This list ranks the 25 oldest zoos in the world that are still operating as of August 2026 — ranked by the year each institution first opened its gates to visitors as a zoo. Charter dates and royal menageries that never became public zoos don’t count, and zoos that closed for good are out, no matter how historic.
That rule matters more here than on any other ranking we publish, because this category is full of traps: several zoos widely ranked among the world’s oldest either no longer exist or never opened when the listicles claim they did.
Is the World’s Oldest Zoo Actually Worth Visiting? Our Verdict
Being 274 years old doesn’t automatically make Tiergarten Schönbrunn worth a detour, and plenty of travelers assume “oldest” means small, dated, and sad. Our verdict: it’s genuinely worth the trip, but not for the reason you’d expect. The 17-hectare site sits inside the grounds of a UNESCO World Heritage palace garden, and that baroque footprint hasn’t stopped it from competing with zoos built a century later on far more land — Vienna’s zoo has been voted Europe’s best zoo six separate times (2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, and 2021).
Who should prioritize it: history and architecture fans already doing Schönbrunn Palace (the zoo shares the same grounds), giant panda fans — Vienna is one of a relative handful of zoos outside China with pandas, with a new pair arriving in 2025 after the previous pair’s 2024 retirement — and anyone who wants a half-day stop rather than a full safari-park outing. Who should adjust expectations: families picturing a sprawling modern mega-zoo with room for herds and drive-through-style exhibits, closer to what you’d find at a newer facility like Chimelong Spaceship in Zhuhai. Schönbrunn’s age shows up as intimacy and density, not emptiness.
Practical judgment call: budget 2-3 hours if you’re only hitting highlights, 4-5 hours for a relaxed full walkthrough, or stack a whole day if you’re pairing it with the palace and gardens. Arrive in the first hour after opening if you want a calmer walk before tour groups build up later in the day. Several walk-in enclosures also close up to an hour before the zoo’s official closing time, so don’t save them for the end of the day.
If you’re weighing Schönbrunn against the other old-world zoos on this list, it’s worth knowing that “oldest” and “biggest” aren’t the same question in every city — Berlin’s history splits across two parks, the historic Berlin Zoological Garden ranked above and the city’s other large zoo, Tierpark Berlin-Friedrichsfelde.
- Visit the giant pandas first thing in the morning, before tour groups arrive
- Budget at least half a day if you’re pairing the zoo with Schönbrunn Palace
- Check the daily feeding schedule online to plan your route around specific animals
- Don’t save walk-in enclosures for last; several close up to an hour before official closing
- Timed reservations aren’t required or available — buy tickets online in advance just to skip the gate queue
The Ranking
| # | Zoo | location | opened |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tiergarten Schönbrunn | Vienna, Austria | 1752 |
| 2 | Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes | Paris, France | 1794 |
| 3 | London Zoo | London, UK | 1828 |
| 4 | Dublin Zoo | Dublin, Ireland | 1831 |
| 5 | Artis (Natura Artis Magistra) | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 1838 |
| 6 | Antwerp Zoo | Antwerp, Belgium | 1843 |
| 7 | Berlin Zoological Garden | Berlin, Germany | 1844 |
| 8 | Diergaarde Blijdorp | Rotterdam, Netherlands | 1857 |
| 9 | Frankfurt Zoo | Frankfurt, Germany | 1858 |
| 10 | Copenhagen Zoo | Copenhagen, Denmark | 1859 |
| 11 | Thiruvananthapuram Zoo | Thiruvananthapuram, India | 1859 |
| 12 | Cologne Zoo | Cologne, Germany | 1860 |
| 13 | Dresden Zoo | Dresden, Germany | 1861 |
| 14 | Melbourne Zoo | Melbourne, Australia | 1862 |
| 15 | Moscow Zoo | Moscow, Russia | 1864 |
| 16 | Central Park Zoo | New York City, USA | 1864 |
| 17 | Hanover Zoo | Hanover, Germany | 1865 |
| 18 | Wrocław Zoo | Wrocław, Poland | 1865 |
| 19 | Leningrad Zoo | St. Petersburg, Russia | 1865 |
| 20 | Karlsruhe Zoo | Karlsruhe, Germany | 1865 |
| 21 | Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden | Budapest, Hungary | 1866 |
| 22 | Mulhouse Zoological & Botanical Park | Mulhouse, France | 1868 |
| 23 | Lincoln Park Zoo | Chicago, USA | 1868 |
| 24 | Roger Williams Park Zoo | Providence, USA | 1872 |
| 25 | Lahore Zoo | Lahore, Pakistan | 1872 |
The Empress’s Menagerie That Started It All
Tiergarten Schönbrunn in Vienna has been open since 1752 — a baroque imperial menagerie in the gardens of the Habsburg summer palace, and the uncontested oldest zoo on Earth. Paris’s Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes (1794) was born of the French Revolution, stocked partly with animals seized from Versailles. London Zoo (1828) launched the scientific era — the world’s first reptile house, first public aquarium, and first insect house all opened inside Regent’s Park.
The Traps Other Lists Fall Into
Bristol Zoo (1836) would rank fifth — but the historic Clifton site closed permanently in 2022, and its successor project is a different attraction. Kazan’s claimed 1806 founding actually refers to a university botanical garden; the zoo came in 1931. Madrid’s 1770 menagerie closed in 1972 and today’s Zoo Aquarium de Madrid is a separate facility. And Hamburg’s famous Hagenbeck park — inventor of the cageless, moated enclosure — opened in 1907, not 1863 as often claimed.
Near Misses
Philadelphia Zoo — America’s first chartered zoo (1859) — opened in 1874, which leaves it just outside the 25 behind Central Park (1864), Lincoln Park (1868), and Roger Williams Park (1872). Also just past the cutoff: Zoo Basel (1874), Cincinnati (1875), Kolkata’s Alipore Zoo (1876), Ueno Zoo — Japan’s oldest (1882) — and Beijing Zoo, China’s oldest (opened to the public in 1908).
FAQ
What is the oldest zoo in the world?
Tiergarten Schönbrunn in Vienna, Austria — open since 1752 as the Habsburg imperial menagerie, and still operating today, making it more than 270 years old.
What is the oldest zoo in the United States?
By opening date, Central Park Zoo’s site has hosted a public menagerie since 1864 — ahead of Lincoln Park Zoo (1868) and Roger Williams Park Zoo (1872). Philadelphia Zoo holds the oldest charter (1859) but didn’t open until 1874.
Why isn’t Bristol Zoo on the list?
The historic 1836 Bristol Zoo closed permanently in September 2022. Its parent society continues at the newer Bristol Zoo Project site, but that’s a successor attraction — the original zoo is gone.
Photo: Aconcagua via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
How long should you spend at the world’s oldest zoo?
Plan on 2-3 hours for the highlights, 4-5 hours for a relaxed full visit, or a full day if you’re combining it with Schönbrunn Palace next door — the zoo’s 17-hectare site is dense enough that a quick walk-through covers less than it looks.
Can you see giant pandas at the oldest zoo in the world?
Yes — Tiergarten Schönbrunn is one of a small number of zoos outside China with giant pandas. A new pair arrived in 2025 after the previous pair returned to China for retirement in 2024.
Is the oldest zoo in the world also the best?
By reputation, yes: despite its small, centuries-old footprint, Tiergarten Schönbrunn has been voted Europe’s best zoo six times between 2008 and 2021, so its age hasn’t kept it from competing with far larger modern zoos.
Is the world’s oldest zoo worth visiting if you’re not an animal person?
Likely yes — the zoo sits inside the UNESCO-listed Schönbrunn Palace grounds, so even visitors mainly there for the palace and gardens tend to find the 2-3 hour detour worthwhile for the setting alone.