Visiting Portland? Don't Miss The Oregon Zoo!

Zoo admission provided.

Jai and I got married in August, and our wedding was an opportunity to reunite with far-flung family. Relatives from both sides of our families came from around the world to celebrate with us, and we planned to make the most of it! The theme of our whole wedding was centered on family and making the most of every moment with them, so we purposely built in time both before and after the wedding to spend with them. It was a whirlwind, but we packed in as much sightseeing as we could, prioritizing which places each person would enjoy and making the most of that precious quality time. We knew that the Oregon Zoo would be one of these can’t-miss places, and we spent a wonderful day there with our nieces before we left on our honeymoon!

I was fortunate enough to gain three nieces through marriage, all of whom were in my bridal party. My eldest niece drove all the way from Arizona with her family to be my bridesmaid, which meant so much to us, especially as we haven’t gotten to see her in a long time due to the distance. This was also the first time either of us had met her 3-year-old daughter, which is just crazy! We knew they would both love the Oregon Zoo, so we packed into the car the week after the wedding and hit the road for Portland.

I’ve talked many times about how we’re lucky to have such an awesome zoo here, and it was obvious as soon as we arrived. My niece was impressed immediately by how the Oregon Zoo was not only much larger than her local zoo in Arizona, but also by how much lower the admission prices were.

Look, a duck!

My baby niece was excited to see the animals – viewing the zoo through a toddler’s eyes is so much fun!

This little girl loves trains, so the Zoo Train was a must-do on our itinerary! It’s so fun to take a ride around the Zoo and definitely a highlight.

The Oregon Zoo has so many exhibits – you can make a full day of it, as we did, and still not see everything. But most importantly, the Oregon Zoo is dedicated to conservation and working to save species from extinction.

With the holidays upon us, many of us will be hosting out-of-town family – and the Oregon Zoo is a can’t-miss tourist destination and home of holiday season fun! Here are just a few of the special events coming up:

October 28th & 29th: Howloween!

What better way to celebrate the spooky season than by trick-or-treating at the zoo? Bring your little ghouls to collect sustainable candy and treats – Howloween is free with zoo admission!

November 10th & 11th – Veteran’s Day

The Oregon Zoo is honoring Veteran’s Day with free admission for military families on November 10th & 11th.

November 23rd – Turkey Trot

Jog off some of that Thanksgiving turkey with a fun run to raise money for the Zoo!

November 24th – December 31st – ZooLights

ZooLights is one of the most magical experiences you can have at the Oregon Zoo – click here to read my review of last year’s ZooLights experience! The 2017 ZooLights season – it’s 30th year – will kick off with a special members-only preview on November 22nd before it opens to the public on November 24th. This year, ZooLights will run until December 31st, with special bonus days occurring on January 5th and 7th. You can click here to reserve your tickets now!

November 29th – BrewLights

For the first time ever, the Oregon Zoo is introducing BrewLights, a special edition of ZooLights exclusively for adults 21 and over. Admission is $24.95 and includes a commemorative cup and free tastings of beer, wine and cider. This sounds seriously amazing, I’m going to have to see if I can get down to Portland for it! Get your tickets here.