Point Defiance Zoo Botanical Garden in Tacoma, WA
The Point Defiance Zoo is an outdoor zoo that has been around for 100 years. It is located in Puget Sound and offers a variety of exhibits with animals from all over the world. As one of the few zoos with a botanical garden, it also features plants from worldwide. Visitors can see many different animals, including gorillas, polar bears, tigers, and elephants!
It’s very famous among families, especially kids because they can feed some farm animals inside the Petting zoo area. Last but not least, Point Defiance Zoo Botanical Garden in Tacoma, WA, is a perfect place to see animals and plants from all over the world!
The point defiance zoological park was established about a hundred years ago. It is located in Puget Sound, and it has many exhibits with animals from all over the world. This zoo also enables visitors to see some plants, especially those found in various parts of the world. Visitors will love this place because they can feed some farm animals inside the petting zoo area apart from seeing different types of animals such as gorillas, polar bears, tigers, and elephants!
About the Point Defiance Zoo Botanical Garden
The Point Defiance Zoo Botanical Garden is an outdoor zoo in Tacoma, Washington. The garden has many plants and flowers native to the Pacific Northwest region of America, where it resides. Over 800 acres of land full of various types of vegetation, making this one of the largest arboretums in North America!
If you’re looking for something fun to do while visiting Seattle or Tacoma, then be sure to stop by the Point Defiance Zoo Botanical Gardens, which showcases some fantastic collections such as rhododendrons, camellias, dahlias, irises, and animals. It also features stunning views with picturesque trails perfect for hiking or just a relaxing stroll.
The Point Defiance Zoo Botanical Gardens is open every day of the year. The hours vary depending on the time of year, but it’s typically between nine in the morning until about four o’clock at night! There are many events held here, including plant sales that feature rare and unusual plants for sale; if you’re looking to spruce up your garden, then these would be perfect places to find some new specimens!
Facts About the Point Defiance Zoo Botanical Garden
Point Defiance Zoo Botanical Garden is home to over a hundred animals. The zoo also has numerous exhibits, including the Amazon and Asia Trail, Australia Walkabout, Children’s Zoo area with a petting farm, and animal shows daily at 11 am crocodile exhibit featuring Nile Crocodiles from Africa in their habitat replete with underwater viewing of these reptiles on display for visitors year-round.
In addition, there are many unique exhibits such as Primate World that include an extensive collection of primates from around the world. Other features include:
- Pacific Seas Aquarium – displaying marine life along Washington’s outer coast.
- Northwest Trek Wildlife Park showcases North American wildlife living together in natural habitats.
- Clydesdale horses represent one of America’s most popular draft breeds.
- A historic carousel.
The Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium is a non-profit organization that operates the zoo and the aquarium. It was founded in 1905, making it one of the oldest zoos west of Chicago. In 2007, its aquarium reopened after extensive renovations and expansions, including new exhibit spaces focusing on aquatic life along Washington’s Puget Sound such as jellyfish; an expansion to house additional beluga whales; remodeled classrooms; expanded gift shop and cafeteria areas; renovated habitats for otters and seals, among many other improvements. The zoo had over 500,000 visitors last year alone!
There are more than five miles of trails throughout this natural habitat park where you can experience nature at its best from your backyard. There are opportunities to view native plants and animals, including deer, foxes, rabbits, raccoons, skunks, and coyotes along the trails. These trails also offer views of Commencement Bay with its working waterfront; one can see freighters haul cargo containers from Tacoma’s seaport while majestic Mt. Rainier looms majestically in the background all year; round!
The park features over five hundred plant varieties that include a greenhouse containing exotic flowering trees such as magnolia; hundreds of rhododendrons which were first planted at Point Defiance by former superintendent David Williams back in 1910 when he brought them from Asia where they’re indigenous growing naturally on the slopes of mountains there, making these rhododendrons in Point Defiance Zoo Botanical Garden the oldest in North America!
Activities in Point Defiance Zoo Botanical Garden
– There are many great activities you can enjoy with your family at Point Defiance Zoo Botanical garden. If it is a nice day outside, then you should try out hiking trails and paths around the zoo to help burn off some of those extra calories from all of the yummy treats found at food stands throughout the entire outdoor area. What might be even better than going on a hike in beautiful surroundings?
Go for an educational walk through different exhibits so that everyone can learn more about these creatures too! The tiniest members of your group will love seeing animals like bunnies or other small rodents up close along their unique path called Small Wonders, where they get to see emus, squirrels, foxes, and turtles, among other things!
– You can also enjoy some of the many outdoor attractions at Point Defiance Zoo Botanical Garden. There are paddle boats for rent in which you can take out on a lake to get closer with turtles and other animals that call it home too! Another fun activity is renting bikes or scooters, then riding them along different paths, including one called Forest Trail, where your family will see lots of birds like toucans, cranes, and herons along the way.
– If you love animals but don’t want to go outside today because there are rain clouds overhead or if it is just too hot, then stay inside instead by visiting the Animal Outreach center, which offers animal presentations so that everyone in your group can learn even more about creatures found in this area.
What to see on Point Defiance Zoo Botanical Garden?
There are a few animals to see. The zoo is divided into two areas, one for all the land animals and another part with birds worldwide. There’s also an aviary where you can get up close to some of them.
There are over 350 species in total, including tigers, elephants, and gorillas, sea turtles, penguins, and exhibits on local wildlife like Puget Sound salmon or bald eagles that live nearby. It’s worth going inside the main building, if only because it has a great view across Commencement Bay out towards Mount Rainier National Park. Most people would recommend this place during different seasons according to their preferences: spring (for flowers), summer (to be outside), or fall (mainly to see the leaves from trees).
Several outdoor activities can be done during different seasons in the park:
- Walking in the trails (in summer).
- Biking.
- Hiking up hills on paths through forests (in winter).
- Fishing at various locations and boating on some lakes/ponds within the area of Point Defiance Zoo Botanical Garden in Tacoma, WA.
There are also indoor activities in Point Defiance Zoo Botanical Garden when it’s raining or too hot. You can visit with marine life, take a trip through the forest inside, go on an educational walk to learn more about local wildlife, and much more!
So if your family would like to enjoy everything listed above, make sure everyone comes prepared by packing some snacks & drinks as well as sunscreen. Then head out today so you will have fun exploring this giant outdoor park filled with all kinds of unique creatures during different seasons according to preference!
If you don’t feel like going outside, stay inside the zoo with some marine life or visit educational walks where local wildlife is explained more thoroughly! There are several attractions, including paddle boats available for rent, bike rentals, and scooter rental options, along with animal presentations to be enjoyed by everyone in your family/group according to preference.
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