Vienna Schonbrunn Zoo

Did you know?

The oldest zoo in operation in the world, Schönbrunn Zoo, was the brainchild of Emperor Franz I, Maria Theresa’s husband. What started as a menagerie adjacent to the summer residence of the Habsburgs, flourished into a full-fledged zoo with royal patronage. The zoo’s royal origins are evident from the grand architecture that flawlessly blends with its modern amenities.

While almost 700 animal species call the zoo their home, the Giant Pandas are extremely popular. The zoo is distinguished as one of the 27 zoos in the world to be entrusted with the endangered Giant Pandas and it continues to be vital in their conservation.

World War I and II adversely affected the zoo. Only 400 animals survived World War I. A polar bear was shot dead by a soldier, who stated the reason upon arrest that “he (bear) gets 10 kilograms of meat every day while I have to go hungry.” Aerial bombing during World War II left thousands of animals dead.

Habitat zones | A glimpse into the Vienna Schonbrunn Zoo

Panda enclosure

Houses: Giant pandas
Geographical origins: Eastern China

The Schonbrunn Zoo is home to a few adorable pairs of giant pandas. From climbing frames to shady spaces, the panda enclosure mimics the lush green mountains of China. It is the only zoo in the world where Yang Yang, a mother panda, raised her cubs without the help of zookeepers.

Koala House

Houses: Queensland koalas
Geographical origins: Australia

The sleepy-eyed marsupials are the stars of the Koala House. The enclosure is filled with eucalyptus trees (their favorite snack), designed to mimic the open woodlands of Australia. Koalas sleep nearly 20 hours a day, so plan your visits according to their feeding time at the zoo.

Elephant Park

Houses: African Bush elephants and Asian elephants
Geographical origins: Africa and southern Asia

With mud wallows, bathing pits, and a spacious outdoor area, the Elephant Park is perfect for the gentle giants of the animal world. Their ideal day includes munching on shrubs, rolling in the mud, and showering in dust. Rest assured, you may feel grubby after observing their antics.

Rainforest House

Houses: Sloths, monkeys, birds, reptiles, and amphibians
Geographical origins: South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa

The Rainforest House is a multi-storied, indoor jungle. The trees form large canopies and have swinging branches. True to their name, the two-toed sloths sleep up to 18 hours a day. With their expressive faces, the barbary macaques are always the center of attention. The African Pygmy mice are pint-sized adventurers.

Big Cat House

Houses: Siberian tigers, Amur leopards, Asian lions, and other species of cheetahs and jaguars
Geographical origins: Africa and Asia

The space is filled with tall grasses and has a rocky terrain, similar to the African savannah. There are rocky outcrops for the big cats to snooze and socialize. You will catch the lions and tigers prowling about and interacting with their peers. The cheetahs are a rare sighting, for they prefer to hide amongst the tallest branches.

Polarium

Houses: Penguins, walruses, and seals
Geographical origins: Arctic and Antarctic regions

The enclosure is covered with ice and rocky outcrops. Don’t worry, you won’t need a winter coat to see the Arctic inhabitants of the Vienna Zoo. There are underwater viewing areas, from where you can observe the playful antics of the penguins or watch the seals and walruses clamber over rocks.

South America Park

Houses: Marmosets, capybaras, tapirs, and others
Geographical origins: South America

The South America Park has spacious grassy plains, marshy lands, pools, and a dense population of trees. Look out for capybaras, the world’s largest rodents (also undeniably the cutest ones), and rheas, a flightless bird species.

More about the animals in Vienna Zoo

Flamingo Pond

Houses: Flamingo
Geographical origins: South America, Africa, and the Middle East

The Flamingo Pond is a shallow wetland with salt or brackish water. You will find hordes of flamingos huddled together, preening their feathers, and looking for prey. They also share space with spoonbills and ducks.

Vienna Zoo opening hours

Orangutan Park

Houses: Orangutans
Geographical origins: Rainforests of the Southeast Asian islands of Borneo and Sumatra

With hook-shaped hands and feet, the orangutans easily climb and swing from tree to tree. The ORANG. erie is filled with swings, climbing structures, and lush greenery, making it a perfect jungle gym for these incredible apes.

Vienna Zoo parking details

Penguin World

Houses: Emperor penguins, rock-hopper penguins, and others
Geographical origins: Antarctica

The penguin enclosure has icy pools and jutted rocks. While the Emperor penguins are known for their black-and-white tuxedo look, the rock-hopper penguins rock a yellow, spiky hairstyle on top. Penguins are super fast swimmers, often torpedoing throughout the pool, making it very difficult to catch them on camera.

Crocodile Pavillion

Houses: Nile crocodile, American alligators, and more
Geographical origins: Africa, Asia, America, and Australia

This zone consists of a marshy area with shallow water beds. The pavilion also features slightly rocky terrain and nesting areas for the scaly predators to lay eggs. Most often, you will see the crocodiles and alligators still on the water's surface or cooling in the mud.

Children’s Farm Zoo

Houses: Domesticated farm animals like sheep, goats, cows, and rabbits
Geographical origins: Various regions of the world

Since it is not exactly feasible for children to play with tigers and elephants, the zoo offers a safe enclosure, where they can pet domesticated animals and learn about their habitats. Such interactive activities help foster a lifelong love for the natural world.

Meet the locals! Animals in Vienna Zoo

Giant panda

Housed in: Panda enclosure

Conservation projects at the Schonbrunn Zoo

The Schonbrunn Zoo in Vienna is one of the pioneers of advancing research on animal behavior. They collaborate with various researchers around the world and actively advocate for healthy breeding practices. As the oldest zoo in the world, this facility has documented the lives of several animals. The Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) collates all the data received from fur, hair, and tissue samples and aids scientists in bettering the well-being of animals.

Mirror self-recognition in orangutans

Conducted by: Dr. Katharin Kopp in collaboration with the Max Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Primary objective: To see if orangutans recognize their behavior patterns when placed in front of a mirror, enabling scientists to understand their intelligence.

Acoustic communication in cheetahs

Conducted by: Katharina Pragar, a doctoral student at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, under Angela Stoger-Horwath
Primary objective: To understand why cheetahs use tiny, high-pitched vocalizations like chirps and shrieks to communicate among themselves.

Visual signals of foot-flagging frogs

Conducted by: Dr. Matthew Fuxjager from Brown University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Primary objective: To observe the conspicuous leg waving in foot-flagging frogs, which has been suspected to be another of their communication channels.

Our tendency to humanize animals

Conducted by: Schonbrunn Zoo researchers with anonymous short questionnaire surveys from the public
Primary objective: To understand how humans perceive animals and why it is common to perceive the ‘laughing gesture’ of animals as happiness when it’s most likely a sign of being threatened.

The mating ritual of Indian bullfrogs

Conducted by: Sussane Stuckler, a PhD candidate from the University of Vienna
Primary objective: To understand why Indus Valley bullfrogs and Asian Common toads change color when mating, from a muddy brown to a vibrant yellow shade.

The life cycle of a giant jellyfish

Conducted by: Marine biologist Karen Kienberger with Vienna Zoo’s researchers
Primary objective: To learn more about the giant jellyfish, which were once thought to have been extinct, until they washed up frequently on the shores of Morroco and Spain.

Trunk movements in African elephants

Conducted by: Biologist Leaf Kaufmann
Primary objective: To investigate how often and in what manner elephants use their trunks to pick up food, groom themselves, interact with others in the herd, and feed younger ones.

Cognitive abilities of giant tortoises

Conducted by: Michael Kuba and Tamar Gutnick from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Primary objective: To determine if tortoises remember visual cues years after they were taught to associate a signal with food.

History of the Schonbrunn Vienna Zoo

1752: Emperor Franz I Stephan, the Holy Roman Emperor and Duke of Lorraine, establishes an imperial menagerie, with 13 animal enclosures placed around the central Imperial pavilion.
1759: The menagerie opens to the public, marking a significant shift towards a public zoo concept.
1854: The zoo welcomes its first giraffe, marking a shift towards diversifying its species.
1924: The Vienna Zoo begins to install modern facilities and take care of the well-being of the animals. Under Julius Brachetka, animals are no longer viewed as mere objects but are more focused on enhancing their living conditions.
1945: Due to the World War II bombings, the zoo suffers significant damage. A majority of its buildings and premises are destroyed.
1953: The zoo begins extensive renovation efforts to restore the glory of the Vienna Zoo park.
1980s: An ambitious project commences. The zoo authorities design stimulating enclosures to mimic the natural environment of its residents.
1992: The Rainforest House opens and immediately attracts the attention of several tourists across the world.
1996: The Vienna Zoo is officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
2002: The Panda House opens, featuring a pair of pandas from China.
2004: The Aquarium and Terrarium House open in Schonbrunn Zoo, with state-of-the-art facilities.
2009: The Polarium opens, featuring a specialized habitat for Arctic and Antarctic animals, and special viewing areas for visitors.
2018: The ORANG. erie opens to the public, showcasing the playful orangutans and their vibrant rainforest habitat.

Plan your visit to the Vienna Zoo

Who built the Vienna Zoo?

During the 18th century, it was a common practice among European monarchs to establish menageries within their palaces to showcase their wealth and power. Emperor Frank I Stephan, the Holy Roman Emperor and Duke of Lorraine built the Schonbrunn Zoo in 1752.

It was originally an imperial menagerie meant to entertain only the Habsburg royals. There were only about 13 enclosures arranged around the Imperial Pavillion. A few years later, in 1759, it was opened to the public, and since then has undergone several renovations to emerge as a pioneer in animal conservation.

About Vienna Zoo restaurants

Lesser-known facts about the Schonbrunn Zoo

Houses celebrity animals: The Vienna Zoo boasts its own panda royalty- Yang Yang, a giant panda who has become a beloved celebrity within the zoo and beyond. She has successfully given birth and raised several cubs within the zoo premises, a giant leap for the zoo’s panda breeding program.
Hosted historical figures like Napoleon: Although there is no historical proof of his visit, it is rumored that Napoleon visited the Schonbrunn Zoo in 1805. His stay at the nearby Schonbrunn Palace is said to have been the talk of the town back in those days.
First birth of an elephant in captivity: In 1906, the Vienna Schonbrunn Zoo recorded the birth of an elephant for the first time within its enclosures. This successful delivery showed how the zoo’s natural environments stimulated animals to procreate as they would in the wild.
Displays 18th-century historical design: The zoo retains some of its 18th-century ironwork and domed pavilions, now used as cafes and restaurants. The Kaiserpavillion, also known as the Imperial Pavillion, is one example, where visitors can admire the historical architecture and grab a snack during their tour.
Pioneering conservation efforts: The zoo is deeply involved in international conservation efforts, like the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP). The keepers and researchers also collaborate with facilities around the world to promote healthy breeding programs for endangered species such as the Siberian tiger and the European bison.

Vienna Zoo map

Frequently asked questions about the Schonbrunn Zoo in Vienna

How many animals are there in the zoo?

The Schonbrunn Zoo has over 700 animal species, kept in meticulously designed enclosures similar to their habitat in the wild. From Siberian tigers, Amur leopards, and African Bush elephants, to Pygmy mice, toucans, rock-hopper penguins, and polar bears, the zoo is home to a wide selection of animals.

Is Vienna Zoo worth visiting?

Established in 1752 as an imperial menagerie, the Schonbrunn Wildlife Park is the oldest zoo in the world. With over 700 species housed in well-designed habitats, the zoo offers opportunities to see a wide variety of animals from around the world. The Vienna Zoo also offers family-friendly petting zoos, interactive animal feeding shows, and rare animal encounters to make your visit a memorable experience.

How big is the Vienna Zoo?

The Schonbrunn Zoo is spread across 17 hectares within the Schonbrunn Palace grounds. Despite the compact space, the zoo has managed to build naturalistic habitats for over 700 animal species within its area.

Do I need to pay separately to enter particular zones?

No, you do not need to pay extra to enter any specific zone. All Schonbrunn Zoo tickets include access to all enclosures within the zoo, including the Big Cat House, Polarium, Panda House, Rainforest House, and more.

How can I avoid crowds at the zoo?

We recommend booking Schonbrunn Zoo skip-the-line tickets online in advance to avoid crowds at the entrance. You can directly enter the premises without waiting in long lines. Consider reaching early in the morning or around late afternoon to escape the group rush around 10am. June to August are the busiest months of the year, so try planning a visit around spring or fall to enjoy a quieter visit with fewer visitors.

What are the zoo’s opening hours?

The Schonbrunn Vienna Zoo is open from 9am throughout the year. Its closing hours may vary from 4:30pm to 6:30pm, depending on season and public holidays. The last admission to the animal enclosures is around 30 minutes before closing time.

Which is the best time to visit the Vienna Zoo?

The spring and fall months, March to May, and September to October are the best months to explore the Vienna Zoo. The weather is pleasant and the crowds are slightly more manageable than the peak summer months.

Is the Schonbrunn Zoo inside the palace?

Yes, the Schonbrunn Vienna Zoo is situated within the Schonbrunn Palace complex, around a kilometer away from the main Royal Apartments. The zoo premises are located near the Gloriette and Neptune Fountain section of the Palace Park. If you are inside the castle, you can follow the signs, and walk to the zoo.