2019 Golden Teddy Awards — Out + About

Winner: Woodland Park Zoo 

Year after year, award-winning Woodland Park Zoo earns voters’ adoration. Last year, we closely followed the adventures of baby red pandas online until they graduated to the viewable habitat, and this year, we welcomed a baby giraffe. Observe more than 1,000 animals populating the spacious, naturalistic exhibits, which have earned Woodland Park Zoo accreditation by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) — a status that fewer than 10 percent of American zoos achieve.

Finalists

One reader says, “You can get up close and personal to some of the animals” at Cougar Mountain Zoo in Issaquah; another describes it as “a small zoo with a wonderful mission” to increase the understanding and appreciation of the earth’s wildlife and the role of humanity in nature.

An AZA fully accredited animal attraction, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, located near the Paradise entrance of Mount Rainier National Park, offers guests an amazing animal experience: Take a tram ride through the park for close-up views of native species, such as bison, elk and bighorn sheep. 

Our readers know that Tacoma’s Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (also AZA-accredited) offers “the most to see” with awesome viewing of animals in both water and land habitats. Guests love PDZA’s special programs and year-round appeal.    

For close-up views of gorgeous sea creatures, our readers can’t get enough of the AZA-accredited Seattle Aquarium. Kids and adults alike love the interactive exhibit of Puget Sound tide pools, immersive underwater dome, and combination of indoor and outdoor viewing areas.