San Francisco Zoo & Gardens sits in the city’s southwestern corner, tucked between Lake Merced and the Pacific Ocean along the Great Highway. Founded by philanthropist Herbert Fleishhacker in 1929 and built out through the 1930s as a Works Progress Administration project, the zoo was originally known as the Herbert Fleishhacker Zoo before officially becoming the San Francisco Zoological Gardens in 1941 at its founder’s own suggestion.
Today the zoo spans about 100 acres and is home to more than 250 species and over 2,000 animals, from endangered big cats to rescued wildlife and native and exotic plants throughout its gardens. It’s best known as the birthplace of Koko the gorilla, and it’s currently in the middle of a long, still-unresolved effort to bring giant pandas from China to a renovated habitat on-site.
Quick Answer
San Francisco Zoo & Gardens is open 365 days a year, typically 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with last entry at 4 p.m. Non-resident adult admission runs roughly $32 on weekdays and $34 on weekends, with lower rates for San Francisco residents, seniors, and children ages 2-11; members and children under 2 get in free. On-site parking costs about $15 on weekdays and $20 on weekends, though free street parking is available along Sloat Boulevard. The zoo is the birthplace of Koko the gorilla, and as of mid-2026 it is still working to finalize a giant panda exhibit in the former lion habitat — the pandas have not yet arrived.
Planning Your Visit: Hours, Tickets & Prices
The zoo operates on a two-tier pricing structure that shifts by day of the week and residency: weekday admission is cheaper than weekend and holiday admission, and San Francisco residents (with proof of address) pay less than visitors from outside the city. Within each tier, adults, seniors 65+, and children 2-11 each have their own rate, and children under 2 are always free. The zoo also offers a same-day $1 discount for guests who show a Muni transfer, receipt, or pass, and a steeply discounted rate for SF residents using EBT/SNAP benefits, capped at four tickets per visit. Active military members and guests with disabilities are charged the resident rate regardless of where they live. Annual members get unlimited free admission for the length of their membership.
Because ticket prices and hours are adjusted periodically, treat any dollar figures here as a planning guide rather than a guarantee — always confirm the current schedule and exact pricing on the official San Francisco Zoo tickets and hours page before you go. Tickets can be bought online in advance or at the entrance ticket windows, and discount bundles are also sold through third-party programs like CityPASS and Go City for travelers combining the zoo with other San Francisco attractions.
Parking & Getting There
The zoo has its own paid parking lots, accessed from two entrances: one off the Great Highway (convenient for visitors coming from the South or East Bay) and one at Sloat Boulevard and 47th Avenue (better for North Bay arrivals); both funnel out through a single northbound exit onto the Great Highway. Standard parking runs a lower rate on weekdays and a higher rate on weekends, with members getting a discount and weekend valet parking available for an added fee. Lots fill on a first-come, first-served basis, so arriving earlier in the day helps on busy weekends. Budget-minded visitors can often find free, unmetered street parking along Sloat Boulevard within walking distance of the entrance.
By public transit, Muni’s L Taraval light-rail line runs directly to the zoo, and bus routes 23 and 18 also serve the area — riders who show a same-day Muni transfer, receipt, or pass get $1 off admission. For exact current parking rates and turn-by-turn directions from your starting point, check the official directions and parking page.
What to See: Major Exhibits & Gardens
The zoo’s roughly 100 acres are organized into distinct zones anchored by its historic WPA-era buildings and newer, more naturalistic habitats. Highlights include the African Region and Valentine Family Savanna, Hearst Grizzly Gulch for the zoo’s bears, the Lipman Family Lemur Forest, Penguin Island (home to one of the country’s largest colonies of Magellanic penguins), and the Jones Family Gorilla Preserve, the modern successor to the enclosure where Koko was born. Families gravitate toward the Fisher Family Children’s Zoo and the adjacent Elinor Friend Playground, while the zoo’s namesake Gardens weave native and exotic plantings throughout the grounds, giving the park a botanical-garden feel alongside its animal exhibits.
The original 1940 structures — the Pachyderm and Lion Houses, the great aviary, the sea lion pool, and the bear grottos — are still part of the zoo’s footprint and give it a distinctly different character from newer, immersive-habitat zoos built from scratch in recent decades.
A WPA-Era Landmark
Herbert Fleishhacker founded the zoo in 1929, choosing a site along the city’s western edge that grew from an initial parcel to roughly 100 acres. Much of the zoo as it’s recognized today was completed in 1940 as part of a Works Progress Administration project costing around $3.5 million at the time — a major public-works investment during the Depression era.
The San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department has owned the zoo throughout its history, while the nonprofit San Francisco Zoological Society has managed daily operations under a public-private partnership formed in 1993.
Giant Pandas at San Francisco Zoo: What’s the Status?
In 2024, San Francisco’s mayor announced a deal in principle to bring a pair of giant pandas to the zoo on loan from China — a major coup that would make it one of only a handful of U.S. zoos with pandas on display. The plan calls for converting the zoo’s historic lion habitat, an aging enclosure dating to the 1940s, into a new open-air panda exhibit rather than building an entirely new structure from scratch.
As of mid-2026, the pandas still had not arrived, and the timeline has slipped repeatedly amid financing questions and the zoo’s own budget pressures. The zoo’s last two African lions, Marvella and Jasiri, are being transferred to another accredited facility to free up their habitat for the renovation, even though the panda deal itself has not been finalized. Anyone planning a visit specifically to see pandas should check current zoo announcements before traveling, since the exhibit is not yet open.
Animal Milestones & Incidents
The zoo has been the site of notable animal history, including the July 4, 1971 birth of Koko the gorilla, famous worldwide for her sign-language communication, and decades-long home to Elly, a black rhinoceros who lived there from 1974 to 2016 and was once considered the oldest of her species in North America.
The zoo also endured a well-known tragedy on Christmas Day 2007, when a Siberian tiger named Tatiana escaped her enclosure, killing one visitor and injuring two others — an incident the Association of Zoos and Aquariums described as the first fatal visitor attack at a member zoo. The tiger grotto was rebuilt with higher walls and additional barriers in the years that followed. Despite that setback, the zoo has continued to modernize and update its habitats, and it earned recognition in 2025 as one of the top zoos in the country.
San Francisco Zoo & Gardens FAQs
When did the San Francisco Zoo open?
It was founded in 1929 by Herbert Fleishhacker, with most of its original WPA-built structures completed by 1940.
How big is the San Francisco Zoo?
The zoo covers about 100 acres in the southwestern corner of San Francisco, between Lake Merced and the Pacific Ocean.
What are the San Francisco Zoo’s hours?
The zoo is open 365 days a year, typically from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with last entry at 4 p.m. Confirm the current schedule on the official San Francisco Zoo website before visiting.
How much are San Francisco Zoo tickets?
Pricing varies by day of the week and residency, with separate rates for adults, seniors, and children, plus discounts for SF residents, Muni riders, and EBT/SNAP holders. Check the official tickets and hours page for current prices.
Is parking free at the San Francisco Zoo?
The zoo’s own lots charge a fee that’s higher on weekends than weekdays, but free street parking is often available along nearby Sloat Boulevard.
Are the giant pandas at the San Francisco Zoo yet?
No. A loan deal with China was announced in 2024, and the zoo is converting its former lion habitat for the exhibit, but as of mid-2026 the pandas have not arrived and no opening date has been confirmed.
Who runs the San Francisco Zoo?
The city’s Recreation & Parks Department owns the zoo, while the nonprofit San Francisco Zoological Society has managed its operations since 1993.
Where was Koko the gorilla born?
Koko was born at the San Francisco Zoo on July 4, 1971, and became world-famous for her ability to communicate using sign language.
What happened with the tiger attack at the San Francisco Zoo?
On Christmas Day 2007, a Siberian tiger named Tatiana escaped her enclosure and killed one visitor and injured two others, an incident the Association of Zoos and Aquariums called the first fatal visitor attack at a member zoo. The exhibit was subsequently rebuilt with higher barriers.
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