Beat the Heat at Philly Zoo: Ways to Stay Cool During Your Visit

Philadelphia Zoo’s 42 acres of gardens and wildlife serve as an oasis for the region to connect with friends, family and animals.

Covered with more than 100 trees, this canopy helps drop the temperature at the Zoo by up to 10 degrees. With temperatures hitting summertime highs, the Zoo has four tips from our animals on how to stay cool during your next visit!

Hydrate like a Hippo

Use all of the 10 free water filling stations below, or buy an ice cool drink at one of our dining locations:

• Inside Rare Animal Conservation Center
• Next to the outdoor KidZooU restrooms
• Inside KidZooU
• Next the restrooms at Big Cat Falls
• Next to the restrooms at the Destination Philadelphia Gift Shop
• Next to the restrooms at Picnic Grove
• Inside McNeil Avian Center
• At Water is Life
• At Carey Bear Country (two locations)

Dress Light as a Feather

Lightweight, breathable clothing plus a hat and sunglasses can make a huge difference on hot days. Don’t forget about sunscreen, and reapply it throughout your visit.

Slow Down Like a Tortoise

Slow down and find a shady spots throughout the Zoo to take a break and have some ice cream during your visit. Try some of the most picturesque locations in the Picnic Grove at Backyard Kitchen and the Shamba Yard next to Flamingo Cove and African Plains.  Kelly’s Water Ice and Scoop Shack are nearby.

Stay Cool, Penguin Style

Stop at one of four misting locations available at the Zoo for a quick cool down:

• Impala Plaza
• Bird Valley
• Treehouse
• Water is Life

What about the animals?

The well-being of the animals in our care is at the forefront of all decisions we make at Philadelphia Zoo. On days of extreme heat, we take extra steps and precautions to ensure our animals are comfortable and healthy. This includes allowing animals to have access to shady and air-conditioned spaces as well as creating enrichment opportunities involving ice, sprinklers, pools, mud wallows and more.

For example, our animal care specialists will freeze fish inside of blocks of ice for the Zoo’s giant river otter trio who then try and quickly melt the ice to get to the fish inside. This same “ice treat” method is done for other species at the Zoo like orangutans, gorillas, bears, goats and more; frozen inside these “treats” might be primate chow, cheerios, pumpkin seeds or other small items that are a part of the animals’ diets. The Zoo’s giant tortoises have two pools to take a dip in, a couple of mud wallows and will also get a sprinkler throughout the day. Tony the white rhino also has his own massive mud wallow to roll in. The alpacas enjoy a kiddie pool to take a dip in. Our animal care specialists have also set up misters inside the Zoo360 trail for big cats for them to stroll through.