Cologne Zoo With Kids: Germany's Third-Oldest Zoo, 2026 Prices, and the Elephant Park
Kölner Zoo opened on 22 July 1860 in the Riehl district, making it Germany's third-oldest zoo still operating today, after Berlin and Frankfurt. It now spans over 20 hectares and holds roughly 10,000 animals across more than 850 species, drawing over a million visitors a year. The zoo switched to dynamic pricing on 16 April 2026, so exact numbers shift with demand: an adult day ticket runs from 22.50 EUR booked online up to 29.50 EUR at the ticket counter, and a child ticket (age 4-12) runs from 10.50 EUR online up to 15 EUR at the counter, with children under 4 free; online tickets include a free VRS public-transport ticket for the day. It's open 365 days a year, 9am to 6pm from March through October and 9am to 5pm November through February (9am to 2pm on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve). Family highlights include the Elefantenpark, opened in 2004 as the largest enclosure for Asian elephants north of the Alps and currently home to 13 elephants, the Hippodom (2010), a large indoor African river landscape with hippos, Nile crocodiles, and antelope, an aquarium dating to 1971, two playground areas, and a petting zoo at the Clemenshof. The zoo sits at Riehler Straße 173, reachable by Stadtbahn line 18 or bus 140 to the Zoo/Flora stop, and connects across the Rhine to Rheinpark by the Kölner Seilbahn cable car from March to October.
A Genuinely Old Zoo That Kept Growing
Kölner Zoo opened on 22 July 1860 in the Riehl district, after Cologne businessman Caspar Garthe organized a stock company two years earlier to fund it. According to the zoo’s own official history, that makes it Germany’s third-oldest zoo still operating today, after only Berlin and Frankfurt. It survived a genuinely difficult stretch, funding dried up during and after the First World War, and the City of Cologne stepped in to take majority ownership of the stock company to keep it from closing, a role it still holds today.
The zoo has grown considerably since its founding: it now covers over 20 hectares, roughly four times its original size, and holds around 10,000 animals across more than 850 species, drawing over a million visitors a year.
| Opened | 22 July 1860, Riehl district |
| Rank in Germany | Third-oldest zoo still operating |
| Size | Over 20 hectares |
| Animals / species | ~10,000 animals, 850+ species |
| Annual visitors | Over 1 million |
| Address | Riehler Straße 173, 50735 Köln |
2026 Prices: Dynamic Since April, With a Real Gap Between Counter and Online
Kölner Zoo switched to dynamic pricing on 16 April 2026, so the exact ticket price shifts depending on how far ahead you book and demand for your chosen day, similar to how airline or event tickets work. Per the zoo’s official pricing page, the gap between paying at the gate and booking ahead online is real enough to plan around:
| Ticket | Counter (Kasse) | Online (from) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | up to 29.50 EUR | from 22.50 EUR |
| Reduced (students, trainees, seniors 63+) | up to 23.00 EUR | from 16.10 EUR |
| Child (4-12 years) | up to 15.00 EUR | from 10.50 EUR |
| Child under 4 | Free | Free |
| Annual pass, adult (fixed, outside dynamic pricing) | 95.00 EUR | |
| Annual pass, child (fixed, outside dynamic pricing) | 55.00 EUR | |
A genuinely practical detail: online tickets include a free same-day VRS public-transport ticket, which is worth factoring in if you’d otherwise be buying separate KVB fares to get there. Since the counter price can run several euros above the online minimum, booking online, even the same morning, is essentially never the more expensive choice.
Photo by Anrita1705 on Pixabay
What’s Actually Built for Families
Beyond the historic core, several newer attractions are genuinely built around a full-day family visit, per the zoo’s own facts page:
- Elefantenpark (2004): the largest enclosure for Asian elephants north of the Alps, covering two hectares, currently home to 13 elephants.
- Hippodom (2010): completed for the zoo’s 150th anniversary, a large indoor hall recreating an African river landscape where hippos, Nile crocodiles, and antelope share the space with fish, birds, and bats.
- Aquarium (1971), plus a terrarium and insectarium, for a cooler, indoor break from an outdoor visit.
- Two playground areas spread across the grounds, plus a petting zoo at the Clemenshof (opened 2014).
- Practical basics: diaper-changing facilities and rentable Bollerwagen (hand carts) for tired legs on the 20-hectare grounds.
Hours: Open All Year, But Shorter in Winter
| Period | Hours |
|---|---|
| 1 March - 31 October (summer) | 9:00-18:00 |
| 1 November - 28 February (winter) | 9:00-17:00 |
| Christmas Eve / New Year's Eve | 9:00-14:00 |
The zoo is open all 365 days of the year, including public holidays, according to its own visitor page. Ticket sales end 30 minutes before closing in summer.
Getting There, and the Cable Car Option
Riehler Straße 173, 50735 Köln. Stadtbahn line 18 or bus 140 to Zoo/Flora reaches the west-bank entrance; buses 150, 250, or 260 to Thermalbad reach the east-bank side.
If you’re visiting between March and October, consider pairing the zoo with a ride on the Kölner Seilbahn cable car, whose station sits directly across Riehler Straße from the zoo entrance and carries visitors across the Rhine to Rheinpark. It doesn’t operate in winter, so it’s not a year-round option, but most kids find the ride itself genuinely exciting.
Step by Step
- Book online if you can: online is essentially never pricier than the counter, and online tickets include a free same-day VRS transit ticket.
- Check the season before you go: 9am-6pm March-October, 9am-5pm November-February, shorter hours on 24/31 December.
- Plan around the Elefantenpark and Hippodom if this is a first visit, the zoo's two biggest modern attractions.
- Build in playground and petting-zoo time at the Clemenshof if you're bringing younger kids who need a break from walking.
- Take Stadtbahn line 18 or bus 140 to Zoo/Flora, avoiding the need to find parking.
- If it's March through October, consider the Kölner Seilbahn across the Rhine to Rheinpark as a second stop on the same day.
Compliance Note
This page reflects publicly available information from Kölner Zoo’s own website and German Wikipedia’s sourced history, current as of mid-2026. Kölner Zoo uses dynamic pricing, so actual ticket prices vary by booking date and demand; confirm current prices and hours directly at koelnerzoo.de before planning a visit.
FAQ & Common Pitfalls
How old is Cologne Zoo, and why is that worth knowing?
It opened on 22 July 1860 in the Riehl district, after a stock company founded by Caspar Garthe raised the funding two years earlier, according to [the zoo's own history](https://koelnerzoo.de/unternehmen/) and [German Wikipedia's sourced account](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6lner_Zoo). That makes it Germany's third-oldest zoo still operating, behind only Berlin and Frankfurt. It's worth knowing partly as trivia and partly because it explains the zoo's layout: it's grown to four times its founding size, now over 20 hectares, with newer attractions like the Elefantenpark and Hippodom built decades after the historic core.
How much does a family actually pay, and why do prices seem to vary?
Kölner Zoo switched to dynamic pricing on 16 April 2026, meaning the exact price shifts with how far in advance you book and expected demand on your chosen day. Per [the zoo's official pricing page](https://koelnerzoo.de/article/eintrittspreise/), an adult day ticket runs from 22.50 EUR if booked online up to 29.50 EUR at the ticket counter, and a child ticket (age 4-12) runs from 10.50 EUR online up to 15 EUR at the counter, with children under 4 admitted free. There's also a reduced rate, 16.10 to 23 EUR, for students, trainees, and seniors 63 and up. Annual passes sit outside the dynamic system and run 95 EUR for adults and 55 EUR for children if you're planning multiple visits. A genuinely useful detail: online tickets include a free same-day VRS public-transport ticket, worth factoring in if you're paying for KVB tickets anyway, and booking online is never more expensive than paying at the gate.
What's actually built for families beyond just looking at animals?
Quite a bit. The [Elefantenpark](https://koelnerzoo.de/unternehmen/), opened in 2004, is the largest enclosure for Asian elephants north of the Alps at two hectares and currently houses 13 elephants. The Hippodom, completed in 2010 for the zoo's 150th anniversary, is a large indoor hall recreating an African river landscape where hippos, Nile crocodiles, and antelope share space with fish, birds, and bats. Kids get two dedicated playground areas plus a petting zoo at the Clemenshof (opened 2014), and the grounds have diaper-changing facilities and rent out Bollerwagen (hand carts) for tired legs.
Is the zoo open in winter, and are the hours actually different?
Yes, it's open all 365 days of the year, including public holidays. Per [the zoo's own hours](https://koelnerzoo.de/besuch/), summer hours (1 March-31 October) run 9am to 6pm, and winter hours (1 November-28 February) run 9am to 5pm. The two shortest days are Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, both 9am to 2pm. If you're visiting outside the summer season, build the earlier closing time into your plan rather than assuming standard hours.
Can we combine a zoo visit with the cable car across the Rhine?
Yes, and it's a genuinely nice pairing if you're visiting between March and October. The [Kölner Seilbahn](http://www.koelner-seilbahn.de/german/lageplan/) cable car station sits directly across Riehler Straße from the zoo entrance and connects to Rheinpark on the other side of the Rhine, a scenic few minutes each way that most kids find genuinely exciting rather than just transit. It doesn't run in winter, so check the season before building a visit around it. See our separate guide to Rheinpark for what's on the other side.