The Greater Seattle area abounds with award-winning zoos and the splashing delight of salt water wildlife aquariums. It' only a matter of a few miles to visit any of these great wildlife viewing venues.

Cougar Mountain Zoo
19525 SE 54th, Issaquah, WA
(425) 391-5508

Established in 1972, Cougar Mountain Zoo is dedicated to preserving endangered species and educating the public. It is located in Issaquah, 15 miles East of Seattle.

The zoo is located on the north side of Cougar Mountain with a breathtaking view of the Cascade Mountain range and Lake Sammamish. The zoo serves the surrounding schools and communities as a living classroom offering a broad range of specialized educational programs. Visitors are given individual attention and offered a lasting experience. Many of the animals have been born or raised at the zoo and have developed a self assured attitude toward humans, enabling visitors get a close, personal look at wildlife.

Each December the zoo hosts the annual Issaquah Reindeer Festival. The festival is a one-of-a-kind event that benefits the animals at the zoo. During this time you can check out Santa’s Reindeer as you walk through their yard on your way to visiting Santa in his house.

Hours January through November:
Wednesday through Sunday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day. Mondays and Tuesdays are by reservation only, for the following events:
• Special Programs
• Guided Tours
• Birthday Parties
• Celebrations
• Lectures
• Outreach Programs
• Close Encounters
• Special Events
December 1 through 23:
Open Daily, 10 AM to 4:30 PM. Featuring the Issaquah Reindeer Festival and selected zoo exhibits. The zoo may be closed in part or full due to the weather and other unforeseen circumstances. Schedules are subject to change without advance notice.

Poulsbo Marine Science Center
18743 Front Street Northeast
Poulsbo, WA 98370
(360) 779-5549

The Poulsbo Marine Science Center is located on the shores of Liberty Bay in scenic Poulsbo. Get up-close and personal with fish, plankton and “Slick” the whale at the center. A hands-on facility dedicated to preservation of our marine environment.

Ongoing exhibits include touch trays, a giant Pacific octopus, a “Life Among the Plankton” interactive display and “Slick,” the complete skeleton of a young gray whale that washed up on a local beach. Volunteers painstakingly cleaned it as a two-year project.

It’s located in the heart of downtown Poulsbo, often called “Little Norway” in homage to its Scandinavian heritage.
Hours: Open and FREE to the public Thursday through Sunday, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park
11610 Trek Drive East
Eatonville, WA 98328
(360) 832-6117

This 723-acre park has a little bit of everything: lakes, trails, meadows and plenty of animals. Northwest Trek is home to more than 200 North American animals.

See bighorn sheep, deer, Roosevelt elk, woodland caribou, mountain goats, bison and more up close from comfortable trams while touring the free-roaming area. Walk forested pathways to view grizzlies, black bears, wolves, bobcats, lynx, cougars, owls, eagles and wetland animals in beautiful natural exhibits. Five miles of nature trails await exploration and the Cheney Discovery Center offers exciting hands-on experiences.

Each season brings a different look and atmosphere to Trek. In the winter, the park is quiet, the animals wear thick winter coats and are frisky in the chilly air. If snow comes, the park is a winter wonderland you won’t want to miss. Come spring, the park becomes lush with greenery and the baby season begins. By summer, bright orange bison calves, tiny fawns and spotted elk calves can be seen. And in the fall, the rut or breeding season arrives. This is the time when the bull elk bugle and spar and the leaves turn to a beautiful gold and red.

Northwest Trek is open at 9:30am daily mid-February through October, Friday-Sunday November through mid-February and selected holidays. AAA, military & Pierce County resident discounts are available. Northwest Trek is only 55 miles south of Seattle on the way to Mt. Rainier National Park.

Olympic Game Farm
1423 Ward Road
Sequim, WA 98382
(360) 683-4295

A family run business, located in Sequim, Washington, Olympic Game Farm is home to many animal species, both endangered and non-endangered.  Many of their animals are also veterans of the silver screen.

Olympic Game Farm offers buffalo, tigers, zebras, wolves, yaks and three varieties of bears for the public to enjoy. They also have an aquarium, which you will see on the walking tour, a Gift Shop, Petting Farm and Snack Bar, “Alice’s Restaurant.”

Olympic Game Farm is the place to get face to face and experience wildlife at close range. They offer the opportunity to really see a tiger’s stripes, a rare white rhinoceros, a Kodiak bear’s huge size or to get slobbered by a buffalo!
The driving tour leaves visitors with vivid memories of the amazing creatures.  Experiences which at first are hard to imagine become pleasantly surprising: friendly llamas eat bread from your hand, performing bears, grazing elk, buffalo and you will also see many animals which are on the endangered species list, such as timber wolves, Bengal tigers, and African lions.  In addition to the endangered species, this is  home to coyote, bobcats, cougars,  and many more species.

Driving tours are open year round, except Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Hours: 9 A.M. until 3 P.M.

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
5400 North Pearl Street
Tacoma, WA
(253) 591-5337

This Zoo 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 Olympic Mountains!

Come explore the only combined zoo & aquarium in the Northwest. You’ll see seahorses and sharks, peacocks and penquins, 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.

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

Wander through the 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.

Enjoy special visitor services. Gift shop, cafés, stroller, wheelchair & umbrella rentals, picnic areas, Assisted Hearing Devices, first aid and FREE parking. Hours vary by season. Visit the website link above for more information.

Seattle Aquarium
483 Alaskan Way
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 386-4300

Listen to the calls of our region’s orca whales. Stand within a circle of glowing jellyfish. Run your fingers along a sea anemone’s soft tentacles. Delight in the antics of the sea otters. Then come back for another visit — and an entirely different experience. At the Seattle Aquarium there’s always something fun to discover, and inspiration on how to help protect our marine environment.

The Seattle Aquarium is located on Pier 59 on the Waterfront in Seattle.
Hours: 9:30am to 5pm daily, last entry at 5pm, exhibits close at 6pm
Holiday Hours:
Thanksgiving Day: 9:30am-3:00pm
Christmas Eve: 9:30am-3:00pm
Christmas Day: 12:00pm-5:00pm
New Year’s Day: 9:30am-5:00pm
Open regular hours all other Holidays, including Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, and Veteran’s Day.
Note: All exhibits close one hour after the last admission.

Woodland Park Zoo
5500 Phinney Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98103-5897
(206) 548-2500

Seattle’s Woodland  Park Zoo encompasses 92 acres and features more than 1,090 individual animals representing nearly  300 species.  The grounds are divided into what are known as bioclimatic zones, the unique habitats around the world, from tropical  rain forests to the frigid climes of the Far North.

The zoo manages the largest live animal collection  in Washington state, with approximately 1,098 specimens representing 300 species plus 64 groups of invertebrates, one group of fish and one group of Partula snails. The zoo provides a home for 35 endangered and five threatened animal species. The zoo’s botanical collection includes 7,000 trees and more than 50,000 shrubs and herbs representing more than 1,000 species.

The zoo has four parking lots:
• South  Entrance at the intersection of N. 50th St. and Fremont  Ave. N.
• West  Entrance (“Water Tower lot”) at the intersection  of N. 50th St. and Phinney Ave. N.
• West  Entrance at Phinney Ave. N. and N. 55th St.
• North  Entrance at N. 59th St. and Evanston Ave. (NOTE: The North  Entrance closes during winter hours, October 1 through April 30, except during occasional special events).
• Additional parking is located in Lower Woodland Park at N. 50th and Aurora Ave. N. approximately  .1 mile from  the  South  Entrance.
Hours: (Open every day of the year except Christmas Day, December 25)
October  1 to April 30: 9:30am to 4:00pm daily.
May 1 to September 30: 9:30am to 6:00pm daily.