Updated for September 2026

The Best Zoos in Queensland

How this list is ordered: by how complete our listing is — how much we hold on opening hours, ticket prices, accreditation, photographs, animals and facilities. It is a measure of our own coverage, not a judgement of the venue. We hold no visitor scores or conservation assessments, so “best” here means every zoo in Queensland that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.

Listed alphabetically

  1. Animal encounterAnimal feeding experienceKeeper talk or show

    Billabong Sanctuary

    Zoo in Townsville

    Billabong Sanctuary, opened in 1985, is a zoo in Townsville, Australia.

  2. Keeper talk or show

    Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures

    Zoo in Wangetti

    The site borders the Wet Tropics World Heritage rainforest, which can be walked either independently or with a guide.

  3. Flying High Bird Sanctuary

    Zoo in Apple Tree Creek

    The sanctuary stands at the junction of the Bruce Highway and Old Creek Road, roughly 50 km south of Bundaberg.

  4. Animal encounterOn-site diningParking

    Rockhampton Zoo

    Zoo in Rockhampton

    Rockhampton Zoo is a zoo in Rockhampton, Australia. Animals on show include Asian small-clawed otters, Cassowary, Chimpanzees, Dingoes and Frilled Lizard.

  5. Keeper talk or showRides and attractionsBehind-the-scenes tour

    Wildlife HQ Zoo

    Zoo in Nambour

    It took in many animals in March 2014 from Alma Park Zoo, which had shut.

  6. Animal encounter

    Darling Downs Zoo

    Zoo in Clifton

    The grounds are laid out as four regional zones, covering Africa, South America, South-East Asia and Australia. Things to do include Zoofari Night Tour and personal animal encounters.

  7. Alexandra Park Zoo

    Zoo in Bundaberg

    Mammals kept include cotton-top tamarin, dingo, swamp and parma wallabies and spotted-tailed quoll, alongside reptiles such as lace and freckled monitors, bearded dragon, land mullet and carpet python. Birds include emu, red-tailed black and sulphur-crested cockatoos, and eclectus and princess parrots. A radiated tortoise called Torty, reckoned to be more than 136 years old, died on 20 February 1984.

Our ranking methodology

This is not a ranking. The 7 venues above are listed alphabetically by name, the same order used throughout this site. We do not collect visitor reviews, star ratings, ticket-sales figures or a conservation-impact score, so none of those exist here to rank by — “best” in this page’s title means every venue that qualifies for this list, not first-to-last by quality. If we ever add a data source robust enough to support an honest ranking, this note and the order above will change together.