albuquerque biological park

One of the least interesting Botanic parks we ever visited. Even the few animals there seemed sad. Maybe March is not good time to go. Many exhibits were even closed. Please refund my fee!

We visited just after the holidays during an unseasonably warm spell in the weather. We had the gardens virtually to ourselves and it was very quiet and peaceful. Not a lot in bloom but still a lot to see and a beautiful walk. We also saw an owl, several interesting songbird species and lots of bunnies ;) Everything was well tended and we saw several staff members patrolling to pick up garbage on the walkways.The aquarium building is getting a bit dirty/shabby. The carpet and paint are showing their age as are some of the tank exteriors. This is still a fun, entertaining and informative visit if you can overlook all that. So cool to watch the skates/rays play with the visitors and the main tank will keep you mesmerized watching for hours. Great for visitors to learn about local wildlife, too.

They are still growing. We have a way to go, but it is still rated one of the best parks in the US. Don't miss it. And remember, as with the Botanical Park, timing is everything. If you go in the afternoon, in the heat, you wont see much. Can you blame them? They also hold great orchestra concerts there during the summer. Bring your lawn chair, your wine n cheese and enjoy.

I took my mom to the gardens and aquarium when she came to visit me in ABQ.The botanical gardens are quite nice. My only complaint is that very few of the plants are labeled. When you see an interesting, unfamiliar plant, you want to know what it is. But, alas, very few of the plants were named. Unfortunately, we missed the Japanese gardens (apparently a lot of people do as they are all the way to the back) but we did happen upon the butterfly house, which was fun.The aquarium...well, I guess if you've never seen a decent one (Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco) or if you were a little kid, it might have been ok. But having been to those, and many more, I found this one small, shabby, and generally lacking. And there's only one way out. Somehow Mom and I missed the exit in the maze of the aquarium and had to go all the way back to the front (where we entered but could not exit) and all the way back through to find the exit.To further add to my annoyance, there was a teenager playing tinny-sounding music on his cell phone in front of the shark tank, which was something I would have looked at longer had it not been for the boy who apparently did not know what ear buds were or that other people might not like enjoy his taste in music. Don't know why his parents didn't say something...and maybe that explains why the kid thought it was perfectly fine to torture everybody around him. We didn't go to the zoo. After the aquarium, I was guessing it probably wouldn't be up to snuff.We looked at the menu at the restaurant but it had very little to offer and nothing for a gluten-free restricted diet.We should have bought the ticket that included the train, because that looked fun. Watching the the rather elaborate outdoor model train was our substitute for a ride!

When we walked in and saw the bright orange flamingos, we said that just that 1 sight was worth the price of the ticket! We loved seeing all the different types of birds, apes, monkeys, cats, etc. The setting for the animals were very appealing.

Always enjoy visiting our BioPark. Always new things to see. And the salt water crock is hugh. And we ate at the cafe for the first time and the pizza was surprisingly good.Great family day out.

Albuquerque has a first-rate BioPark including a zoo rated tops for breeding endangered species, an aquarium showcasing the importance of water in arid places and a botanical garden with so many lovely spots it's hard to describe. For a small city, Albuquerque has great natural attractions and a humming contemporary art scene. The Biopark is the jewel in the crown.

Wonderful zoo, loved all of it, especially the elephant sanctuary. Docents were great. Be sure and see the polar bears.

The bio park and particularly the botanical gardens are just lovely. Great for families and perfect for a romantic stroll. It is easy to spend a few hours on a leisurely walk. Bring a picnic or snacks to enjoy.

A beautiful retreat, right in the heart of Albuquerque. The "Park" is comprised on three distinct entities, the Botanic Gardens, the Aquarium (these two are at the same location, but with different entrances), and the Zoo. All are worth visiting, and a mini railroad will take you between the two main sites. Bring a picnic lunch and a blanket or chairs, and soak up the scenery, when not visiting the exhibits. Alcohol not allowed. Free parking, but there are admission fees.

I have attended zoos all over the US. Albuquerque has one of the best designed and well planned zoos of any of comparable size that I have seen. I appreciate all that goes into keeping the animals cared for and healthy. The quality of habitat displays is well tailored to the animals. They have privacy and the option of "showing off" for viewers. A marvelous family outing. The train between the BioPark and the Aquarium/Botanical Garden are a nice feature as well.

Ride the train, visit the animals, smell the flowers, and marvel at the fish. There are several areas to visit and may require more than a day to see it all. I have gone many times and always find something new each time.

We really went to see the Spring flowers which was wonderful to the senses, but we saw many different varies of tropical plants and cactus which were awesome!Many of the animals were inside as it is still winter here. However, those that we did see seem to be well taken care of and we got to see 2 babies...chimpanzee and elephant, just too adorable and so vulnerable. Please support your local zoos, the future of wildlife depends on us all. Thank you.

Go prepared to spend all day. The aquarium, the botanic garden and the zoo are interlinked and a great way to spend the day. We started a few minutes after they opened, and left at almost 3 in the afternoon. It's only February, but it gets hot in the sun. We saw everything from sharks to elephants to swans. It's worth the drive, and the Japanese garden is truly a work of art.

Beautifully organized and presented park with something for everyone. Christmas light display is astounding. We became supporting members to help this wonderful local treasure.