Stefan Miler Zoo in Zamość

The Stefan Miler Zoo in Zamość (say "ZAH-moshch") is the only zoo in Poland's Lublin region and one of its most popular family attractions, with about 200,000 visitors a year. It sits just 1 km from the Renaissance market square of this UNESCO-listed town, so it is easy to combine with a day of sightseeing. Thanks to a series of modernizations, you can see giraffes, pygmy hippos, flamingos and Manchurian cranes, and kids will love the petting zoo and playground.

History

The zoo began in 1918, when biology teacher Stefan Miler and his students created a small school nature garden in the Old Town, the first of its kind in Poland. It grew steadily, received a visit from President Ignacy Mościcki in 1927 and got its first lion in 1931. In 1953 it became a municipal zoo. Short of space, it moved to its current site between Szczebrzeska Street and two small rivers, reopening on June 1, 1982. Since 1994 it has carried its founder's name.

From 2009 the zoo went through five rounds of rebuilding, funded largely by Norway Grants and the EU: new houses for big cats and reptiles, African paddocks with giraffes (2014), a house for pygmy hippos, tapirs and capybaras (2015–2016), and in 2021 a walk-through aviary, a flamingo house, an enclosure for vultures and a South American and African complex. Construction of a penguin house for African penguins started in 2025.

What to see

• Africa: giraffes, zebras, scimitar oryx, gazelles, meerkats, porcupines, warthogs and Somali wild asses.
• Pygmy hippos, tapirs and capybaras in heated houses with pools.
• Birds: a free-flight hall, red-crowned and blue cranes, flamingos and griffon vultures.
• South America: vicuñas, Patagonian maras, rheas, sloths and anteaters.
• Petting zoo with miniature rabbits, goats, guinea pigs and Shetland ponies.
• Botanical section with around 650 plant species.

Which animals are on display depends on the season and the weather; in winter some stay indoors.

How long to stay

Plan 2–3 hours with children. There is a playground and food on site.

Opening hours and tickets

As of October 2026:

• Ticket office hours: November–February 9 am–3 pm; March and October 9 am–4 pm; April–September 9 am–6 pm. Visitors may stay up to 90 minutes after the ticket office closes.
• Closed: January 1 and December 25.
• Tickets (from January 1, 2026): adults PLN 50, reduced PLN 40 (children 3–6, students under 26, seniors, visitors with disabilities); under-3s PLN 1; groups of 15+ PLN 40 each.
• Annual pass: PLN 250 (reduced PLN 200).
• Cards accepted at the ticket office; online sales operate in summer.

Is it worth visiting?

For families, yes: it is compact, modern in its newer sections and a welcome break from churches and museums.

How to get there and parking

The zoo is at Szczebrzeska 12, about 1 km west of the Great Market Square, a 15-minute walk. The main parking lot is free, and there is a bike rack at the entrance. Zamość is about 90 km (55 miles) southeast of Lublin; direct trains take roughly 2 hours from Lublin and 4.5 hours from Warsaw.

Nearby

• Old Town and Great Market Square, about 1 km.
• Arsenal museum of fortifications and weapons.
• Rotunda memorial, about 1 km.