket. Our party consisted of 2 adults and 5 children for a total of 200 dollars for one visit! Its simply outrageous. Then came the add ons once inside. There is nothing less than 7 dollars on a menu. Souvenir cups at an extra cost but no benefit to them. And there is no way to exit except through the exorbitantly priced gift shop. An unusually greedy zoo in our opinion. Lovely, sure, but a money pit.
A fabulous zoo - lots of animals. Well kept and lots of keepers on hand to chat to. Negative was the cost in the cafe and the heat was mad for us today. Would go back.
Went for Zoolights and was able to see way more animals than expected. And the lights were lovely too.
Friendly staff, you can get to enjoy the animals up close since the habitats and exhibits are perfectly thought out so you can really see them! You can feed the giraffes and pet cute goats. Great area to walk and get your steps while you learn about the wilderness that surrounds you however it gets really hot in the spring-summer, so wear sunblock and enjoy the drinks they offer, food is also good!
So much fun the animals here have more terrain then other zoos loved that. Its definently worth coming you get 3 in 1. The zoo awesome and you can interact with some of the animals, 2. Hiking trail takes you to San Andreas Fault really cool, 3. Botanic Garden beautiful plants and flowers. Loved it so much. Would come back again.
We went on a Monday in January and I think that was the perfect time, it didn’t feel busy at all. The grounds are very beautiful and well thought out. Clean. The giraffes were my highlight. The gardens were very nice to walk through as well. And they have a large model train exhibit which I really enjoyed as well. I would and already have recommended this as a must do if coming to the area
If you want to see giraffes, this is a place to go, because they do have quite a few.As far as the other creatures go, half of the exhibits were temporarily shut down for one reason or another.And other areas were shut down for private events like the entire hyena area, roped off with science saying that a private event was taking place.They dont disclose any of this to you when you purchase your ticket, so dont go in expecting to see all they have to offer.
Truly enjoyed our family day here . Grandkids had a wonderful time and an amazing experience. So much too do, and so many different species. Not over crowded was a plus and the Special Glow at Night theme was the best!!! Food was good but very expensive. They allow food and drink to be brought in so I would clearly do this the next time we go. Lots of areas to sit including rocking chairs to view the area which was a plus. We will return most definitely in a few months. Their themes change. Check out their website, lots of valuable information. You will NOT be disappointed.
Glow in the Park was absolutely neat and creative!!! Kids and Adults were happy and excited to see all the animal lights along with beautiful animals in captivity. Definitely will revisit and bring friends with children here, a memory to be made!
Love this place.. the animal seems so happy in the volunteers were great so excited that I got to visit this wonderful place hope to come back again one day
What a fantastic zoo. The living desert zoo isn’t small; if you’re looking to take your family on a great walk with many attractions and great species of animals. I would highly recommend this zoo. If you’re a big hiker, or just love the outdoors, they do have a trail in the zoo you can bring extra snacks, hiking boots, and a jug of water while you’re looking at the animals, and hike on their private trail. I would recommend to visit the zoo a little bit later in the evening it seems the earlier you go to the animals are sleeping or in hiding we didn’t get to see the Jaguar or the cheetah or the mountain lions. But we did enjoy the giraffes, rhinos and wallabies.
First timer and definitely will be back. Came early morning and animals were very active. It was easy to navigate, and so many staff and volunteers who were everywhere to offer information.
Fun few hours spent walking around. Nice clean exhibits with great learning centers.
Great zoo to visit.The grounds are done really well, and there are plenty of animals for the family to see. There are also plenty of volunteers that can provide you more information on the animals in the area.Depending on what time of the year (or day) you are going, you may want to go earlier so it doesnt get too hot for the young ones in your group.
Not as big as San Diego Zoo for example.but you could spend good 3 hours to even the whole day.Best exhibit is feeding the Giraffes and the Australian Adventures.The reason I gave it 4 stars because they have that weird rule about not letting you bring the stroller to the Australian Adventures.I got triplet kid and we were two people so the stroller was a must for 1.5 year old triplet.Zack was there he was rude cant handle himself when he has to handle unaccounted for situation.asking about his Manager he acted like he Doesnt care and he was Turing his back on me.Other than rude employee I think you should visit.Entrance fee was $40 for adults kids under 3 free.feeding the Giraffes 🦒 3 tiny lettuce for $10.
This is probably the neatest zoo that I have been to. If you love zoos and arent from Southern California - I highly recommend visiting. The way that every exhibit integrates into the natural beauty of Southern California is stunning. The gardens provided a fun, and unexpected, exploratory aspect, allowing unique and interesting experiences - and great photo opportunities. I didnt know there was a huge model train installation - I could have spent hours just watching that!
This place is very awesome and cool to take the family out and kids..to....the lantern 🏮 light show was awesome took my son there and he loved everything that was there and the smoke bubbles 🗯 there had by the lanterns it was a great time got to see the zoo animals that were there..in it all it was better then I was expecting it to be. So Im giving them a 5 stars
Hadnt been to any zoo since I was a kid. It was so much fun, and I appreciate that the Living Desert engages in robust conservation efforts. Will visit again!
The giraffes are fantastic and definitely the highlight of the park. Sections of the park had long walks in between animals, there was a beautiful selection of plants but for kids, it was a bit too much. The playground leaves something to be desired but was not the purpose or focus of the park.
Great Zoo! A lot of walking. Very nice facilities. Close animals.
The zoo is awesome. We got there around 10:30 a.m. and parking was really really hard to find. We realized it was spring break. We finally found street parking and then lots of lines to get tickets. Once we got in we went counterclockwise around the park and didnt have any trouble with too many groups of people. By the time we left around 4:00 p.m. The parking lot was pretty emptied out. Beautiful zoo, clean and lots of nice exhibits. Exhibits. The time we went there was very cool art exhibits around the park for the glow in the park, which also looked beautiful during the day.
It was well worth the super long drive out there. Nice zoo with desert animals from Africa and Australia and a few from here in the south west region of the US. Very neat experience to walk around and see some of the animals roaming free right next to you. They have an area where you can feed the animals too.
Beautiful zoo in the middle of the desert, make sure you bring sunscreen, water, snacks and your walking shoes because you’re going to get your exercise on the day you come here, make sure you don’t pet the Giraffes, there’s no signs and staff gets sensitive when you touch the giraffes, definitely coming back for more
Loved walking around learning g about the animals. Staff from the moment we arrived were helpful and friendly. We visited the animal hospital where they were helping poorly Bat-eared fox. Worth a visit
The animals were out and in full view. We had amazing weather for the Spring. The desert scapes were beautiful and educational. The wallabies and big cats were so beautiful. The giraffe enclosure is so nice. Great price for what you get. Bring the kids.
This zoo is a hidden gem. The staff are amazing and will educate you about the different animals throughout the zoo. The animals are in a more natural environment and do what they want. We even saw a few during snack time. We have a great family day.
An amazing experience ! The behind the scene tour is just such a personal experience, and it made me feel so eager to know more and potentially volunteer with my kids to give more to this beautiful project !
Probably the nicest zoo/garden Ive ever been to! We had a few friends recommend the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens to us, and were so glad we checked it out while we were in town! The park itself is immaculate– clean, tidy and doesnt even smell like animals. There are a ton of little garden hideaway spots where you can tuck away for some peace & quiet, while enjoying the wonderfully kept botanical gems of the park. Theres even a couple hiking trails within the zoo! This is a must-see if youre near the Palm Desert region!
It is always a wonderful time when I visit. I actually walk the zoo for exercise! I walk at least 4 miles.
A Great family experience. I enjoyed the whole experience. Very friendly staff, loads of animals to see, and very easy to walk no steep hills to climb. I recommend the behind the scenes tour, lots of information to learn. Thats just the day time visit, we came back at night for the glow in the dark festival. Very bright colors, and animated glow animals to boot. The kids and I had a wonderful time 😎😎😎
This is probably the best zoo we have been to. The ticket price is pretty steep at almost $30 per person. But we were impressed at the end of the visit and glad we made the trip. There were several highlights: black rhinos, giraffes, animal hospital, goat petting zoo, a five mile nature trail, and the amazing staff/volunteers. Every staff I interacted with was very knowledgeable and engaging. The goats in the petting zoo are cute and chill, but they may go after your map and chew it up in seconds!
Desert terrain makes this park authentic. Loved the giraffe and rhino display. Cool, small gauge train, exibt . Beer and ice cream are available at the consesion stand. Hot and dry, bring sunblock and water.
We loved the zoo even in the rain, we got so close to the cheetahs that we could almost reach out and touch them. We enjoyed watching the coyotes running around their enclosure playing what appeared to be a game of tag. Of particular interest were all the sculptures including those related to their nighttime presentation of Glow in the Park. We cannot wait to go back and see Glow in the Park when it isnt raining. I took so many pictures it was very difficult to choose a few to share. It is a beautiful zoo and you really must visit at your very next opportunity.
Definitely a Must see if you are in Palm Springs! We had a fantastic time at the Living Desert Zoo in Palm Springs. The kids really enjoyed it. You get to see lots of cool animals in a beautiful desert setting. The zoo is a good size for a day trip with lots of snack and food spots for a relaxed day.Make sure you get to the Giraffes by 3pm for feeding which is an amazing experience. Their purple tongues is quite interesting to see! The Rhinos were pretty awesome and the cheetah and the jungle cat were mesmerizing to watch.In addition to the animals you can find a miniature city of all trains that was just awesome!
A ladies trip to the Desert Zoo and Garden, my friend and I were looking for an adventure and we founded here! We enjoyed every exhibit we visited. Our favorite exhibit was a giraffe 🦒. I fed a giraffe 🦒 🤣 😆. Great experience, well-kept zoo, and garden.
Always one of my favorite places. If youre an animal lover then you cant miss this one of a kind spot for the most amazing desert animals. I used to live here in the desert and its been 15 years since Ive been back and this place hasnt lost its charm. From watching the new rhinos to feeding the giraffes and just enjoying a nice walk while spectating some amazing desert animals, its easy to enjoy a few hours of exercise while appreciating the beautiful landscape and incredible wildlife. If you love animals, I highly recommend The Living Desert for visitors and locals alike.
This is the second time going to see the lights and experience the zoo. Definitely worth the relaxing walk through the zoo for the lights but to also see various exhibits.An added touch while walking through the zoo are the various stores that sell warm, cold, and adult beverages.I would definitely encouraged families to visit and enjoy the lights and atmosphere.
Wonderful park, clean and worth the $30 admission. You could actually see most of the animals, and they were beautiful. We spent 4+ hours and it was enjoyable. Just bring water although they have quite a few drinking fountains
I loved the gardens and the animals. The staff was informative.
What a fun night! Highly recommend! The Zoo went all out on awesome colored lights all over the grounds. And if you show up before dark, you can check out the exotic animals!
We love coming here. The animals are well cared for and the zoo is always kept clean.
In California…. Took my niece Elise she’s 5 yrs. Old… we had fun with a capitol FUN FUN…. Food. Drinks are on the high end…. It was with it…
It was a great experience. Its unlike any zoo Ive been to in the past. The time of year we went was a good time to go, the weather want too cold nor too hot. We even went back for Glow in the Park.
Kids go nuts here, especially at feed the giraffes and petting zoo. Plenty of shade along the walkways. Really helpful and kid friendly staff to explain whatever we were observing.
This is the best zoo to take take small children. Its much smaller than the SD Zoo, and youll definitely be able to feed a giraffe. There are a few play areas, a carousel, a model train exhibit, and a petting zoo.
Beautiful . Very clean. They have hiking trails to. Fun for everyone ! 👍🤗
Went during the very popular Glow in the Park event. They did a great job at having everything setup and managing the crowds. It might be a zoo but it has more of an animal sanctuary type feel with lots of large open spaces. Still we were able to see all the wildlife and was much closer to a cheetah and hyena then Id ever been before. Its not that big and you can easily see everything in a few hours and not feel rushed. They also do a good job of keeping the walkways shaded. Aside from that the staff was friendly, the paths and eating areas were immaculate and very well maintained. Despite it being crowded there were no lines to enter, plenty of parking, and the lines to get food were short as well.Well worth visiting. Get there when they open to beat the heat and you wont be disappointed.
AMAZING and soooo much fun! Ever feed a giraffe!? Well heres your opportunity!!! My kids lit up with excitement on their faces and the biggest smiles I have seen. Obviously its not a HUGE well known zoo, but definitely worth the trip. I went during thr day as a field trip, but now want to go back to see the nighttime zoo!
We enjoyed a wonderful day and night watching the animals in a very natural setting. We purchased a combo package that included a day entry to stroll and view the animals from various desert and savannah environments.The combo package included the night lights entry which was quite beautiful and extensive. The displays were centered around animal and ocean themes, some included sounds, changing colors,and motion.My only regret was we arrived too late to feed the friendly giraffes, they stop at 3:00.We will definitely be back when were in town again!
Very cool place to visit with what seems like an endless collection of animal exhibits to enjoy. Its a bit pricey($80 for my wife, 4-year old daughter and I) we went late afternoon on a Tuesday and basically had the entire park to ourselves from 2:30pm to 5pm. Youll need a good 4 hours to see it all. Our favorites were the Jaguar, the cheetahs, the giraffes, and the best of all is the Big Horn Sheep exhibit, they actually use part of an existing rock formation as their habitat!!! So cool to watch them climb this very tall mountainside. All the animals looked very well treated and well fed.
A wonderful visit in March of 2022. I would love to come back to see the lanterns at night! They were still very beautiful and fun in the daylight. The kids all loved them and I think it made it a bit more exciting for them! We went early so all the animals were moving around and eating breakfast. Truly wonderful experience.
We had an amazing time at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens and we really enjoyed learning about all the animals and plants. We went on a weekday after Thanksgiving and there were no crowds, plenty of parking. A highlight for me was getting to feed a giraffe, it was so special interacting with one up close. The staff and volunteers are so friendly and knowledgable as well. Tip: Bring your camera!
Wild Lights at the Living Desert has become a Thanksgiving and Christmas tradition for my family. We went on opening night this year, the night before Thanksgiving.We enjoyed the Tunnel of Lights with music, and walking through the preserve, trying to see if any animals were still awake, and seeing the scale model train and village. My grandchildren have loved seeing Santa, riding the mini train, the camels and carousel. Were sad that the mini train and camel rides are gone, and that theres a fee to ride the carousel, usually with a line to get tickets. We loved Wild Lights the way it was.
We love the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. The Glow in the Park event is amazing! The grounds are beautiful both during the day and during the Glow in the Park. Its a fulfilling time with your family from the beautiful animals, the amazing landscape and the miles that you get to walk to the never-ending refillable (for a sm. fee) souvenir cup filled with a frozen drink. Dont forget to ride on the Merry-Go-Round! The attendants are very helpful and courteous as well! Dont forget to take lots of pictures of the beauty!
Great resource for the Desert Part Garden part zoo and all fun. You can just go and walk the trails, you can learn about life in the Desert for humans or animals or you can attend one of their special events such as the light shows.
Large zoo with a good selection of animals. Lots of washrooms, drink vending machines and water fountains. Volunteer staff are available to tell you more about the animals. Free parking was a bonus. $30 entry fee. A fair bit of waking but benches, rocking chairs are available when u need them.
This is a great zoo. They had an amazing layout of different animals to see. The main paths are paved, but some off shoots are gravel/dirt paths. Its definitely a must-see.
Such a great zoo with a variety of animals. Had a great time with the family. Would definitely go again next time we are here. Lots of beautiful artwork around too. The kids also loved feeding the giraffe! There is a model train world that is very big too and worth seeing!
We loved our visit to the Living Desert Zoo! As a big fan of giraffes, their exhibit was the standout favorite. Seeing so many giraffes in that open spaces was mesmerizing. A special thanks to the staff who shared insights at multiple exhibits. Thank you!
This is a great place to take my grandkids to see live animals. Its a 45 minute Drive from highland. A good variety of animals to enjoy. Feeding the giraffes is a great experience for kids and adults. Very clean and lots shady areas. Very friendly workers and great atmosphere. We have visited twice and it was just a great as the first time.
Vista every year. Kids love this place. During the hotter months plan on getting there at 7am when gates open.
Our first time visiting this zoo and gardens. It was a great experience for my family. The zoo wasnt crowded at all on this Wednesday we visited and was able to go through the place in less than 3 hours. While we didnt intend to purchase our tickets online, we did because there is a slight discount by purchasing in advance online. Best part feeding the giraffes and the huge miniature train live running display, which we totally did not expect. Staff were friendly and appear very knowledgeable about the animals, often providing insightful hints about the park to make ones experience even better. We would come here again.
Always a fun walk around. Holidays they serve special cocktails and a food booth. Watch little kids feed the giraffes and get close to the wallabies.
Loved this zoo. Very pretty surroundings, the animals seem to be very well taken care of and we got to see all kinds of interesting animals. Loved the giraffes, rhino, big horn sheep. Spent a few hours there enjoying the surroundings.
Had never been and had no idea what to expect from a zoo in the desert and it did not disappoint. My grandson and I had a super fun time. The parking lot was full and there was overflow parking on the street. Seeing this I anticipated the zoo to be crowded and it was not. I under estimated this little gem in the desert. There was plenty to see and our highlight was feeding the giraffes...TWICE (once when we arrived and again before we left for the day) and the free range wallabies. They literally hopped right passed us as we walked around their enclosure. I would definitely recommend this zoo, and have😊
Great zoo & outdoor experience. LOTS of animals & close contact areas. Petting area for friendly goats. Well-staffed. Lots of people there over Holiday (Christmas/New Years) week, but enough space to be comfortable. Bring your own food because hot dogs are ELEVEN DOLLARS!!
The living Desert Zoo and Gardens was a great experience! Especially for the little ones looking at all the different animals from all different areas of the world was awesome!From Africa, Asian, North and South American!Garden areas pretty.They have petting goats which was nice.I recommend being a wagon or a stroller if you have kids and bring cold drinks.
We had 2 hours before our flight and decided to spend it at the Living Desert Zoo. It was not enough time! Beautiful zoo and large, natural animal areas. Loved the kangaroo with the baby in its pouch and all the marsupials. We didnt get to see everything but will be back.
Went for school a field trip. Impressive lil spot and will be back to see in more detail when the big cats are more active. Nice model railroad too.
Peaceful in the daytime.The staff and volunteers are extremely nice.I hope all animals are treated well at all times.I normally dont go to zoos only sanctuaries.Shout out to Christina the young lady who works in the refreshment stand thats near the camels and in between the goat petting area. Shes very nice and has really great customer service. We tried to tell Chad and David her bosses but we could not find them anywhere at the zoo throughout the time we were there from 1:00 p.m. to closing time. We even came back for the second evening light festival. Give Christina a raise.Extremely overcrowded in the evening.They should definitely have a capacity of how many people can come in. Or they should definitely have some kind of structure when people are taking pictures or people are waiting in line to take photos.It might even be a great idea to implement photographers as well as people being able to take their own pictures.The lantern festival is very pretty but I would never go again to the Palm springs location because the patrons really dont have any manners, (adults and children). People were just walking through when other people are trying to take pictures, not even saying excuse me which was very rude.Also for better pictures and lighting its probably a good idea to put lights on both sides of any area that has a festival lantern because if theres no lighting on the other side all pictures come out really dark. The only thing you can see is the lantern not really the people in the pictures.
Awesome zoo/gardens and working model train display. The day was cool so all the animals were active. Its nice to see the large area for the animals to roam. A must to see if youre visiting the Palm Springs area.
This place is excellent for the family to take their kids and learn about particular animals. Staff are very friendly and will help you if you have any questions. A lot of walking so be ready and wear something that you can enjoy every minute of it. Read all the signs about the history of every animal. Very interesting. This place is run by a non-profit organizations. It seems people that works their are all volunteers. Very nice and believe or not its very clean.
Beautiful and clean zoo. Wonderful staff that shared their knowledge and details about the animals.
This zoo is so neat!!! They have incredible exhibits and the entire setup is enhanced by having the natural untouched mountainous landscape in the background. The enclosures are large and designed well so that you can see almost every animal when you visit their exhibits. The animals all appear well-cared for and healthy. The wallaby enclosure is particularly special because of how close you are to the animals. This is definitely a must-see adventure for anybody in the area. There was no line to enter and there were minimal crowds.
Ok, this is place is so kool. Not that big as LA ZOO but still great in its own way. My daughter was able to hand feed a Giraffe! She walked around with a Wallaby! It was a great experience, and as a parent I felt so overjoyed that my child was able to do these things that she will remember forever.
Great day to enjoy the zoo. Large paths to walk so you don’t feel cramped next to other guests. The animals were being fed when we visited so lots of activity. The zookeepers were out and visiting with the crowd to go over questions and offer tips on where to look for the animals. We enjoyed feeding the giraffes as well. The model train is also a very neat attraction.
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is amazing. We went in at opening when animals where active. Once we entered, the zoo volunteer/greeters were very nice and proactive in providing information about the park.Kids really enjoy feeding the giraffes, petting coral and animal encounter shows. Place is big enough for kids to explorer for a few hours. Animal enclosures were open and laid out right. Made you feel physically close. The gentleman/docent by the mountain lions was super friendly and patience with my kids question.Free parking. Friendly staff. Zoo grounds and restrooms are very clean.Food /drinks price are reasonable price for a non profit. Cool G-scale model train exhibit where you can enjoy with coffee.Zoo is a great family attraction when you are in the Palm Springs area.
Love this cute zoo! If you travel with kids over here, you have to come to visit. They have a lot of desert animals here including Jaguar, cheetah, wolves… Also eagles, meerkat, wallabies, fox… The walkway here is not difficult, it is kids friendly and wheelchair friendly. The tickets are not expensive, people here are nice. The total hour we are here is about 2 hours.
Very nice, informative, clean, animals looked comfortable and not stressed out. Will go again. Bring water & can bring a little/lite snack & a umbrella or hat to keep sun off of you. Have small children make sure you bring a stroller or wagon for them. If you have one they some & even wheel chairs for elderly & those with walking issues (so to say). Can feed the giraffes too🦒
All I can say is WOW!!Come support this wonderful zoo with gardens, you will not be disappointed!
One of the best zoos we visited. Real hidden gem. Every enclosure was customized to animals needs but at the same time allowed us to be able to see animals without being interrupted. They have a giraffe feeding, for $8/person its an awesome opportunity to have close encounter. We each got about 4 leaves of lettuce and giraffes are really gentle picking them from our hands.
Amazing adventure for kids and family trip. Lots of beautiful animals to see. Don’t recommend to go in the summer time with a baby but it’s a nice place to go during spring time I say!
Its not a big attraction, but you will see beautiful animals that are well kept and cared for in a very natural environment. It makes sense to have desert and Savannah creatures in this locale. We were impressed enough to get an annual pass. I look forward to visiting often.
Fun place to check out in the desert. It’s no San Diego Zoo and the animals are a bit limited, but it’s still a great place to visit.The g scale model railroad is very impressive as well.
Love the zoo! Each area has informative staff around. You could learn a lots from them during the visit! There are feeding area for 🦒 and petting area for 🐐. Make sure bring the 🧢 sunscreen 🧴 and the umbrella ☂ if you plan to be in the zoo for a long time. Scorching weather during summer time.
Amazing zoo! Animals looked happy. Beautiful enclosures and landscapes. Staff was very personable and helpful. Lots of amazing animals! We loved it!!!
Very clean place and beautiful walk around the zoo. It was great because it wasnt too crowded and for the most part quiet. Really enjoyed the day with family. Restroom were very clean. Staff is very friendly.
What a cool display of Art and animals in nature! It was a great night went as the sun was going down was able to visit some animals and catch all the lanterns! What a beautiful place for a beautiful night in the desert.
Really enjoyed visiting here again. Quite a few animals, mostly reptiles, seemed to not be there. Really would’ve liked to see all the rest of the Christmas lights but we missed them by a couple of days.
It will be my favorite zoo in the US. It has beautiful architecture that fits perfectly with the landscape.Animals, especially, camels, giraffes, and kangaroos very very entertaining.You can feed giraffes, and enter to kangaroo space. So Fun!The gardens are beautiful.We visited during wintertime, and the weather was great and comfortable.There are a few food spots, and my son had no problem of finding something to his taste.We spend there 3+ hours.I want to go again
This has been one of the biggest zoos that I have ever visited. Its really expanse while also being accommodating for the entire family. For example, there is a substantial amount of water fountains and restrooms spread throughout the entire zoo. What really caught my eye was that this zoo has its very own hospital for the animals that they take care of. Overall, this zoo has been one of the best zoos that I have been to and it really was a good experience for me and my family while on our vacation. Also, the staff was amazing and very friendly.
Inexpensive for the kids to enjoy a quick run around the zoo. Feed the giraffe for a small fee. No more camel rides or leopard runs but still entertaining to enjoy the animals.
The whole experience is amazing. The animals are well taken care of. The grounds are beautiful with the different plant types from around the world, and there is a model train exhibit. Well worth ones time and cost.
This living desert zoo is an excellent zoo. We are members here, and we love bringing our kids here as well. There’s so many cool exhibits, and they are always updating things. The Rhino exhibit is awesome, and so is the giraffe feeding. There are many amenities available throughout the zoo, with many places to sit and rest, and also to buy food. It will take approximately a couple of hours, but you could spend all day here easily. Being a member you also get access to the walking trails that are around the back of the zoo. There’s plenty of parking for everybody and they have some fantastic Light events throughout the year.
This zoo is a good place for family festivals and holidays, the staff is very friendly and patient with knowledge about animals.
This zoo was so awesome..just went on a whim because we were in palm springs and had some time. Was not disappointed 😁 It is dedicated to animals & plant life of the different desert regions of the world. Very informative, well kept & amazing staff. $30 is a bit pricey, but you can see they put the money to good use 👍🏾
The Zoo is built around a mountain which offers a natural habitat with lots of space for the animals to climb around and roam. The wallaby exhibit allows you to sit and walk around inside the enclosed exhibit. The open model train railroad layouts are worth the trip alone.
We love this zoo. We have had a membership now for a few years and my kids love coming here. If you were to try and do the whole zoo, it would take you the best part of the day. We love being able to pop in for an hour or so and so some of the exhibits at different times of the day. As the animals are always active at different times, we always see something new every visit.
This zoo was nicer than I expected for a small desert zoo. Plenty of parking on the weekend when its a hot summer day. Bring a lot of water with you and go early if possible. Theres not a ton of shade when walking between the exhibits so try to bring some type of cover or at least a sunhat, especially for kids. The gardens were pretty and a lot of the animals were out, so it was enjoyable. The kids enjoyed visiting the Tennity Wildlife Hospital & Conservation Center within the zoo. There were no animals inside when we visited, but they still got a tour of the medical procedure rooms.
Great zoo! Interactive experiences. Feed the giraffes while there. You may never get another chance to. Its 10 bucks and more than worth it. The Ausie exhibit has a bunch of wallabies just hanging out on the walking path. Dont pet them but it really is amazing! The toy train display is also a must-see.
Love the giraffe 🦒 feeding experience the rest of the zoo is meh but its clean and when the weather is nice its pleasant to walk around. A little pricey for what you get and I wish they had more interactive exhibits and the private golf cart tours/experiences sell out WELL WELL in advance, the giraffe exhibit is hands down the best Ive seen in most zoos. A fun all around experience if you book early, customize your experience and go during non summer months.
This is an incredible zoo. It is thoughtful and well laid out with large enclosures. The goat petting zoo area is a fun spot for kids and all the staff and volunteers are so friendly and helpful. The playground area is a great feature, as well as the model trains. We loved the giraffes, wallabies & hyenas. I would to come back sometime to see the cheetah as he was hiding. Definitely recommend this for both adults and kids if you are in the Palm Springs area! We easily spent 2-3 hours here. Lots of shady spots and little areas to sit and enjoy lunch too.
Wild lights was good, no crowds, but if you just want lights juat come at 7 pm and pay the $18 / person fee for the lights. The park visit is separate payment for the day time. Come early Parking is free. Bring your water bottle as it gets super hot during summer. Our favorite is the Australian path; wallabys just walk pass you during their feeding time. And the Rhino exhibit is amazing. My kids enjoyed feeding the girraffe;its quite an experience.
Our second visit to this great zoo! My husband and I spent most of a day there. Enjoyed the Animal Connection talks by/with the staff. Lots of improvements in process, would like to see again in a few years.
Great zoo! On this visit we really focused on the birds and gardens. The newest aviary is beautiful and I loved it! The little ground hogs were adorable! (I know, not birds) The rhinos were beautiful. What a special place. Pro tip: if you want to use the hiking trails do it early and not in summer! Its too hot and there is very little shade, if any.
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is an amazing place to spend a morning (when it is cooler) for a leisurely walk among the animals and foliage. The staff who are throughout the park, are very knowledgable, friendly, and helpful. The park has many areas in the shade, places to eat, indoor air-conditioned exhibits, and water fountains. Bring your own water and food it is allowed.
Beautiful place.. But I dont know your interact with the animals.. Im black and I dont feed the wild.. But I enjoy take pictures.. if you like stuff like that go for it .. I from the south ( New Orleans) Zoo is more lock down.. I enjoyed and I got there at 7am cause they close at 12 noon.. I guess cause of the heat
We love this zoo! The staff and guests are friendly and the animals dont look caged up and unhappy. Love the Giraffe feeding experience 🦒 Suggest wearing comfortable shoes, its a lot of walking
Amazing wildlife. A must see if you are in the area.
Beautiful zoo with ample habitats for the animals to roam. They have a petting zone with goats, an Australian zone with wallabies roaming around, and others zones with giraffes, rhinos and cheetahs. The aviary was closed due to the avian flu. Tons of dessert plants and gardens all over the zoo.
The Living Desert is always a fun place to go. Where can you go to see Giraffes, Rhinos, Bighorn Sheep and Australian Kangaroos. This time we we went to their Glow in the Park Event sponsored by Acrisure Arena. Runs from March 17-April.30th this year with a ray of lights from dragons to snakes to crabs and more. Fun chairs to sit in for pictures and light shows. Fun experience. Not that expensive to get in and its a little cheaper if your a member. You do have to book a reservation time thru the website.
Wow what a treat, glad we saw this and visited. Go early when the animals are being fed. Spend the extra for the giraffe feeding and check everything out. Wear good shoes and have a charged phone for photos. And buy tickets online
Had a really great experience here. Definitely recommend going early to beat the heat. Glad they have water bottle refill stations throughout. The exhibits are displayed well and maintained. They also have hiking trails and beautiful gardens. Ive never seen so many hummingbirds and they are friendly too. Our kiddo enjoyed feeding the Giraffes. Just all around great experience!!
Leo our private tour guide made our first visit & morning shuttle ride around the park fun & enjoyable. We loved the Giraffe feeding of course & the Rhinos. Leos favorite was the Jaguar. He of course shared his love for all the animals & gardens. We were amazed by the 3 Cheetah sisters & the Porcupines as well as the Wild Dogs. We got to see both the Golden Eagle & Bald Eagle. Even the colorful migrating visitor - the colorful Vermillion Flycatcher in the Rhino habitat. The Desert Unicorns & Springboks.
My husband and I spent 4 very enjoyable hours. We did a lot of walking, but it was easy to moderate. There were plenty of places to stop and rest. The garden and animal exhibit a were well labeled and designed.
Very nice, just go early before it gets too hot and the animals hide. We were disappointed that the model railway has been neglected and become really in need of repairs. Only one of the many trains was running.
Went to experience their GLOW IN THE PARK evening event. Pretty cool walking experience. The kids enjoyed all the light exhibits even got to catch a view of some animals that were still active at night.. event is reasonably priced.. worth the night tome stroll.
This zoo definitely exceeded my expectations! It is very nicely laid out, and its not difficult to walk around the entire zoo in a couple of hours. There are plenty of restrooms and places to eat along your way around the zoo. I didnt expect to see this nice of a zoo in the middle of the desert!
Absolutely love this place!! Its gorgeous! They have animals you dont ordinarily dont see, like wild dogs, hyenas, etc. Plenty of places to just sit. Its definitely worth a visit.
So relaxing, was able to see all the animals. Just very pleasurable
This zoo is great. Its really big so be prepared to walk a lot and of course bring your water to stay hydrated. I visited early on a Friday morning because giraffe feeding is only from 8am-12pm I believe (check the website for the accurate times). Good thing about going early and on a hot day is that we didnt have a wait for anything. Downside most of the animals were also trying to avoid the heat and were inside of their enclosure more than they were walking around.There are plenty of areas where you can sit and get water/food but good luck with finding shade. Other than that very fun and will definitely come back
We love this zoo and we’ve been here many times. It’s the perfect size and there are many animals to take your little ones to see, but it does get hot. Only reason I gave it 3 stars is because when exiting the zoo they make you go through the gift shop and the guy at the front said he can get in trouble if he let us out through the gate instead. I don’t appreciate them forcing us to go through the gift shop at the end of a tiring trip just so our kids can cause a scene and cry to purchase something. Sneaky and annoying, just let us have options of how to leave the zoo and not just only think about how much more money I can make for the business. Just to note, we’ve bought stuff at this gift shop plenty of times we’ve been here and we are just sick of making it a habit with our kids anywhere we go so better to just run out and not even give them the option to look.
True hidden gem. This zoo is amazing in terms of quality and price. Not only they offer wide variety of animals all across the globe from Africa, America, and Australia, the environments for animals are absolutely amazing, and resemble much of their original habitat. Some of the animals can be harder to spot depending on the time of the day, still this place is great for kids and adults alike. Normally takes about 2-3 hours to walk around and tour the whole park for me with the kids, that is without stopping at attractions such as dinosaurs and the mini railroads, etc.
Had a great time with our grandchildren seeing all the animals and beautiful views.
Really enjoy the living desert! We bring our own snacks and dine at the restaurants usually, the animals are pretty active during the day but especially in the morning! Its small enough to make it a half day/couple hour thing but big enough to make a full day out of also!
A delightful and fun viewing of some cool animals. Our 4 year old grandsons had a blast, as did we seeing the animals and watching him glow.
Great zoo with a lot of southern animals! There were a lot of giraffes and you could even feed them. There are three areas, Africa, Australia and North America and a lot of different animals were from those areas. Though it was a bit hot it was a lot of fun to walk around and look at different animals.
Great experience and a must see for anyone visiting!
Great zoo experience - we had a great time from the grandparents down to our two year old. Definitely recommend getting there when they open before the sun gets too hot, but be prepared for some animals to be unavailable early in the morning. Employees were nice and happy to let you listen in to private tours here and there. The zoo is the perfect size for about 3 hours. My only critique was that the first 3 exhibits by the gate were empty early in the morning. I totally get letting the animals have their own routing, but it seems like poor planning to have people walk on past empty enclosures as soon as they enter.
Such a lovely zoo! Nice assortment of animals. The local animals are great to see. We went at night and the nocturnal animals were busy.
This zoo is definitely worth the money. They have a bunch of animals and staff to answer all your questions. They offer feeding the giraffes and a ton of kid friendly questions and answer sessions. They also have a carrousel and large model train display. Definitely come early though. The parking lot fills up quickly.
Amazing zoo experience. A lot to see and a lot to learn! Can definitely tell they are taking good care of the animals.
Solid zoo. Facilities looked well taken care of and clean. We enjoyed wandering around looking at all the exhibits.I would have easily given 5 stars but a couple of experiences dropped it to 4 stars.1. We wanted to feed the giraffe. We bought 2 tickets at a cost of $20. We got two pieces of romaine lettuce cut in half. I understand the money goes to a good cause but after dropping over a hundred dollars to get in, this was very disappointing.2. After feeding the giraffe we asked a staff member a bunch of questions pertaining to the giraffe, habitat, and mating and he couldn’t answer them and kept turning to another staff member looking for assistance and they couldn’t answer the questions either.
First time here and it was breathtaking. So many different educational areas to explore. Kid approved! We will be back.Plus they have colorful rocking chairs in certain areas in case you need a rest.🌵🌵🐪🏜️
Great exhibits, plenty of food/water, and restrooms. Easy to navigate.
Wow! So much to see. Not only all the different animals from around the world, but also the model train exhibition. Tis is a must see for kids a d adults if you are in the area. Make sure you take your hiking shoes.
This is a great place to take your kids or if you live in the area a nice place to get a walk in. They have a petting area that has small goats and a hiking area in the back for anyone looking to get some miles in. There quite a bit of places to sit and rest and senior friendly. The animals were walking around full of energy when I went.
This place is beautiful and clean. The workers are very informative. It has many animals to see. Very peaceful place! Feeding the giraffes is THE BEST!
We love the Living Desert and are members. We go every year to the Wild Lights during the holidays but the new Glow in the Park was AWESOME! There was so much to look at and so much was lit up. My son had so much fun!
This was a good experience. I think what the Living Desert does for preservation of the species and education is vital and necessary. The (senior) volunteers were very knowledgeable especially. One of the younger volunteers (staff?) that was watching the goats looked seriously depressed and made no interaction with the guests. He should not be paid for that. I disregarded him after trying to make contact and it was nice to pet the goats! I went during daytime, on a week day in Fall. Temperatures were amazing. I hiked for a bit on the trails but they were not restored yet from Hurricane Hilary so I had to be really careful. I noticed that the property needs some serious TLC. The maintenance simply looks like its lacking. There were dried out gardens everywhere, I even saw random pallets laying around. I am assuming (perhaps wrongfully) this zoo has got some heavy weight donors and the ticket price for 40 dollars per person, are sufficient. The animals seemed content, although some of them seem like they surrendered to their solitude and confinement, which is a hard pill to swallow. Its challenging to visit a zoo and not feel like they belong in the wild, even though I fully understand that their territory on Earth is getting smaller and smaller. Just think of the Wild Mustangs round ups; dont be blind to the atrocities in your own back yard by focusing on hunting and poaching overseas. All in all it was a nice day and I enjoyed the giraffes a lot. They are truly magical! The park is huge and it is a day well spent. Very child friendly.
Not being from Palms Springs, it was a nice experience. The park was clean, well organized and well decorated. The animals seemed to be treated very well under caged circumstances. A few interactive animals that was incredibly fun. It’s overall a very fun park!
This zoo was a pleasant surprise in the desert! Amazing zoo! I highly recommend this place. It has a nice variety of animals, all with excellent enclosures!
A wonderful zoo on an accessible, human scale. The exhibits are beautiful, set against the mountain backdrop. Animals are right up close and personal, without feeling like they are confined or in an unhappy situation. The keeper talk on the black rhinoceros was informative and enjoyably delivered. The Australian pavilion is small, but the wallabys roam freely and a flock of parakeets flies all around you. Overall, a great experience is recommend to anyone.
This place was awesome! You can pet, feed and interact with all types of animals. I fed a giraffe, watched the camels play, listened to experts talk about the cheetahs, wild dogs (aka painted dogs), and eagles (there were more but we did not participate) and just had a great day. Highly recommend for all ages. My father loved the 3,400 feet of train track.
Kinda expensive but after seeing the exhibits and how they animals are cared for, i don’t mind my money going to this. By far the best zoo i have ever been to. Very close to animals and good exhibits. Definitely would come back!
You just have to see it. Check the TripAdvisor reviews. I took my wife so she could feed giraffes but this is not a regular zoo. Its much more. Took a private tour which really means your party and a guide drive around. Glad we did. A lot of walking, a lot to learn.
What a gem in the desert for kids and adults! While the Desert Cities really lack in terms of things to do for children (tick tock tick tock time for all the Boomers to go!) the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens is such a fun, interactive adventure that every kids loves! Feeding the giraffes, up close experience with the precious Wallabe’s, gorgeous rhinos, wolves, lions, so many animals of interest and this zoo is maintained beautifully. While I’m always torn about animals in captivity, the people here take amazing care of all the wonderful creatures. Beautiful grounds, too knotch gift shop, snack and cafes throughout and the tiny train exhibit it worth the membership!
Very very clean park. Had a ton of fun with my small nieces and nephews. It was not overly crowded. The animals and attractions seemed like they were really well taken care of.
Its an amazing zoo. Its worth the price of admission. Very clean and beautiful. Loved how some enclosures had different animals together.
The animal exhibits are great, with wonderful volunteers nearby to share interesting information and enthusiasm! There is also an animal hospital. We were delighted to meet the baby giraffe as well as a baby meerkat, and two newly transported rhinos wallaby, jaguar, and others! The gardens feature interesting plants and are nicely displayed. We were pleasantly surprised to also tour an extensive garden railroad with many trains running on the track across trestles and by hand- made buildings.
Beautiful desert zoo with wild lifeand lots of desert plants.Access to a desert trail with amazing views.Perfect for kids and adults!
Cute animals! I enjoyed it. The goat were supper sweet, like a puppy wanting to be pet. It’s funny that they found my dress is tasty 🤣It’s kinda hot in the noon. I will go as early as I can if I can choose.
My 11 year old son and I attended for Glow In The Park and had the absolute best time. We bounced around this perfect size zoo playing in the light installations and were SO impressed with the experience.What a fantastic layout (the zoo) and beautiful experience (Glow In The Park).We especially loved the food and were so happily surprised that they had a fantastic tofu bowl (vegan).
This is a very nice and clean zoo. Our kids got to pet some animals and feed the giraffes. Each of the exhibits were clean and the animals appeared healthy. You can easily visit everything in this zoo within the day.
Agreed zoo to walk through. Employees and volunteers were all fantastic. Good variety of animals. The hospital tour was unique, do it. The Australia area was fun. Feeding the giraffes was a hit.
We went for the Zoo Lights opening night. We took our visiting family of 6 adults a 5 children. Everyone had a fabulous time! My only disappointment was being nickle and dimed for hot chocolate and s’mores for the children. For the amount paid for admission I feel the hot chocolate and s’mores could have been included. For the $6 you got one marshmallow. Also, the merry go round could have been complimentary or included in the price of admission. It felt like we were paying for something every time we turned around.
A smaller zoo but lots of fun. There were so many staff around to answer questions and provide more information. Loved it!
This place is so amazing. The veterinarians and the hospital is just heartwarming and so fundamental. The size of the animals enclosures are a bit small for my opinion. I did see a fox pacing back and forth in his enclosure and it made me sad and helpless. Living desert is a humane zoo and they help save animals lives.
It was a really enjoyable experience and fairly devoid of crowds for a Saturday morning. We got in for free via BoA perks which was good, considering they classify anyone aged 13+ an adult.Staff were very friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming!Great zoo for small children as its not as huge as the San Diego Zoo, and theres some nice extras such as a goat pen where you can pat them then and an interesting minute railway. Kids seemed to love those.
Wonderful zoo. Had an amazing day. The staff is extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Plenty of quiet places to sit and relax.
This is a wonderful place to visit. The variety of desert animals and birds is amazing and you sense they are well taken care of. Many docents available to answer questions. The park is well laid out and you can easily enjoy a round trip including the amazing miniature train in 2-3 hours.
Nice place to go to get away from the big Zoo. Wasnt over crowded, check the time of year so your not in the hot sun, I believe you can take your food in there is also a nite glow event. We stayed in the parking lot after the day event so we didnt have a Long wait time for the evening event. That line got super Long. Have fun
Great and fun experience for the whole family. They have Beautiful animals and even a feeding time for the giraffes (we fed them lettuce 🥬, for seven dollars). The babies had a lot of fun, it was a safe and family friendly environment. We went in February so it was not too hot nor cold. They have a new construction going on to bring in Rhinoceros into the zoo. I think it is going to turn out awesome. Had an amazing experience and would recommend others to go as well.
We have the family yearly membership here and we love to come here and take our daughter and walk around during the week, its not as busy. I love all the animals here and my daughter plays Pokemon Go and there are a ton of stops here too.cncsbeautyandmore
Fun family outing on a relatively cool day. Ive been here in the summer and I have to say that its a lot more pleasant in cooler weather. Bring some good walking shoes and a hat. There are shaded areas throughout and plenty of water fountains as well. Staff was very friendly and helpful and I personally think the animals looked quite happy too.
A beautiful zoo focusing entirely on desert & savannah based animals and reptiles. The exhibits showcase the animals well, which allows for great photo opportunities. We went in the middle of the day and the only downside we found was the lack of shade in the Australian side of the park - the African side was much better for shade.
I was skeptical to visit a zoo in the middle of the desert but I was pleasantly surprise. We had the best time with our toddler. We arrived at 8am and left at 12:30pm. I love how they have the feeding for the giraffes for a small fee. Very nice experience. I had read recent reviews that there were not many animals visible but I can say that we saw so many animals. Its nicely spaced out and there is a great area where the kids can pet the animals. Definitely arrive as early as you can and leave by 11:30 in the summer because it gets extremely hot! Its a great zoo to visit and we will be back with more family and friends : )
Total reviews rating 5
199 Reviews for The Living Desert 2024:
Review №1
2023-11-21 03:50:21We were very lucky to enjoy a private tour with Dave today. Not only did we get to see every exhibit the zoo includes, we also received detailed information about the animals and environments we were witnessing. Dave was an excellent host, providing us a comfortable, safe, and fun experience. He was very attentive to the children in our group and made sure they got a great view of everything. The giraffe feeding was awesome, and it was a nice benefit to cut the line via the private tour. Overall it was a wonderful way to experience everything this very well managed, clean, well-signed zoo had to offer. Thanks Dave and everyone there!
Review №2
2023-11-27 06:28:39I don’t understand why it took us such a long time to come and visit this wonderful habitat of some extraordinary animals. Do not hesitate to come and bring your family here. We enjoyed each minute of this zoo. First time seeing some of the animals so close and kept in great environments. Keep up the great job The living zoo.
Review №3
2023-11-13 14:09:56We went on weekend of Halloween. The people working and volunteering were sooo kind and helpful. Chris explained to us how to get around the zoo and about the candy stations and activities going on at the zoo. She was great! The zoo was so beautiful, and we got to feed the giraffe. My son loved it. We hope to come back next year on our visit back to Palm desert.
Review №4
2023-11-27 07:08:35Visited on a Saturday afternoon and it was not crowded at all. A very small nice size zoo that children will enjoy. We were able to do the giraffe feeding and luckily when we got there there was not a line. We were told we just missed the rush. Several places to eat, I cannot comment on prices because we did not visit the cafes. 4 out of 5 because some construction was going on so some places was closed. Also there was like one animal in each habitat. Giraffe habitat was my favorite
Review №5
2023-12-08 15:29:24Note: Review and rating only for the WILDLIGHTS not the zoo itselfWe came here for the wildlights and was lucky enough to see the reptiles. I have been to Los Angeles Zoo lights and Six Flags Drive thru lights (during Covid) and this was by far the least place I could recommend for holiday lights. For one, not a lot of food options. The smores was way too overpriced. Second, the place was still dark than bright compared to LA zoo lights and Six Flags Drive Thru Lights. There was music and a DJ but the whole place wasn’t as festive. I suggest exploring other light display.There was no wait to enter and Parking is Free.
Review №6
2023-12-04 05:23:54Great for adults and kids. Close up experience with lots of animals. Food and drinks are pricey, suggest you bring food and drinks. Sunscreen is recommended. Great train layout to watch. Have fun.
Review №7
2023-10-17 15:57:22Nicest zoo I’ve ever visited. All the animals are out. You can feed giraffes which is an awesome activity. The staff are the nicest people ever! So educational. There’s clean bathrooms every turn. Food isn’t too expensive. 10/10 would recommend whether you’re a kid or adult.
Review №8
2023-12-09 02:31:47Incredible experience! Absolutely beautiful grounds, interesting animals, fun playground, friendly volunteers & employees who were exceptionally knowledgeable. The Australian exhibit with the wallabies, frogmouth birds, and kookaburras were my favorite! A must-go!
Review №9
2023-11-05 01:49:59Omg! What a fun little zoo! All the animals are warm weather critters, so they were all awake and active.I fed a giraffe! I also got up close and personal with a wallaby! It was a fun way to spend an afternoon, and the food was pretty good too!
Review №10
2023-06-21 01:56:27I recommend arriving before 9 am because it gets too hot to enjoy. Some of the animals like to hide in the shade to get away from the heat too. Also, paying $10 to feed the giraffe was worth it. It was a cool experience and created great memories to look back on. There is not much shade here but there are some indoor areas with a.c to help cool you off. Like inside the animal hospital self tour. I couldve spent more than 2 hours here if more animals werent asleep and the sun was beaming.