Updated for September 2026
The Best Zoos in Victoria
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 Victoria that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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Animal encounterEducation programDisability admission concession
Ballarat Wildlife Park
Zoo in Ballarat
The ten-hectare site holds over 300 animals, among them more than 100 kangaroos roaming loose, along with a large reptile collection.
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Keeper talk or showOvernight stayEducation program
Melbourne Zoo
Zoo in Melbourne
The zoo sits in Royal Park at Parkville, about 4 km north of the city centre. As of 2021 it held 3742 animals of 243 species. It is reached by Royal Park station on the Upfield line, by trams 58 and 19, and by bicycle along the Capital City Trail.
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Werribee Open Range Zoo
Zoo in Werribee
The zoo belongs to Zoos Victoria alongside Melbourne Zoo, Kyabram Fauna Park and Healesville Sanctuary. It covers about 225 hectares on the Werribee River, next to the Werribee Park Mansion, on land once used to agist Melbourne Zoo animals.
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Animal encounterNight and evening openingMobility equipment loan
Halls Gap Zoo
Zoo in Halls Gap
Billed as the biggest regional zoo in Victoria, it keeps around 120 species, native and foreign combined.
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Animal feeding experienceOvernight stayGuided tour
Mansfield Zoo
Zoo in Mansfield
The collection numbers more than 220 animals, both native and imported. Kangaroos and deer roam loose and take feed bought on site. Four African lions are kept, two of them white, and their feeding is shown daily.
Our ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 5 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.