Glowfari nights, gondola views, and wildlife wonders at Oakland Zoo.
Oakland Zoo in Oakland, CA offers wildlife discovery by day and Glowfari by night. The hillside grounds are well kept, with friendly staff and interactive experiences such as the habitarium and a petting zoo. A gondola ride is included with many tickets, delivering unmatched views. Glowfari lights are a standout moment. Some reviews note occasional closures and extra fees for certain attractions.
9777 Golf Links Rd, Oakland, CA 94605, USA
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Explore diverse wildlife habitats featuring a wide range of animals from around the world.
Enjoy a scenic ride up the mountain with breathtaking views of the zoo and surrounding area.
Interactive learning experiences, including the habitarium and petting zoo for kids and families.
Special events like Glowfari with light displays and festive activities throughout the year.
Bring your own food and relax in designated picnic spots with beautiful scenery.
Overall rating
Oriol Nieto
Glowfari was amazing! First time at the Oakland Zoo and I was awestruck by how huge and well taken care of this place is! We didn't see any (live) animals, but the safari of lights and colors was beautiful. Oakland felt so alive! Really happy this is happening in The Town. Highhly recommended!
Lisa & Michael Dimmitt
I wasn’t too impressed with the zoo. It has a shabby feel with lots of cracks in the pathways and little things that were leaking or uneven pavement. I guess I was expecting more because I lived in Berlin, Germany and used to go to the zoo quite often. You could not see the whole zoo in one day over there. There were so many areas where you could relax, where children could play and a greater variety of animals. I’m surprised that this zoo gets such a high rating, but if it’s all you know, I guess it’s OK. There were a couple of things closed when we came. There were some animal enclosures that were just empty without explanation. I also found it very strange that the train ride cost extra. There are parts of the zoo you can’t even see unless you pay for the train ride. I think that’s a rip off. The tickets are not cheap for what you are getting. And then to charge people an extra six dollars for the train seems unfair. I wouldn’t eat here as the food prices are exorbitant, but I’m glad you are allowed to bring in your own food and picnic in various areas. The star of the show seems to be the Lookout from the café when you take the gondola up the mountain. The service is not great at the café, but they don’t seem to care if you eat your own food there. Also the gift shops close before closing which is irritating. I definitely enjoyed the day though the quality wasn’t that good.
Joseph Penafiel
I’ve been to the Oakland zoo before but this was my first time at Glowfari. We had a blast at this event. I recommend showing up early for parking, wearing adequate shoes that are weather dependent it was very muddy post rain, and you do not want to miss the gondola that was my favorite part. The view from up top is unmatched in my opinion.
Nimish Patil
Beautiful and well kept zoo, at a reasonable price. Friendly and informative staff. Visited on a weekday, fewer crowds. The gondola ride up the hill was amazing with beautiful views and included in the ticket, which was a great add on. The habitarium and petting zoo was a great interactive learning experience, especially for the kids.
Gina Conroe
We ventured here for our very first visit, to enjoy the wonders of the Glowfari. When I say it was totally worth it, I mean like it was absolutely totally worth it. Our 7yo had an amazing time regardless of how chilly. We just bundled up, since they even state in the site, it's an outdoor event. The lights were amazing. Tons of areas to explore! The only thing we missed out on was Santa, our son was pretty bummed. But the line was super long and it was getting later and colder. Otherwise gorgeous and a super fun experience and will for sure do it again!
