Zoos & Aquariums in Washington DC
We list 4 zoos & aquariums across the Washington DC area. Compare prices, hours and age ranges in one place, then pick the one that fits your day.
Sorted by distance from Washington DC, nearest first. Those are straight-line miles, so every drive is longer than the number on the card.
A free zoo in Washington, D.C. with animals from around the world, drawing millions of visitors each year. Families can see giant pandas, elephants, lions, and…
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Glen Echo Park Aquarium in Glen Echo, Maryland features live animal exhibits, interactive displays, and a live touch tank where visitors can see, hear, and touch…
Where a card says no price or no hours listed, the venue does not publish it. We would rather leave the gap than fill it with a guess. Prices come from each venue's own website, and we publish one only when the figure appears on the page we took it from. Tell us if we are missing one you know.
Which one, by age
Two children three years apart do not have to be a compromise. The age line on every card shows what that venue serves.
Smithsonian National Zoological Park
Best here for under 2, 2 miles out, listed ages 1–16 and free admission.
Glen Echo Park Aquarium
Best here for two to five, 7 miles out, listed ages 3–9 and admission from $4.
Free zoos & aquariums in Washington DC
One place on this page gets you in free. That makes a short trip easy to justify on a day when nobody is sure how long they will last.
Smithsonian National Zoological Park
Free to get in, 2 miles out and listed ages 1–16.
Planning a visit
These run from 2 to 16 miles out from the middle of Washington DC. Hours move with the season and with school holidays, so check the listing before you set off. If you run one of the places on this page, you can claim it for free and keep its hours and prices right.
Before you go
Grip socks. Almost every venue requires them for children and several require them for adults. Most sell them at the door for a few dollars. Bringing your own is cheaper and means you are not buying a fourth pair.
Check whether adults pay. It runs from free to full price and it changes the cost of a visit by a lot when there are two of you.
Weekday mornings are the toddler rush. If you want space, aim for after two on a school day. Weekend mornings are the busiest hours of the week almost everywhere.
Ninety minutes is the realistic ceiling for most children under five. There is rarely a gradual wind down. Leaving with time left on the clock is not wasted money, it is a better afternoon.
Call ahead in school holidays. Several of these venues run camps and private events that close open play with no notice on the website.
Other things to do in Washington DC
Zoos & Aquariums in nearby cities
Common questions about zoos & aquariums in Washington DC
How many zoos & aquariums are there in Washington DC?
We list 4 zoos & aquariums within 40 miles of Washington DC, DC. Every one is a published listing with an address we checked.
Which zoos & aquariums in Washington DC publish their prices?
2 of the 4 here do, and each price was checked word for word against the venue's own page before we published it. The rest do not publish one, so their card says no price listed rather than carrying a guess.
Are any zoos & aquariums in Washington DC free?
Yes. One place gets you in free: Smithsonian National Zoological Park.
Which zoos & aquariums in Washington DC suit a toddler?
One of them lists an age range starting at two or under. Check the age line on each card, because a place that suits a six-year-old does not always suit a two-year-old.
How did Mini Navigators choose these zoos & aquariums?
We list every one we have within 40 miles of the center of Washington DC. Each is a published place with an address we geocoded and checked, and the business can claim its listing to keep the hours and prices current.
Do adults have to pay?
It varies more than you would expect, from free to full price, and it changes the cost of a visit by a lot when there are two of you. The price on each card is what it costs to get a child in. Where a venue publishes an adult price it is on the listing, and where it does not we have left it out rather than assume.
Do I need to book ahead?
Usually not for open play, but several venues cap capacity at weekends and during school holidays, and some close open play entirely for private events. Where a venue has its own booking page, the listing links straight to it.
What should I bring?
Grip socks, a water bottle, a change of clothes for anyone under four, and a plan for leaving before the meltdown rather than after it.
What else is there to do with kids in Washington DC?
Washington DC has 19 categories of kid-friendly places on Mini Navigators, from playgrounds and museums to splash pads and zoos. The Washington DC hub lists all of them.
Listings last checked August 30, 2026.