The Moscow Zoo
Information for visitors
Address: 1 Bolshaya Gruzinskaya street bld. 1
Nearest metro station: Kransopresnenskaya, Barrikadnaya, Ulitsa 1905 Goda
Telephone: +7 (499) 252-29-51
Website: moscowzoo.ru
Opening hours: 7:30 to 22:00 (summer period). Opening hours differ depending on time of year.
The Moscow Zoo is one of the largest and oldest zoos in Russia. It is located in the center of Moscow, not far from the Garden Ring. Its large territory has many pavilions, ponds, cubicles in which live thousands of species of animals.
History of occurrence
The history of the Moscow Zoo started on the 12th of February 1894, when a zoological garden was created near the Presnya pond. Upon its opening, its collection included several hundred species of wild and domestic animals mostly living on the territory of the Russian empire. The cost of running the zoo was rather high and help from patrons was always welcome.
Position on the map
After passing the zoo’s main gates, you enter its “old section” with its Big Pond full of various birds such as swans, flamingos and orange ducks.
This part of the Moscow Zoo is also home to different species of wild cats. Here you can see cheetahs, jaguars, white tigers, Amur leopards, etc. Here are spacious cubicles and pavilions where they can comfortably live no matter what is the weather outside.
Not far from the “feline territory” you can see the zoo’s administrative building with the Zoo History Museum on the second floor. Its first floor is called the “Giraffe’s house” and you can often see a giraffe walking near it.
In this part of the zoo, you can also find the “Birds’ house”, its cubicles are home to more than 70 species of birds.
When you cross the footbridge between the old and the new sections of the zoo, you can see the pond with black geese, goldeneyes and black-necked swans and other species of water fowl.
Not far away is the territory where you can see bears and owls, as well as pavilions with crocodiles, iguanas, pythons, anacondas and boas.
A few steps away from the reptiles’ area is the “Primates’ house” where you can find more than 30 species of apes.
All year round, the territory of the zoo is a place of different events such as birds’ day, tiger’s day, earth’s day, the zoo’s birthday or the New Year. On holidays you can often see performances held by entertainers and clowns. You can also buy souvenirs and snacks at the zoo.