Boise Zoo at Julia Davis Park
355 Julia Davis Dr
Boise, ID
A compact, family-friendly zoo with a big idea: every ticket sends money into the wild, set in the green heart of Boise's oldest park.
Zoo Boise is a small zoo with an outsized conscience. Tucked inside Julia Davis Park in the heart of Boise, it is home to several hundred animals and, more unusually, a mission that reaches far beyond its fences. It was the first American zoo to build an automatic conservation fee into admission, turning every visit into a contribution to protecting wildlife in the wild.
Its story begins with an escaped circus monkey. Found wandering the desert near Mountain Home, the animal became the seed of a menagerie, and the zoo was founded in 1916. More than a century later it is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and channels its visitors' support into on-the-ground conservation half a world away.
What Guests Love
- A right-sized zoo you can enjoy in an afternoon, ideal for families
- Knowing your visit funds real wildlife conservation, built right into admission
- The setting in Julia Davis Park, ringed by museums, gardens, and the river
- Close encounters and animal experiences on a human scale, not a sprawling megazoo
Worth Knowing
- It is a city zoo in a busy park, so parking and paths get crowded on warm weekends
- Pair it with the neighboring museums and Boise River Greenbelt to make a full day
- Spring and fall are the most comfortable; summer afternoons are hot and some animals rest in the shade
- As with any zoo, exhibits and animals change, so check what is on view before a special trip
Details
Boise, ID
Learn about Boise Zoo at Julia Davis Park
A zoo that funds the wild
The idea that sets Zoo Boise apart is simple and quietly radical: a portion of every admission and many activities goes straight to wildlife conservation. As the first zoo in the country to make that fee automatic, it turned a day out into a steady stream of support, raising millions of dollars over the years for protecting animals in their native habitats.
That money has real destinations. The zoo formed a long-term partnership with Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, helping protect elephants, lions, zebras, and countless other species in a landscape recovering from decades of upheaval. It is a model of a small zoo punching well above its weight.
Julia Davis Park, Boise's first
The zoo's home is historic in its own right. Julia Davis Park was created in 1907 with a land donation from Thomas Jefferson Davis, in memory of his wife, and it became the first of Boise's riverside parks, the so-called String of Pearls strung along the Boise River. Over the following decades it grew to about ninety acres.
Today the park is a cultural hub, gathering the zoo alongside museums, a rose garden, a pond, and the Boise River Greenbelt. A visit to the animals folds easily into a wander through the gardens or a stroll along the river.
A day at the zoo
The zoo's compact size is part of its charm. Rather than exhausting miles of paths, it offers an afternoon's worth of animals, from big cats and primates to birds and reptiles, at a pace that suits young families and casual visitors.
Seasonal programs, keeper talks, and hands-on experiences round out the visit. Spring and fall bring the most comfortable weather and the most active animals; on hot summer afternoons, many creatures, sensibly, retreat to the shade.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Boise
Idaho State Museum
In Julia Davis Park
Idaho's flagship history museum next door, telling the state's story from its Native peoples to the present.
Boise River Greenbelt
Along the park
A tree-shaded riverside path linking the park to downtown, the university, and miles of the Boise River.
Boise Art Museum
In Julia Davis Park
The city's art museum on the park's edge, with rotating exhibitions and a permanent collection.