Frankfurt Zoo: A Family Guide to Germany's Second-Oldest Zoo

A Genuinely Old Zoo With a Dramatic Survival Story

Frankfurt Zoo, at Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1 in the Ostend district, opened on 8 August 1858 in what was then the Leers’scher Garten, and according to the zoo’s own official history, that makes it Germany’s second-oldest zoo, behind only Berlin’s. It moved to its current Ostend site in 1874, relocating buildings and animals from its original location in Bockenheim.

The zoo’s most consequential chapter came after the Second World War. Bernhard Grzimek became director in May 1945, taking over a zoo largely destroyed by wartime bombing and facing likely closure. Rather than accept that, he had bomb craters filled in using private funding and got provisional versions of some buildings usable again. His genuinely unusual survival strategy was bringing a circus and sideshow performers onto the damaged grounds, later adding a cinema and a theater, plus regular festivals and concerts, generating enough income to keep the zoo running through reconstruction. Grzimek went on to become internationally known for wildlife conservation work well beyond Frankfurt, and both the Frankfurt Zoological Society and the street the zoo now sits on carry his name.

What’s There for Families

The grounds are genuinely built with children in mind, not just retrofitted for them. There’s a large playground set right among the animal enclosures with a picnic area attached, a petting zoo with dwarf goats that visitors can pet and brush and that’s accessible for wheelchair users, and the Grzimek House, a darkened building housing nocturnal animals including aardvarks, armadillos, and bats, the kind of exhibit kids tend to genuinely remember rather than just walk past.

Photo by Barion McQueen on Pexels

Beyond that, an underwater viewing area lets visitors watch seals and sea lions swim and dive through glass panels from below, and the Exotarium, a two-level exhibition building, houses freshwater crocodiles, penguins, snakes, fish, lizards, and spiders. On the last Friday of the month from January through March, according to the zoo’s own event page, the Exotarium stays open until 20:00, later than the rest of the zoo, with a guided tour at 17:30, worth planning around if you’re visiting during those winter months.

Getting There

The zoo sits in the Ostend district and, according to its own directions page, is reachable by U-Bahn lines U6 and U7 as well as tram line 14, all within walking distance of the entrance, making it a straightforward car-free outing for most families based centrally in Frankfurt.

Step by Step

1. Check the season before you go: summer hours (9:00-19:00) run late March to late October, winter hours (9:00-17:00) cover the rest of the year.
2. Compare the family ticket against individual tickets: 29 EUR for the household usually beats paying per person once more than one child is along.
3. Build in time for the playground and petting zoo: both are genuinely built for kids, not just animal-viewing add-ons.
4. Visit the Grzimek House for nocturnal animals: a darkened, memorable exhibit that's easy to miss if you only follow the main outdoor path.
5. If you're going in January, February, or March, check the last Friday of the month: the Exotarium stays open until 20:00 with a 17:30 guided tour.
6. Take the U6, U7, or tram 14: all stop within walking distance of the entrance.

Compliance Note

This page reflects publicly available information from Frankfurt Zoo’s own website, current as of mid-2026. Prices, hours, and special events like the Exotarium evening opening can change; confirm current details directly with the zoo before planning a visit.