The Oregon Zoo of Portland, OR

Animal Exhibits Nearby Hotel Railway System Habitat Education

For well over a hundred years, the Oregon Zoo of Portland has been the home to some of the world’s most interesting and exotic animal exhibits. Bears, tigers, eagles, elephants, and others can be seen prowling, flying, and stomping within their attractive exhibits all across the zoo’s 63 acres. In addition to its deep history and impressive collection of animals, the Oregon Zoo is also the owner of three trains that run around the property and through Washington Park, making for a fun activity before or after a day of exhibit viewing. The zoo even promotes and educates their visitors regarding the importance of earth-friendly practices in daily life in an effort to help raise a more green-minded youth.

Oregon Zoo animal exhibits. Travel the world in a day when you walk or ride the trains throughout the Oregon Zoo. The African Rainforest, African Savannah, Amazon Rainforests, Alaskan Tundra, and other themed exhibit area await your discovery. Check out the wildcats as they hang out on their rock ledges. Watch polar bears as they dive into and swim in their icy tanks. Or meet Packy, the first and oldest Asian elephant to be born and raised in the United States. The zoo even offers a horticultural exhibit where you can learn about the exotic plants growing around the park as well as an insect exhibit full of creepy crawly bugs from all corners of the globe.  [Top]

Oregon Zoo railway system. Guests of the Oregon Zoo who have paid the initial price for admission into the park also have the option of purchasing a ticket for one of three specialty trains that run around the zoo and through nearby Washington Park. Hop aboard the Zooliner, the “Oregon” Steam Locomotive, or the Oregon Express as you chug along through the sights and sounds produced by the natural Portland environment. Learn about the origins of your train, the year it was built, and the means by which it runs. Views of Mt. Saint Helens, Mt. Hood, Downtown Portland, and the International Rose Test Garden can all be seen from the Washington Park route.  [Top]

Oregon Zoo habitat education. Because the existence and well-being of wild animals is so closely tied to the preservation of nature, the Oregon Zoo firmly believes in promoting and practicing efficient water management, waste control, and energy consumption techniques. In recent years, they have made serious efforts to remodel their exhibits so as to make them more eco-friendly. This action has not only resulted in cleaner living environments for the animals of the exhibits, but has also brought about dramatic reductions in the zoo’s total energy usage and waste development. They have even gone as far as to create an onsite manure composting system that, in turn, helps produce ZooDoo, a fertilizer used by the park’s horticultural staff.  [Top]