The National Zoological Park is part of the
Smithsonian Institute. It is located at 3001 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. The phone number is 202-673-4800
There are no fees to enter the zoo but you will have to pay for parking, ($4.00 for 3 hours. $2.00 for each additional hour). Alternatively, you could take the
Metro Red Line to Cleaveland Park Station, it is a moderate walk from there. Speaking of walking, the
zoo is very hilly – be prepared for some hikes
It is open daily, 8 am - 8 pm except Christmas day but the indoor displays are only open from 10 am - 5:45 pm.
The
volunteer organization supporting the zoo is “FONZ” the Friends of the National
Zoo. Membership offers many benefits for locals; special shows, educational events, volunteer opportunities, picnics, plus a magazine.
Many
exhibits require timed
tickets. For example Amazonia and the Insect zoo. For best results plan you day ahead of time.
Concessions are expensive, picnics with your own food are allowed.
Good web sites:
http://www.fonz.org/ has FONZ information.
http://natzoo.si.edu/ has links to many web cams (flamingo, pandas, komodo dragons).
http://yp.washingtonpost.com/E/V/WASDC/0001/51/05/cs1.html has Washington Post entertainment hints on how to really be efficient in planning your visit.