Let’s get this out of the way: It isn’t the San Diego Zoo.
But is the San Francisco Zoo a glorious, fog-shrouded fortress where you can release your children to run wild at 10 a.m. on a Saturday? Is it a place where you can actually enjoy yourself while your kids point and wave at giraffes, lemurs, and wolves? Yes. Yes, it is.
To be honest, I had never been to the zoo before having a child. I’d lived here for years, and it just wasn’t on my radar. But now that I’m the mom of a 15-month-old who is obsessed with birds (caw caw!), trains (choo choo!), and snacks (more! more!), the zoo has become our favorite place to spend a weekend wake window.
The zoo is a great place to spend a wake window. | Source: Scott Strazzante/SF Chronicle/Getty Images
Let me tell you why the SF Zoo is so great — starting with what it does for adults. First, there’s the cardio. I clocked 10,000 steps on my last trip. If you’re ambitious, you can strap your kid on a bike and make an activity out of the commute — that’s what my husband and I do. Having temporarily abandoned our other passions — backpacking, rock climbing, daylong hikes — a bike ride through Golden Gate Park and down the Great Highway is the closest we get to feeling like our carefree, pre-parental selves.
Then, there are the animals. Have you ever really looked at a lemur? They appear as a bizarre biological mix of raccoon, squirrel, and skunk, and the SF Zoo boasts one of the largest outdoor habitats in the U.S. There are seven species cohabitating in one expansive enclosure, and they fight like siblings. They squabble loudly over the best real estate — numerous treehouses overlook a stream flapping with ducks— and over romaine lettuce heads (opens in new tab) wedged into odd places. There is nothing quite as exciting as watching a black-and-white ruffed lemur try to displace a red ruffed lemur from his perch. Spoiler: The invader lost.
For the kids, the value proposition is simple: It’s fun.
The zoo puts on a costume parade and contest for Halloween. | Source: San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
I’ve read the proposal for the EcoPark, first published in The Standard this month. The renderings of restored dunes and interactive learning hubs look beautiful, and I’m sure the park would be a noble addition to the coast. But that is a dream for the distant future. The zoo is here now. And frankly, despite the proposal’s pitch for “immersive virtual experiences,” my toddler does not need VR. She needs to see a 14-foot giraffe with an 18-inch tongue. She needs to ride the Little Puffer train and wave at the animals we pass along the way. She needs to see the playful penguins (who always seem to be getting tossed fish when we arrive) and the prattling parrots.
And the facilities are better than you think. The playground isn’t just a slide; it’s modeled after three distinct bio-regions: the River Play Area for wobblers 6 months to 2 years, the Polar Zone for preschoolers, and a banyan tree climbing structure for the big kids. The historic, hand-crafted carousel is beautiful and whimsical — and costs just $4 to ride. Enclosures are enriched with educational signage focused on species conservation and animal attributes. Did you know Komodo dragons have forked tongues to “taste” the air for scent particles? Or that lemurs have two tongues — one for eating and a stiff one underneath for grooming?
Of course, the SF Zoo has a history of controversies that need to be taken seriously, from allegations of mismanagement to employee safety violations to animal welfare abuses. It must remain a safe space for visitors, employees, and animals alike.
Lions sleep for up to 20 hours a day. This one at the zoo is actually awake. | Source: Benjamin Fanjoy for The Standard
Meanwhile, my family will continue to visit — and we’re not the only ones. The last time we biked over, it was, pardon the pun, a zoo. The entrance was swarmed with families pushing wagons, kids buzzing with excitement to see gorillas, and grandparents holding little hands. I was happy to see a line. Once we got in, those 100 acres allowed the crowd to disperse. We had space to breathe, to walk, and to let a toddler run without worrying that she would dart into traffic.
If you don’t have kids, I’d say, go to the zoo anyway. There’s a lot to learn, you’ll get your steps in, and you’ll support a messy, imperfect San Francisco institution that is exactly what this city — and this mom — needs. And if all that doesn’t convince you, maybe this will: If a K-pop group loves the zoo (opens in new tab), how can loving it be wrong?