Acclaimed zoo & aquarium featuring polar bears, sharks, elephants, tigers, clouded leopards & more!  Meeting facilities available.

Opens daily at 9:30 a.m. and closes from 4 to 6 p.m. seasonally. 

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is large enough to offer an awesome array of animals yet small enough to let you get really close to them. It's fun and affordable AND offers breathtaking views of Puget Sound, Mount Rainier and the Cascade Mountains! At the only combined zoo and aquarium in the Northwest, you'll see seahorses and sharks, peacocks and penguins, wolves and walrus, all in one place.

Visit the Asian Forest Sanctuary. Eight vanishing Asian species, including tigers and primates, inhabit this mysterious, multi-acre forest. The Zoo's Asian elephants also take refuge here.

Warm up in our North Pacific and South Pacific Aquariums, where you can see sharks, seahorses, a Pacific octopus and much more.

Watch an animal presentation. Want to find out what a 4,000 lb. walrus eats for lunch or have a bird fly over your head? Zookeepers give regular talks about the animals that live at the Zoo. Check out the schedule as you enter the gates to see what's happening during your visit.

Experience a close encounter. Our keepers often roam the grounds, taking animals on strolls so you can see them up close. Who knows? You might run into an anteater on your way to see the polar bears!

Wander through our seahorse exhibit. Join a potbelly seahorse in discovering seahorses, trumpetfish, angelfish and other fascinating sea creatures. "Once Upon a Tide" tell a story both children and adults enjoy.

Learn about Conservation. The Zoo is a national leader in captive breeding and reintroduction efforts for the endangered red wolf. We also work to help several other endangered species such as Asian elephants and clouded leopards.

Enjoy these additional visitor services: gift shop, cafés, stroller, wheelchair and umbrella rentals, picnic areas, Assisted Hearing Devices, first aid and FREE parking.