Born to be wild

Feel like going for a walk in the beautiful spring weather? How about a walk with elephants, pandas and hundreds of other fantastic animals around every corner?

Then take advantage of the weekend to visit the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and explore the exhibits with your friends.

One of my favorite childhood memories was going to the zoo with my family, so I couldn’t wait to go again once I came to college. Even though I went for a class trip, there’s no way to take the fun out of wandering around and looking at animals. An added bonus — admission is free, as it is at the rest of the Smithsonian museums.  

Transportation:

To start off your day, take the 104 Metro bus from Stamp Student Union to the College Park Metro station and board a Green Line train toward Branch Avenue.  Transfer to the Red line at Gallery Place and get off at the Cleveland Park station. It’s one stop farther than the Woodley Park station, but the half-mile walk to the zoo is downhill instead of uphill. When you leave, make sure to use the Woodley Park station for another downhill walk. The one-way fare is $3.40 and the trip takes about 40 minutes.

It’s a Jungle Out There:

Once you’re at the zoo, grab a map and start exploring. Exhibit buildings are open from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., but the grounds are open until 8:00 p.m. The zoo is made up of 16 different sections from the Asia Trail to the Great Cats exhibit.  Click here for a full map.  

The zoo is located near the Adams Morgan neighborhood, an artsy and diverse Washington neighborhood with cool restaurants and quirky row houses. Spend the evening wandering around and picking out a unique restaurant to try — or stop by Vace, a local pizza place, for some of the best-rated slices in the city. Either way, you won’t be disappointed.