The Nocturnal House
Bats, fennecs and creatures of darkness under inverted light — the most famous of its kind.
CC BY-SA 3.0 · E235JREMU — CC BY-SA 4.0 · E235JREMU — CC BY-SA 4.0 · E235JREMU — CC BY-SA 4.0
Frankfurt's zoo is among Germany's most venerable (1858) and most storied: here worked Bernhard Grzimek, the vet who rebuilt it from war rubble and became the world's most famous voice for wildlife, his Serengeti film winning an Oscar and paving the way for Africa's great reserves. The zoo sits nearly mid-city at a considered size — half a day covers it — and its strength is its houses: the famous Nocturnal House, where you watch creatures of darkness in their inverted day; the spacious great-ape house; and seal and sea-lion pools with underwater windows. For a family in Frankfurt it is the first choice for an easy day without long transfers: a U-Bahn station of its own name sits right at the gate.
Bats, fennecs and creatures of darkness under inverted light — the most famous of its kind.
Gorillas and orangutans in a spacious modern house.
Seals and sea lions from below the surface.
The story of the man who tied a city zoo to saving the Serengeti.
Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1, 60316 Frankfurt
BethmannparkBethmannpark is a quiet public park near central Frankfurt, best known for the C12 minutes walk4.5
The Raftsmen's BridgeA bridge over the river Main east of central Frankfurt, whose name, Flösserbrück13 minutes walk4.8
StaufenmauerThe Staufenmauer is a surviving piece of Frankfurt's first city wall, built in t15 minutes walk4.4
New Old TownThe New Old Town is a small quarter in the middle of Frankfurt that opened in 2018 minutes walk4.7
Frankfurt CathedralFrankfurt Cathedral is a red Gothic church in the middle of the old town, its ta18 minutes walk4.5Smaller than Berlin or Nuremberg and less spectacular in open range, but its houses are among the best, and the central location is practically unbeatable. For a family staying in Frankfurt the question answers itself.
One of the better options: nocturnal, ape, reptile houses and the aquaria are all indoors and close together — two sheltered hours cover the best of it.
Three hours for an easy family round, five with an animal-mad child. Early morning is calmer with livelier animals — and the Nocturnal House runs all open hours.