London Zoo, London, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

London Zoo is the oldest scientific zoo in the world, set on the northern edge of Regent's Park in London. It opened in 1828 as a collection for scientific study and today is home to hundreds of species, which makes it both a piece of Victorian-era science history and a working modern zoo.

The story behind it

London Zoo was founded in 1828 with a serious purpose: to give scientists living animals to study, rather than entertain the crowds. In the early 1830s the animals from the old Tower of London menagerie were moved here, bringing a centuries-old royal tradition of keeping exotic animals to a new home. The zoo opened its gates to the public in 1847, and it has been welcoming visitors ever since.

The collection has grown a great deal since those early days. The zoo now cares for more than 700 species, and its newest arrivals still make the news. At the start of 2023 a two-toed baby sloth was born on New Year's Day and was nicknamed Nova, from the Latin word for new.

What to look for

• The Broad Walk in Regent's Park, which runs beside the zoo and gives you a sense of how the zoo sits within the royal park.
• The mix of historic and modern enclosures, which shows how ideas about caring for animals have changed since the 1820s.
• The sloth habitat, where the two-toed sloths are worth a slow look because they barely move.
• The wide range of species, from small creatures to large mammals, that reflects the zoo's roots as a scientific collection.

Tips for your visit

• Plan a good part of a day if you want to go inside, as the site is large and there is a lot to see. Check current opening hours and booking requirements before you go.
• Arrive earlier in the day when many animals are more active, and when the park around the zoo is quieter.
• Combine the zoo with a walk in Regent's Park, which is right next door, and with nearby Primrose Hill.
• If you are not going inside, you can still enjoy the setting from the park paths around it.

See it on a quest

The quest Romantic London - Regent's Park and Primrose Hill brings you to London Zoo on foot as one stop on a longer route through Regent's Park and Primrose Hill. The app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot, so you look at the surroundings more closely than you would on a plain stroll. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever suits you, with no guide and no set departure time.