Melbourne Zoo
Elliott Avenue, Parkville VIC 3052, Australia
Zoo
•Why you'll love Melbourne Zoo
- Be amongst the Animals and enjoy nature and natural surroundings.
- Unique location with outdoor spaces that can host a large number of different types of functions.
- Offers exceptional cuisine and a beautiful setting.
About the venue
As a function venue, Melbourne Zoo stands alone. Seriously - are there many venues that can boast the things the Zoo holds in its grasp? First off, it’s a zoo. With real live animals. Secondly, as a function space, the Zoo can accommodate groups numbering between 10 and 3000. Thirdly, it’s a zoo. Aside from the obvious fact that Melbourne Zoo is a veritable wonderland of animals like lions and gorillas and bears and snakes, our city’s zoo also sports a number of function spaces for events that range from the end-of-year party time variety to the kid's birthday kind, or the breed of event more conducive to fostering business relationships with clients (in a unique setting). There’s the Lakeside Room, overlooking the zoo’s award-winning Japanese gardens. Then there’s the Leopard Lodge, located a lion’s roar from the big cats and fitting up to 500 guests. Then there’s the Bong Su Room with its own private tree kangaroo exhibit, found in the heart of the Elephant Trail. Also the Rainforest Room with its own tamarin monkey enclosure. Melbourne Zoo is (in case you live under a rock, and are in desperate need of a reconnection with your childhood) found along Elliott Avenue in Parkville. That’s just off Royal Parade, surprisingly close to Melbourne University, and a veritable stone’s throw (train ride) from the city and Citylink.
Melbourne Zoo Function Rooms
Bong Su Room
At the heart of the Elephant Trail lies the Bong Su Room. With its indoor and outdoor spaces, floor to ceiling windows, bold dark timber panelling, private views over our animal exhibit, and hidden location among the bamboo forest, the Bong Su Room is an experience. This room is perfect for conferences with an inbuilt screen and projector, seated lunches and dinners, wedding receptions and birthday celebrations.
Lakeside Room
With picturesque views over the award-winning Japanese Garden and lake, the Lakeside Café is an evening-only venue to enjoy that features an outdoor terrace connecting to the main function room. Room for a spacious dancefloor, makes this venue ideal for Christmas, birthday or engagement parties, wedding receptions and corporate functions such as gala or award dinners. The Lakeside Café comfortably holds 120 guests standing or 80 seated, and is available to hire from 6:30pm onwards.
Leopard Lodge
Situated close to both the big cat’s habitat and the beloved Carnivores’ Trail, the Leopard Lodge is the largest and most versatile of the four function rooms. You and your guests can share a toast to the sound of lions roaring against a backdrop of some of the Zoo’s finest gardens and lawns. Comfortably hosting 350 guests standing or 200-240 seated, the Leopard Lodge is conveniently located close to the trams and trains of the Railgate entrance. Here, greenery on all sides creates the sense of celebrating in the heart of a jungle, and a paved outdoor terrace allows your guests to spill into the landscape. A purpose built bridal suite makes this a particularly fitting function space for wedding receptions. With its screen, stage and AV capabilities, it's the perfect conference venue.
Rainforest Room
The Rainforest Room is a location of pure beauty. With views over the award-winning Japanese Garden and Lake, the outside terrace is an ideal place to sample a glass of sparkling while savouring the tranquil surrounds. The inside of this light-filled venue features its own private animal exhibit – the lush forest habitat of the playful Tamarin monkeys. Perfect for corporate conferences, cocktail parties and dinners or wedding receptions, this space holds up to 110 guests standing or 80 guests seated.
Price Guide
| Price Type | Price Per Person (Starting From) |
|---|---|
| Day Delegate Package (DDP) | $ 90 |
| Half Day Delegate Package (HDDP) | $ 80 |
| 2 Course Menu | $ 80 |
| 3 Course Menu | $ 90 |
| 3 Hour Canapes | $ 85 |
| 3 Hour Beverage Package | $ 43 |
Please note, that pricing may be subject to change without notice. We recommend confirming with the venue prior to booking to ensure you have the most up-to-date information.
Reviews for Melbourne Zoo
Sam J
I've visited quite a lot of the zoo's here in Australia at this point and had heard some great things about Melbourne Zoo. It's a good size zoo which is very walkable, I chose to navigate it in a figure of 8 so I was able to see every part from one end to the other. The enclosures were fairly large and provided a lot of cover for the animals who for the most part chose to hide away (and I can't say I blame them, we'll come to that later...) but with some patience you could see them clearly once they moved. Some enclosures were empty, the snow leopard for instance won't be on show until April, there was a large enclosure that apparently had elephants in once upon a time but no more. A few others seemingly had nothing living in them, I actually heard another visitor exclaim "I paid $59 for THIS?" at one point. I really enjoyed the butterfly house, that was a great experience! The reptile house was also pretty cool as there were lots of species to see up close. The main draw for me was the orangutans and this is where I have to deduct a star, I should say through no fault of the zoo itself though. PARENTS - please, please, please teach your kids it's not okay to smash and bang on the windows at zoos. One of the orangutans was sitting eating on a perch which has a viewing window and there must have been at least 20 kids of various ages slamming against it to get a reaction from the orangutan. It's just gross behaviour, I'd already told a grown man about 10 minutes previous to that to stop pounding the window where the howler monkeys are.
Ian Watts
We had an absolutely fantastic day at Melbourne Zoo! From the moment we walked in, everything was beautifully laid out, easy to navigate, and incredibly family-friendly. The animal enclosures are spacious and thoughtfully designed, giving you a real sense that the animals are well cared for. Watching the gorillas up close was a highlight — so calm and powerful — and seeing the Sumatran tiger walk right past the glass was unforgettable. The giraffes were stunning in their open savannah space, and even the peaceful black swan pond added to the relaxed atmosphere of the day. There’s a great mix of wildlife from around the world, plenty of shaded areas, and lots of greenery that makes it feel more like a botanical garden than a traditional zoo. The staff were friendly and informative, and everything was clean and well maintained. Whether you’re visiting with kids or just love wildlife, Melbourne Zoo is a must-see in Melbourne. We’ll definitely be back! 🦒🐅🦍
Georgie M
I hadn’t been to the Zoo in 13 years. What an awesome day I had. Everything was fantastic including the 400 Gradi popup. Purchasing tickets online made it a quick and easy entry. Such a great day out for families, friends or even if you just want to go by yourself, I would highly recommend. If driving as I did, it’s $2 for 5hrs via the paystation (tap to pay) I had no problem with the price paid for entry as I can’t imagine how much it costs to run such a large zoo.
Chongkai Sun
It was very hot the day we went, many animals didn’t come out, which was quite disappointing. In addition, there were hardly any animal shows, and many cafés were closed. On the positive side, we got to see the tigers and giraffes, which we had been hoping to see. The reptile area was a great experience as well, where we could closely observe lizards and snakes in a variety of colors
karam pack
We really enjoyed our visit to Melbourne Zoo and had a wonderful day overall. The atmosphere was very pleasant and well maintained, making it a great place to spend several hours. The zoo has a wide range of animals, and the aquatic animals were especially beautiful and enjoyable to see. Some of the animals were hiding or inactive during our visit, which is understandable, so we couldn’t see everything — but this didn’t take away from the overall experience. The reception team were friendly and welcoming, which made a great first impression. I would suggest for the entry fees to be reconsidered, i think it will encourage more attractions. Overall, it was a lovely experience and definitely worth visiting. Highly recommended for a relaxing and enjoyable day out!
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