IllustrationCome to Zoo Magdeburg for a relaxed day watching elephants, rhinos and primates, with plenty of room for children to play between stops.
Come to Zoo Magdeburg for a relaxed day watching elephants, rhinos and primates, with plenty of room for children to play between stops. The 20-hectare grounds combine mature parkland with open African-themed landscapes. Start at the Zoowelle entrance, look at the day's animal presentations and choose two or three favourites before setting off.
AFRICAMBO gives the visit a strong centrepiece. An 800-metre visitor path offers changing views of the elephant area, while the exhibition space and elephant house let you look more closely at these enormous animals. Nearby, the rocky Hochland von Äthiopien brings geladas and Nubian ibex into view beside a waterfall. From the AFRICAMBO Lodge terrace, lunch can include another look at that landscape.
Give the smaller animals a share of your attention. A bat-eared fox's ears, a radiated tortoise's patterned shell or a tamarin moving through its enclosure can hold a child's interest as effectively as a large mammal. These are animals in human care, including the domestic goats in the petting area. Give them space, keep voices low and come back later if a favourite is resting out of view. Be ready to snap and learn! Get the Snappit app to identify any nature species you find here.
The zoo opened on 21 July 1950, following years of work by founder Alfred Hilprecht and local supporters. Its giraffe house was built in 110 hours in 1991 for a television challenge. More recent changes include the chimpanzee tropical house in 2014 and the elephant-focused AFRICAMBO landscape, completed in July 2017.
Use the 800-metre AFRICAMBO path for a focused elephant visit, then choose from the rhinos, giraffes and chimpanzee tropical house. That distance covers the elephant-area experience, not the whole zoo. At the chimpanzees, watch how the animals use different climbing levels; their second outdoor enclosure is being redesigned, so follow the open visitor areas. Add penguins or red pandas and a play break beside the Schrote stream. The zoo also has designated walk-through exhibits, including lemurs and aviaries: enter only through open visitor gates and keep to the paths.
The zoo opens year-round, but winter visits work best with an early start. The published 2026 feeding and elephant-training programme runs from 28 March to 31 October; presentations can change for animal-care reasons. Following the giraffe birth on 9 October 2026, the giraffe house may close partly or fully at short notice. Keep especially quiet there and check current notices before travelling. New Year's Eve has a shorter 09:00–14:00 opening.
Most of the zoo is fairly level, with broad paths and frequent places to sit, but there are important exceptions. The current Reisen für Alle assessment rates it accessible for people with walking impairments and partly accessible for wheelchair users. The petting enclosure and the tiger and elephant viewing platforms have steps; some ramps reach 9%. Accessible toilets are at the entrance, elephant house, playground and AFRICAMBO Lodge. Free loan wheelchairs can be reserved on 0391 28090-2435. Ask which viewpoints and walk-through gates best suit your wheelchair or pushchair.
Follow the 800-metre visitor path and combine outdoor views with the elephant house and exhibition.
Watch geladas and Nubian ibex among rocks and a waterfall beside the AFRICAMBO Lodge.
Spend time at the chimpanzee tropical house and the smaller monkey exhibits.
Break up a 3–4-hour visit with the entrance playground or the larger play area by the Schrote.
Take your time through the exhibition, elephant house and outdoor viewing areas. Pause when an animal is doing something interesting rather than treating the path as a distance to finish.
The elephant viewing platform has steps. Ask staff for the best available ground-level and indoor views for your wheelchair or pushchair.
Pick one presentation from the entrance board. Combine AFRICAMBO with rhinos or giraffes, take a meal or snack break, then add the chimpanzees or penguins and a playground. If the giraffe house is temporarily closed, spend the extra time with another favourite.
Choose one main animal area and one indoor stop, keeping the rest flexible. Skip stepped viewing platforms if they make the visit harder and ask staff about suitable alternatives. Finish while everyone still has energy for the journey home.
At the elephants, rhinos and giraffes, compare how each animal reaches its food. Let each child sketch one useful body part. Watch what happens naturally and leave all feeding to the keepers.
At Hochland von Äthiopien, choose a gelada and an ibex to watch. Compare where they stand, how they move and whether they stay close to others. The nearby Lodge gives you a natural place for a break afterwards.
Make the elephant exhibition and house a longer stop, then choose another open house. In the chimpanzee tropical house, look for the dwarf crocodile exhibit with its underwater view as well as the apes. Bring waterproofs for the outdoor links between buildings.
Watch the trunk at work: an elephant may use it to investigate, pick up food or touch another animal. Try different public viewpoints before moving on. The calf Edda, born in August 2026, may be with the group, but visibility varies.
Look for the pointed upper lip and compare the rhino’s shape with the antelopes in the wider savanna area. Use the small exhibit’s designated visitor route without reaching over barriers.
Compare necks, legs and coat patterns from the public viewing area. The zoo calls its herd Nubian giraffes; the animal group linked here covers giraffes broadly. Around the newborn calf, quiet and the staff’s access instructions come first.
Follow one animal briefly, then look at the whole group. Resting, climbing and social exchanges are all worth noticing. Keep quiet at the glass and use only the open viewing areas during outdoor-enclosure work.
Look across the rock faces as well as the lower ground. Watch how the group spreads out and comes together, and compare an adult male’s long shoulder hair with the other animals you can see.
Scan the rocky ledges for outlines and curved horns, then watch how an ibex places its feet. This shared exhibit makes a good comparison with the geladas without needing to hurry to another area.
Check the branches and resting places patiently. A red panda may be curled up with much of its body hidden by its tail. Ask about the day’s presentation if you would like a second chance to watch it.
Compare the birds’ upright posture on land with their movement in the water when they swim. The public feeding is a possible focus, but check the board: the published seasonal programme has days without it.
Look along the resting places and vegetation edges for a striped outline. The zoo’s animals are Siberian or Amur tigers; this linked entry covers the tiger species broadly. The raised viewing platform has steps.
Search quietly for the smaller residents as well as the elephants. If a fox is visible, notice the ears compared with its head. These mostly nocturnal animals may be resting during your visit.
Look for the radiating markings on the shell and take time to watch a few deliberate steps. Read the enclosure label carefully to distinguish this tortoise from any other species on display.
These suggestions concern captive zoo exhibits, not free-living wildlife records. The petting-area goats are domestic animals. Giraffes are linked at genus level and the tiger at species level; the zoo’s more specific exhibit names do not change those broader links. Individual animals may be hidden or temporarily off show.
The 1991 giraffe house was built in just 110 hours for the ARD programme Jetzt oder nie. Its timber-and-glass construction and planted roof were part of the original design.
The zoo received four confiscated radiated tortoises in 2012. Their story provides a concrete starting point for talking with children about the illegal wildlife trade and why an animal belongs in its habitat.
The Lodge is a year-round food stop; the playground bistro can close in poor weather. Toilets are at the Zoowelle entrance, elephant house, playground and Lodge. Pull-along wagons are hired at the entrance. The two playgrounds offer different stopping points, with domestic goats beside the larger Schrote play area.
Use Zoo as the tram destination and Zooallee 1 as the entrance address. Line 10 serves Zoo and S-Bahnhof Eichenweiler; check the actual stop sequence and connections for your date. Drivers must approach the visitor car park from the south along Am Vogelgesang.
The access assessment records outdoor paths at least 2 metres wide and surveyed doors and passages at least 90 cm wide. Four accessible toilets have folding grab rails and at least 80 cm of transfer space on both sides. Information is mainly visual and written, with no hearing loop or Braille provision recorded. Ask the zoo about a suitable guided visit and confirm any facilities essential to your day.
Each card links to a full Explore page with photos, traits, and fun facts.
Start with the big picture, then zoom in to explore individual wildlife observations around this place.
Arrive by tram
Line 10 serves Zoo, about 200 metres from the entrance. Eichenweiler is the nearest railway station. Use MVB’s journey planner for your date; city-centre routes and connections can change.
Approach the car park correctly
The entrance address is Zooallee 1, 39124 Magdeburg. Access to the paid visitor car park is from the south along Am Vogelgesang. If your satnav cannot find Zooallee, the zoo suggests Schöppensteg 11.
Children and tickets
Children aged 12 and under enter free and should come with an adult. Tickets are available online or at the entrance, and card payment is accepted throughout the zoo. Check current prices and concession requirements before travelling.
Bring a wagon plan
Pull-along wagons can be hired at the ticket desk, subject to availability. They cannot be reserved and require a deposit. Keep scooters and bicycles outside the zoo.
Leave feeding to the keepers
Do not offer your own food to any animal. Only feed the petting-area goats if staff explicitly permit it that day and supply the zoo’s own feed.
Dogs need a different day plan
Dogs are admitted for a charge on a short lead, but cannot enter animal houses. Follow additional enclosure and playground restrictions. Assistance dogs are welcome; discuss your planned visit with staff if needed.
Photograph quietly
Keep voices low, never knock on glass and respect other visitors’ privacy. Personal photography is allowed; commercial use needs the zoo’s prior written permission.
Choose one presentation
Check the entrance board rather than hurrying between every feeding. Elephant training or a penguin feeding can give the day a useful focus, with changes possible for the animals’ needs.
Recent snaps will appear here as new observations are added.
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Take the discovery with you
Identify the wildlife you spot, learn as you go, and keep a collection of the adventure.
