About the area and the Hotels Near Columbus Zoo
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is located in Liberty Township in the beautiful Delaware County of Ohio. Columbus Zoo is widely considered to be America’s number one zoo, frequently winning prestigious awards, including being voted the top zoo in America by the Besties Readers Choice Award in 2012.
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is a fantastic, world-class establishment that showcases a huge range of animals and marine life, with its own tide pool to explore, a reptile center, a kangaroo walk, and much more besides!
No trip to Ohio would be complete without a visit to this amazing zoo to discover the natural wonders that are on display. The nearby town of Powell has a superb selection of facilities for tourists and visitors to the town including wonderful family-run restaurants as well as major chains and companies; all nestled amongst the friendly community.
For visitors from out of the state, or from overseas, there are also many hotels near Columbus Zoo with prices and amenities to suit all budgets and requirements. Families, couples, and solo travelers will enjoy exploring the town and its surroundings, including, of course, the world-famous Columbus Zoo.
Staying in one of the hotels near Columbus Zoo will allow you to easily take a day trip, or two, to the large, multi-faceted zoo which has so much to offer their visitors you’ll never want to leave!
Named the very best zoo for visitors by USA Travel Guide and boasting over 7000 animals and more than 800 separate species makes it is a real Aladdin’s Cave of wonders for nature lovers! Although the zoo is not as famous as it perhaps should be, it still has more than 2 million visitors each year and a quick glance through the customer reviews confirms that it more than meets their expectations.
Columbus Zoo – An Overview
The Columbus Zoo is split up into eight different regional exhibits that are home to animals and marine life from all over the globe. The zoo provides its animals and marine life with authentic conditions so they feel right at home, no matter where they are originally from! The expert zookeepers are also highly trained so they can provide the correct food and care that their animals need throughout the year.
The zoo also has its own 18 hole golf course and golf club on 140 acres of stylishly landscaped scenery. The zoo itself sits on more than 400 acres of land making it one of the nation’s largest, with plenty to see and do for visitors over several days. Another important aspect of the zoo’s work is conducted from the Wilds conservation center in South East Ohio, which oversees projects and initiatives to help maintain the wildlife of Ohio and beyond in its natural habitats.
Columbus Zoo’s Most Famous Resident

Image Source: Wikipedia, User:Adolphus79
Columbus Zoo has been home to many thousands of animals since it first opened in 1905; but few have ever been so famous as Colo, the western gorilla. Colo made history on the day of her birth, the 22nd December 1956, by becoming the very first gorilla to have ever been born into captivity!
This was a huge achievement for the zookeepers because gorillas rarely breed in captivity; which has been a major hurdle for conservationists who seek to release captively bred gorillas back into the wild to help sustain their often shrinking natural populations.
Colo was initially called ‘Cuddles’ because she loved to hug the zookeepers but she was soon renamed ‘Colo’ after Columbus, the place of her birth. Colo was a major draw for her excited visitors who were captivated by her charming personality and never-ending curiosity for the children and families who would gather around her enclosure.
Colo went on to make history again by becoming the oldest gorilla alive before she died in 2017, aged 60 years old! This amazing lifespan is a testament to the excellent care and treatment that she received from the caretakers that gave her the chance to live such a happy and fulfilled life in the zoo.
The Exhibits Of Columbus Zoo.
Each ‘region’, or area of the zoo houses animals and marine life from a specific part of the world. This makes it easier for the zookeepers to create realistic and authentic landscapes and conditions for the animals to stay in while giving visitors to the zoo a nice choice of species to see for themselves.
The newer regions are incredibly detailed in their design which is just another way that the zoo is still leading its competitors; not only in terms of what it can offer its visitors but also in terms of taking care of its animals. This ethical approach means that the animals are able to live genuinely happy lives while helping to educate the zoo’s visitors about the amazing diversity that exists in their fragile natural habitats.
Getting Around Inside Columbus Zoo.
Since the zoo covers a large territory there are several ways that you can get around once you’re inside. You can see a lot of the zoo by walking on foot around the various enclosures and regions but there are also other, more exciting ways to see the zoo!
In the zoo’s North American section you can catch a tram that will take you up to the Polar Frontier, a fantastic experience that families just love! You can also catch a boat to explore the Southeast Asia section of the zoo which is great fun, but just remember to bring a hat because it can get quite sunny while you’re out on the water.
Getting To Columbus Zoo.
Traveling from one of the hotels near Columbus Zoo is easy and convenient. You can catch a taxi directly from the hotel lobby or, if you have your own car, you can drive there in a matter of minutes. All the locals know where the zoo is and so if your Satnav lets you down you can always ask for directions from one of the friendly townspeople, or get directions from a restaurant, cafe, or hotel near Columbus Zoo.
Columbus Zoo – A Hidden Gem In Ohio.
Ohio is a great place to visit for a vacation and whether you’re traveling from overseas or from within America you simply must visit the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. The town of Powell, and other surrounding areas, are perfectly set up to host tourists and visitors and so staying in a hotel near Columbus Zoo will allow you to visit the zoo with convenience and ease.
There’s also a superb selection of restaurants to choose from, including Indian, Mexican, world cuisine, and an ice cream parlor that serves up divine scoops of deliciously refreshing flavors! Of course, all your top large chains are to be found in town, so whether it’s a Wendy’s, Taco Bells, McDonald’s, or fine dining that you want, Powell has you covered!
Columbus Zoo makes a wonderful destination for anyone visiting Ohio where you will not only learn all about the incredible animals that we share our planet with but you’ll also have a fantastic time with your friends or family.