Zoo Basel
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Why go
- Explore the Vivarium’s fish, reptiles, amphibians and penguins.
- See hippos, ostriches and Grant’s zebras sharing the Africa exhibit.
- Discover Indian rhinoceroses and snow leopards in the southern Sauter Garden.
- Look underwater into the Nile crocodile enclosure at Gamgoas.
- Watch monkeys solve food puzzles in the Monkey House.
Opening hours
Today08:00 – 18:30Show all
MondayClosed
TuesdayClosed
WednesdayClosed
Thursday08:00 – 18:30
FridayClosed
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed
Don't miss
- Lion viewing windowsWatch the lions through three viewing windows.Gamgoas house, Etosha area
- Free-flying birdsLook for birds among the thick vegetation in the central jungle section.Bird House
- Shared rhino habitatIndian rhinoceroses, muntjacs and oriental small-clawed otters share an outdoor habitat with three ponds and a flowing stream.Rhinoceros exhibit
- Jambo memorialFind the bronze statue commemorating Jambo.Within the zoo
- Expanded ape habitatsThe outdoor habitats were expanded to about 100 times their former size.Ape outdoor habitats
With kids
- Watch the elephants while having lunch.
Tips for your visit
- Pause at the exhibits: they are designed for patient observation, and animals may not be immediately visible.
- Use the visitor app at the entrance for daily updates, an interactive map, feeding times, events and menus.
Best time to visit
- In winter, be at the Vivarium around 11 a.m. to watch gentoo and king penguins walk to their outdoor area.
Entrances
- Main entranceJust outside Basel’s city centre, near the Birsig stream.Binningerstrasse 40, Basel
Shorts
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Giraffe im Zoo Basel geborenZoo Basel
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Ein Ozean für Basel (Ozeanium Zoo Basel)NZZ
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Neuer Elefantenbulle im Zoo Basel angekommenZoo Basel
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Zoo Basel: Wenn Löwen bellen und badenVJii Productions AG
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Zoo Basel: Rumalbernde Seelöwen verzücken Publikumbadischezeitung
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Basel Zoo in SwitzerlandSwiss Magic World
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Unterwegs mit Jessica Borer im neuen Vogelhaus im Zoo BaselSoraya Alexandra
History
The city provided the original site in the Birsig valley. Early displays included water birds, deer, bison and moose, alongside a carnivore house, bear pit, and pools for otters and beavers. Donations brought camels, llamas and tapirs in the 1880s. Miss Kumbuk, the zoo’s first elephant, prompted construction of its first elephant house. Goma, the first gorilla born in Europe, was raised by zoo staff. Goma and Jambo later had Tamtam, the world’s first second-generation zoo gorilla offspring. Ota became the zoo’s first African elephant birth. The main entrance was moved toward the Birsig stream.
- 1870The Ornithologiegesellschaft and Basel launched a project to show Swiss and European animals.
- 1874Zoo Basel opened to visitors on July 3, with Albert Müller as its first director.
- 1884A southward expansion incorporating the Sautergarten nearly doubled the zoo’s area.
- 1890–1891The first lions arrived in 1890, and the first lion cub was born the following year.
- 1900Kitty, an orangutan, became the zoo’s first great ape.
Show all
- 1901Johannes Beck made the zoo its first major donation.
- 1921Sculptor Urs Eggenschwyler built the marmot rock and sea-lion pool.
- 1927The Bird House opened; it is the zoo’s second-oldest building.
- 1930The zoo’s monkey rocks opened.
- 1931A pelican hatched and grew up at the zoo, the second such case in human care worldwide.
- 1937Foot-and-mouth disease devastated the animal population and forced a year-long closure.
- 1939The garden named for Ulrich Sauter opened to the public, connected to the zoo by a passage beneath the railway tracks.
- 1942An aquarium opened with 20 freshwater and saltwater tanks.
- 1950sThe zoo built a new lion house and elephant house and expanded east.
- 1951A second entrance opened by the Dorenbachviadukt to ease visitor flows.
- 1969The Monkey House opened; it is the zoo’s largest building.
- 1972The Vivarium opened, and the zoo began managing the international studbook for Indian rhinoceroses.
- 1978The children’s petting zoo opened.
- 1990The zoo began coordinating the European Endangered Species Programme for Indian rhinoceroses.
- 1993The Africa exhibit opened as the zoo’s first outdoor area to house three species.
- 2001The Etosha area opened, with exhibits for cheetahs, African wild dogs, ring-tailed lemurs, Cape porcupines and lions.
- 2006Australis opened.
- May 2008The rhinoceros exhibit reopened after extensive renovation.
- 2011The Monkey House reopened after major renovation on June 30.
- 2012Orangutans and woolly monkeys returned to the Monkey House.
How to get there
- On footThe zoo is at Binningerstrasse 40, 400 m west of Basel’s main railway station.
Sources: Zoo Basel - Wikipedia · Zoo Basel - Wikipedia (part 2) · Zoo Basel - Wikipedia (part 3) · Basel - Wikivoyage (see) · Zoo Basel · Ihr Besuch im Zolli – ein Erlebnis | Zoo Basel · Die Öffnungszeiten des Zolli im Überblick | Zoo… · Zoo Basel - Wikipedia · Zoo de Bâle - Wikipedia · checked 24 Sep 2026
Where
Binningerstrasse 40, Basel, 4054
- Website
- zoobasel.ch/de/
- Phone
- +41 61 295 35 35
Nearby places
Eat and drink nearby
Where to stay nearby
Questions and answers
What does Zolli mean?
Zolli is Zoo Basel’s nickname, used since its first year.
Why is space for expansion limited?
The zoo is surrounded by the city, leaving limited room to expand.
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