The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

We had our wedding at the Maryland Zoo in September 2019, and couldn’t be happier with our choice! We had our ceremony at the Lakeside Pavilion, and the reception in the Mansion House. The zoo grounds are absolutely beautiful, and we got gorgeous photos! The zoo has it all and more--the option for an outdoor ceremony, photos around the zoo, and the beautiful historic mansion house for the reception. Our guests were truly impressed and had the best time! The highlight of the evening was a visit from the animal ambassadors during cocktail hour. Dawn the Penguin and Louie the Macaw were a huge hit with us and our guests! Our day could not have been possible without the phenomenal team of Jane and Brittney. Jane was so helpful when touring and booking. She gave us so much useful information and recommendations for other vendors to book with to make the planning process easy. Brittney was our coordinator, and I cannot say enough good things about her! She answered my many emails promptly and graciously leading up to the big day, was there to assist at rehearsal, and present during the big day to make sure everything went smoothly. The team at the zoo worked seamlessly with my other vendors to create a wonderful event. The zoo was the perfect place for our perfect day. The quality, value, service, and uniqueness are something that can’t be matched!

this venue was not only totally romantic but very reasonably priced. they were coordinated and super organized. the coordinator they attached to the day Jackie was super easy to plan with.

Ok, so how do you top having penguins at your wedding? You can't! Having our wedding at the zoo was a truly unique experience. The lake side pavilion was beautiful and gave us the perfect setting for our ceremony. The mansion house was just a beautiful and gave us the perfect amount of space for our nearly 150 guests. It was a perfect night.

The Maryland Zoo was the perfect venue for our ceremony and reception. Jane and Jackie were amazing to work with from start to finish. After touring the space with Jane, we knew we didn't need to keep looking any longer. Jane was so helpful answering all of our questions and gave us a huge list of recommended vendors for all aspects of the wedding and went through it with us providing more detail for each. That list and all her experience and knowledge made the vendor search so easy. All of our vendors were thrilled to be working at the zoo and had a great history and working relaitionship with the zoo. Jackie was our day of coordinator and was instrumental in making the day run more smoothly than we could ever have imagined it would. She was there to answer any questions, direct traffic, coordinate with vendors, and drive the golf cart around. In terms of the physical venue itself, the zoo made for an amazing day. We had our ceremony at the Lakeside Pavillion which was a beautiful outside space. There was a shaded area at ground level (no stairs to navigate) for the eldery and a golf cart to shuffle them from ceremony to reception. The Mansion House can be used as a backup Ceremony location in the event of rain or excessive heat, so even though the forcast looked like it might be trouble we were not stressed at all. The Mansion House itself was a beautiful place to have the reception. All the glass windows let in a lot of natural light which made the space so inviting. The front steps of the Mansion House made for a great picture spot. The bar and buffet were placed at either end of the seating wings, so nobody felt bad about being near the back and allowed guests to mingle as they walked by. Both wings had great views of our sweetheart table and met at the dance floor. We opted not to add the hard surface for the dance floor and using the carpet worked out great. The Mansion House also had a separate room set aside for just us that allowed us to escape when we needed to and get ready/make adjustments. Also was useful for my elderly grandmother to take a nap in! The animal ambassadors (Peach the Penguin and Yang the Alligator) were also a huge hit. Overall, the Zoo was so much fun and so easy to work with. The staff were amazing and the event spaces (both the Lakeside Pavillion and Mansion House) were incredible. I recommend the Zoo to everyone!

Our wedding was a dream! We decided to have both the ceremony and reception at the Mansion House and it was a seamless transition between the two. The huge windows and gorgeous chandeliers combine with the historic site to create a romantic atmosphere. Our contact Jackie was professional and helpful through every step of the process. Being able to have animal ambassadors at the cocktail hour was a unique and special touch and was a definite crowd pleaser. I could not have asked for a more magical and wonderful day!!

Our wedding at the Mansion House at the Maryland Zoo was an absolute dream. It all started with the incredible team at the Zoo - Jane and Brittney. Jane joined us for our initial walk-through and helped my now husband and I visual the possibilities of our wedding. The absolutely fabulous Brittney Christian guided us through the rest of our planning and made our vision a reality. We couldn't have asked for a better person to see us through - thank you for being the best, Brittney!! Our winter wedding was indoors and the interior is so warm, it convinces you that you are in a bright, sunny room - even if your wedding is planned in the evening. There is so much space in the Mansion House, it was very easy for our 120 guests to move around. Your wedding photos will be incredible. There are several places around the Zoo, including a formally used tiger cage and the carousel, you can stop and take your bride and groom pictures. To save the best for last - yes, the penguins are an AMAZING perk to booking your wedding at the Zoo. My husband and I had our ceremony and then immediately met Sally and Eddie. It seems impossible that there will be a better hour for the rest of our lives. We spent about 15 minutes with the penguins for private photos and then the guests had the opportunity to pose with the penguins for the rest of the cocktail hour. There's nothing quite like looking through photos the next morning and seeing all of your family and friends posing with penguins. This is far and away one of the most unique experience you can imagine for your wedding. If you're still searching for a venue, the Maryland Zoo is absolutely a top notch option.

Hi Brides! We got married on December 8th, 2018 at the Maryland Zoo. We love to visit zoos wherever we go so we felt this was the perfect wedding venue for us! The ceremony and reception took place in the mansion house which is a gorgeous building with windows all around and chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. If you are looking for one huge open room this will not be for you, as the area is split into three large hallways; but there is a ton of room, I loved it personally. We chose two animals to come for cocktail hour, the penguin and the skunk; the zoo keepers are so educational and kept the guests entertained. The guests absolutely loved it. This venue is also so much more affordable then others in the area. You do have to use a caterer from their list, but there are plenty of options at different price points, we went with Hunt Valley Catering. Jackie and Jane were so helpful with the process. Jackie helped organize the wedding day and set up some of my small details. She also took us around the zoo in a golf cart for photos, I can’t wait to see them all! Our wedding day turned out 10x better than I ever expected it to, I couldn’t be happier and I give most of that credit to our beautiful venue, the Zoo!

If you want a venue that everyone will be talking about before, during, and after your event--this is the place to be. Our guests were floored when they found out that they'd be able to see a penguin during cocktail hour. What's more, our penguin--named Sally Field!!--did not disappoint. Besides the bride (me!), she was definitely the star of the show. Otherwise, our day-of coordinator Jackie was super responsive, and the grounds were stunning and made for perfect pictures. We've had so many of our guests complement us on our venue, which has made the relatively pricier pricetag worth the investment. Also--during our pictures we got a special behind-the-scenes tour of a few parts of the zoo= amazing. All around we'd give the Zoo two thumbs up!

We held our wedding and reception at the Maryland Zoo last month and it was amazing! The staff were beyond exceptional and super helpful throughout our entire planning process and the day of. Britney, our coordinator, was extremely helpful in making sure everything went off without a hitch and was on point for contacting our other vendors to make sure things were in place for our big day. The venue itself is amazing as well. The grounds are incredibly beautiful and spacious, yet you're in the heart of Baltimore, so no long drives back to civilization. And yes, you can have animals at your reception if you book here. We had a penguin, a tortoise and a screech owl attend our cocktail hour, and it was the coolest! Our guests loved it, and my wife and I were given time alone with each animal so we could get to meet them and take photos. It ruled. I'll also rave about how affordable this place was. Seriously, compared to a lot of the other venues we looked at, for the price we paid, we felt like it was an incredible steal. Hands down, this was probably one of the best choices we made for our wedding day. I highly recomend this venue!

The BEST place for a wedding in Baltimore! Jane immediately won us over at the walkthrough 18 months ago, and we booked the venue the very next day! Where else can you have a penguin at your cocktail hour and pull-off animal crackers as your favor for guests? Everyone involved in coordinating has been quick to respond, helpful, and very accommodating and there has not been a doubt in my mind that everything will run smoothly on the big day. The pricing is fantastic and the suggested vendors are amazing. I highly suggest (and not only because I am biased)!

What can we say? We could not have asked for a better venue for our wedding. The Mansion House was marvelous, the staff was stupendous, and Peaches the penguin was perfect. Jane & Jackie made us feel welcome, comfortable and excited from our very first meeting. They accommodated our every request and assured us that everything would come off without a hitch. And it did! This despite an early winter storm that left the grounds covered in 3 inches of snow. But rather than ruin the day, it added to the magic -- the zoo staff promptly shoveled and salted the lots so no one had trouble entering, the approach to the Mansion House was breathtaking, and our photos on the snow-covered grounds are wonderful. And since we rolled the dice on a January event, the venue was even more affordable than it normally is. We elected to hold our ceremony at the Mansion House as well. There was enough seating for our 180 guests and the winter sunset through the many windows was stunning. We selected a green-winged macaw and an African penguin as our animal ambassadors, which delighted our guests both young and old -- we have tons of great pictures from our cocktail hour. Our up-close encounter with the ambassadors was a special treat since Chris is obsessed with penguins and got to sit right next to one on the inside staircase! Jackie worked with all of our vendors to ensure the day ran smoothly. No one had any trouble loading in or out, and we heard only good things about working with the zoo staff. The zoo was the first space we visited during our venue hunt but we knew right away it was the right place for us. From the friendliness of Jane and Jackie to the beauty of the building to the simple fun of hosting an event with animal guests, we had an amazing and unforgettable day. Can we give ten stars? Felicia & Chris

Jackie and her staff were absolutely incredible! From beginning to end everything went incredibly smooth. Incredibly responsive and took over the responsibility of contacting each and every one of my vendors which was a HUGE weight off my shoulders. I loved the entire experience and I couldn't have picked a better venue for our late October wedding! The guests LOVED the opportunity to get their pictures with a penguin...it was a peak experience!

The staff is fantastic, they coordinate the ceremony and provide excellent vendor connections. Tables and chairs are included in the venue fee, making for a fantastic deal. Beautiful location, unique experience, and qualified staff...what more could you ask for!?

I absolutely loved getting married at the zoo! We had our ceremony and reception there and things went great! My only complaint is that the zoo is a little strict with some rules. For example, everything needed to be taken down from the ceremony site immediately after the ceremony. Also, nothing could be left at the venue so we had to pay extra for overtime delivery for chairs, etc. The staff at the zoo were so helpful. My guests keep telling me how wonderful and beautiful the wedding was. It's also pretty cool to be able to say that I had a penguin, an owl, and a rabbit at my wedding!

Amazingly unique venue! The animal ambassadors were a big hit. Jane and Jackie, our coordinators at the Zoo, were such pleasures to work with. They were quick to respond and so helpful throughout the entire planning process. I liked how they contacted each one of our vendors individually to confirm everything. Working with them certainly helped ease the stress of planning. Couldn't have been more happier. Definitely recommended if you're looking for a unique place with quality service.

The Mansion House was our first and only choice for our wedding venue. The venue is stunning. We were married at the Lakeside Pavilion and continued the celebration at Mansion House. Our guests were so excited about the location, and the animal ambassadors helped make our wedding even more unique. Jane and Sienna will make the process as simple as possible. They are professional, friendly and sweet. I swear they were just as excited for our wedding day as we were. They took care of everything that day, so we were able to focus on what really mattered, our vows. I cannot thank them enough.

The Maryland Zoo was the perfect location for our November wedding. We held the ceremony and reception both in the Mansion House, which made for a beautiful and elegant look that we absolutely loved. Jane and Sienna were great to work with and both willing to assist and give their expertise whenever we asked. I've lived in Baltimore my whole life and loved celebrating the big day in the same location I visited as a child (and got a picture next to the bronze lions :)). The Animal Ambassadors are well worth the cost and they were truly the hit of the party for all of the guests as well as the bride and groom! Your payment goes to support the zoo, which is another added benefit to the location. I would recommend this venue to any bride looking for a unique venue in the Baltimore area - it was perfect!

The staff at the Maryland zoo were wonderful to work with and put me at ease. Although parking is definitely wonky at this venue, it was worth it because the lakeside pavilion for the ceremony combined with the Mansion house porch for the reception was gorgeous. A great fit for a relaxed, more rustic or vintage bride with a flair for the offbeat. My only nit was that the parking attendant let people up to the reception area for parking, and we were there taking pictures before the ceremony started... but not the end of the world! Well worth the money, and it's a donation to all of the zoo critters!

We would absolutely recommend this venue to anyone who is looking for a beautiful space and a little twist that will keep your guests talking! It has all of the traditional elements that is desirable about a wedding venue, but the option of getting "animal ambassadors" to make an appearance at your wedding is amazing. Our guests loved interacting with the penguin and the raven and we received so many compliments on how fun the wedding was. Many people said that they felt like they were no longer in the city with how green and beautiful everything was. Jane, the organizer is outstanding and helps ensure that every detail is correct and in place before the big day so you can just relax and go with the flow. We really can't thank her enough for her invaluable help and keeping us on track!

This was the perfect place for my wedding! The lighting was from beautiful chandeliers that could be dimmed or brightened the mansion was beautiful there were so many places to take beautiful photos and you can have an animal ambassador to greet your guests!;Because the mansion is historic and wood you cannot have real candles lit inside.

It was perfect. The zoo is in the middle of the city and has its own park so you have trees and greenery, and there is a lake witch made my pictures look great. They also have indoor facilities too so if there is bad weather you are still covered. The whole place is beautiful and really romantic.