Kelly Sent on 10/19/2025

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Incredible venue

We had our wedding at the Maryland Zoo in October 2025, with our ceremony and reception in the Mansion House Porch and cocktail hour at Penguin Coast. The zoo is such an amazing venue - it’s fun and unique, but also really beautiful! Tons of our guests said ours was the most fun wedding they’d been to. Everyone loved meeting Olive and Pearl, the penguin animal ambassadors, and watching the penguins and other birds while drinking cocktails. Kenzie and her team were a dream to work with - they were super responsive and flexible, worked seamlessly with all of our vendors to keep everything running smoothly across the multiple locations we used, and so helpful and friendly to everyone on the day! There were so many pretty spots around the zoo to take photos. We absolutely recommend the zoo as your venue!

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Genevieve Sent on 09/07/2025

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Amazing and Unique Venue

Our wedding at the Maryland Zoo was beautiful! We did our ceremony and reception in the Mansion House (an August wedding in Baltimore = air conditioning NECESSARY!), and it was a lovely historic setting with great amenities. Our contact, Kenzie, was extremely helpful and responsive and ensured that we had everything we needed in the weeks leading up to the wedding and on our wedding day. The Zoo coordinated a photo session for us and took us around on a golf cart to pre-established locations, including to see Caesar the giraffe! We also "hired" two penguins as ambassador animals during our cocktail hour, which was a huge hit with our guests. The space was perfect for our needs, and Kenzie and the Zoo staff worked seamlessly with our other vendors. We're so happy we chose to have our wedding at the Maryland Zoo!

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Jack Sent on 02/18/2023

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Best Day of Our Lives

Literally was the best day of our lives! Brandon and his team literally went above and beyond in every category to make our wedding day the best it could possibly be. Everything was perfect! Cannot thank them enough for everything. We will remember this day, and the team that made it happen forever! Brandon & team literally felt like part of the family!

Rhiannon Sent on 10/31/2022

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Perfect Wedding at the Zoo

Our wedding turned out perfectly at the zoo! We originally worked with Jane when booking the mansion house and lakeside pavilion for our reception and ceremony, and she was so nice and very responsive. Then we were transferred over to working with Brandon, which was a little rocky at first with transferring our info, but then we got back on track and the planning went really smoothly. Brandon was very responsive with our questions and on our wedding day everything was coordinated really well. My husband and I were taken around the zoo in a golf cart for pics, which was awesome! There was a city employees’ picnic in Druid Hill Park that day that had loud music playing which we, and the zoo, knew nothing about, so I would recommend that the zoo share their calendar with Druid Hill Park’s calendar so everyone knows what events are happening and when. The music couldn’t really be heard at the ceremony (thank god) but it was blasting throughout the lead up to the ceremony. All in all, the wedding was so beautiful at the lakeside pavilion and mansion house. And Sally the penguin stole the show! Our day was so much fun and I would definitely recommend the zoo for weddings!

Judy Sent on 11/16/2021

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Fantastic Rehearsal Dinner Venue

We held our son's rehearsal dinner at the Penguin Education Center at the Maryland Zoo and the location was perfect. The zoo staff took care of all the details we needed including music throughout the center, directing all our guests from the parking area and providing a penguin ambassador to thrill the guests. We were also able to go behind the scenes at the zoo and take some lovely photos with the bride and groom. It was such a unique setting and made for a memorable evening.

Charlotte Sent on 05/31/2021

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Beautiful wedding at the pavilion!

Just do it! The penguin is a hit. Jane and her crew are amazing and very on top of things. Highly recommend her.

Emmett Sent on 11/25/2020

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Absolute Perfection

Jane at the Maryland Zoo was one of the only reasons our wedding even managed to happen. Even after multiple delays, changes, and other circumstances from lockdowns to guest limits due to COVID she never stopped pushing for our wedding to finally happen. And when it did, it was everything we could have asked for.

The location itself (we chose the Mansion House) was gorgeous with lots of color on a fall afternoon, we were able to take pictures in the Zoo proper, and the penguin ambassador was not only a delight but a hit with our guests.

Overall, could not recommend enough, absolutely perfect.

Gillian Sent on 05/25/2020

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A perfect wedding venue!

Originally we came across the zoo when looking at places to elope in Maryland. After meeting with Jane and seeing the venue, we decided to move forward with a full (100 guest) wedding. I was absolutely enamored with the idea of having the animal ambassadors at the wedding - this is just the coolest idea ever. We are pretty low key (I hope) and Jackie helped us work out all the details - we literally didn't have to worry about anything. From the parking lot attendants to everyone we encountered during our blustery wedding day going around the zoo, everyone was so amazing and kind. The venue looked beautiful and YES the visit from Tetra the penguin and Athena the owl was amazing - people were gushing about them all night. Everything went just beautifully - thank you so much for a perfect wedding!

Andrew Sent on 03/09/2020

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Perfect wedding venue

We could not have asked for a better venue for our wedding! Everything was absolutely beautiful and the zoo staff was incredible! Plus there was a penguin at our wedding, which made such a magical experience for our guests!! Everything was absolutely perfect and I am so incredibly glad that we picked the zoo for our big day!

Keith Sent on 01/10/2020

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October Wedding 2019!

We both loved how our wedding came together at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore! Great venue and help throughout the process! We extended the time at the zoo and also paid for 2 penguin ambassadors which are included in the price given.

Holly Sent on 12/29/2019

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Perfect Day!

Having our wedding at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore was one of our best decisions. The setting is stunning both inside and out. Our coordinator quickly put us at ease and made the day go smoothly. Being able to have animal ambassadors was a fantastic addition and helped make the experience unique and memorable. Who wouldn't want to meet a penguin and one of our own raven mascots!! It has been five months since our wedding and we are still being told by family and friends how great a time was had, how beautiful it is there, and how it's the best wedding they've been to.

Christa Sent on 12/27/2019

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Fun outside wedding in Baltimore City

All of the events staff at the Zoo was incredibly responsive when we inquired about availability, and also when working with us and our other vendors to accommodate our requests for our wedding. The venue is beautiful and we received many compliments from our guests. Our day-of coordinator Jackie was wonderful and took us around the property for photos and made the animal ambassador a smooth and fun part of our day! We really loved having our wedding at the Zoo!

Molly Sent on 12/27/2019

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A night to remember

My husband and I love our experience from planning to the actual wedding! Brittany was amazing! Our friends and family still talk about what an amazing time they had!

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Robyn Sent on 12/27/2019

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The Most Amazing Day

They say your wedding day is the most amazing and stressful day of your life, right? Between finding the right venue, food, guest satisfaction, photographer, decorations...it's all a handful. Planning a small wedding? No problem. Planning bigger? No problem either. The Maryland Zoo staff guide you step by step, work with your budget, and answer all your questions. What more can you ask for?

Autumn Sent on 12/16/2019

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A dream wedding

The Mansion House at the Maryland Zoo is a perfect wedding venue. The building itself is beautiful, and lends a wonderful backdrop to wedding photos. We had both our ceremony and reception in the Mansion House, and it flowed very well. Jackie was our on-site coordinator, and I am so grateful to her for keeping everything running from our planning through rehearsal and reception (especially because we were planning our wedding from another state!). The zoo security guard on staff for the event was a huge help with parking and he was so helpful and friendly to guests - I’ve had so many compliments from guests specifically about him! :) We also had a penguin and a screech owl for our cocktail hour - that was a HUGE hit and so memorable. My favorite photo of my husband & me is on the carousel - a fun bonus to an already great venue. I really can’t say enough good things about the Maryland Zoo - thank you to Jackie & the staff.

Leila Sent on 10/27/2019

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Beautiful venue, great staff and unique experience with animals!

Beautiful venue and great staff support from Jackie! We did our ceremony at the Lakeside Pavilion and our reception in the Mansion House and opted for a Penguin and Skunk as Animal Ambassadors. Jackie was also really helpful in taking us around for photos in the zoo itself prior to the wedding and we were really lucky to capture some magical photos in front of an elephant! Although we did have to contend with a cycle event on the park grounds on our wedding day, everything within the Zoo's control was really perfect and Jackie went above and beyond in terms of responsiveness and support. All of our guests said it was one of the most fun and unique weddings they'd ever been to!

Jessica Sent on 10/25/2019

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Wonderful Wedding Venue!

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 Pavillion, 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!

Noel Sent on 10/06/2019

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Beautiful venue

I loved my zoo wedding. The zoo was super coordinated and very reasonably priced. Its a beautiful place and it felt completely romantic .

Lori Sent on 09/16/2019

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Beautiful and Affordable

When my daughter started looking for wedding venues in Baltimore I was taken back by prices and what was offered. We decided to check out the Baltimore Zoo and we loved it. We were able to hold our ceremony outside at the Lakeside Pavilion with the reception in the Mansion. Everything was gorgeous. We spoke with Jane to book the venue and she was very helpful, answering all our questions. Brittney worked with us as our coordinator that day and made sure that we had every detail that we wanted to make this a special occasion. They even allow for night time photos in the zoo which was fabulous. Thank you Brittney for helping us to give our daughter that special day!

Anna Sent on 08/05/2019

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Great Experience!

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!

Sophie Sent on 08/03/2019

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Wonderful and unique experience!! Getting married with Penguins!!

Maryland Zoo has been wonderful from the beginning. Jane has been great to work with. They have hosted many weddings and events so they are very experienced.
The venue itself (we did it at the Mansion House) is gorgeous!! The 200-year-old mansion house has an elegant and timeless feel. Most importantly, you can request animal ambassadors to the reception. So of course, we got the penguins. :)
Maryland Zoo is also one of the most reasonably priced venues that we found. The package also comes with a day-of-coordinator (Brittany was amazing!!) and pre-wedding bridal shoots around the zoo.
Our guests commented on how beautiful and venue is and how unique the experience was. We are truly appreciative of the Maryland Zoo and would highly recommend newlyweds get married here.

Stephanie Sent on 05/28/2019

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Incredible and Unforgettable day

The Maryland Zoo was the perfect place to host our ceremony and reception. The staff there is wonderful and responsive. We had a beautiful and unforgettable experience and I could not recommend them more.

Melissa Sent on 03/02/2019

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The Best Venue in Baltimore

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, the Maryland Zoo is absolutely a top notch option.

Lindsey Sent on 01/29/2019

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Perfect Venue!

The Maryland Zoo Mansion House was a perfect venue. It's a gorgeous building inside and out, has an interesting history, and provides a comfortable, carpet-covered dance floor (if you don't pay to have a wooden one temporarily put in) that allowed my guests to enjoy dancing the night away without uncomfortable wedding shoes. :-) This venue made me feel extremely elegant with it's pale yellow walls, beautiful chandeliers, and expansive windows. It also provided us the opportunity to meet Sally the Penguin - an unforgettable experience for both ourselves and our guests. My husband and I also love that using the zoo as our venue helps bring money back to use for the care and maintenance of the animals and their habitats. We worked with Jane and Jackie, primarily, and both made our experience wonderfully fun and easy. I highly recommend checking out this fantastic venue!

Staci Sent on 12/30/2018

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I Do at the Zoo!

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 mansions 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. 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 gold 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!

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Michelle Sent on 12/29/2018

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Penguins Mate For Life

Who knew penguins mated for life? Not us! How more appropriate then celebrating our 'special day' at The Maryland Zoo! We needed something different then your ordinary wedding. And, we got it and so much more. We live in Maine. Booked this venue site unseen based off of comments from others. We were completely satisfied from the start to finish. Jacki and her crew went over and beyond our expectations. 150 of our guest witness our ceremony on a gorgeous day on the Lake Shore Pavilion. Cocktail hour and reception were held in the stunning Mansion House. The zoo provided us with 'Peaches' our penguin ambassador during cocktail hour. She was a huge hit! Plenty of room to bust a move on the dance floor! Tons of photo opportunities inside the zoo area, which made for amazing pictures. Not one hiccup thanks to Jacki's outstanding attention to detail. Our guest said, "best wedding ever"! We can't wait to re-new our vows in 5 years with 'Peaches' at The Maryland Zoo! We HIGHLY recommend for an experience of a life time.

Carrie Sent on 12/29/2018

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A fantastic unique and relaxing venue

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore was an absolute dream to work with. There are so many factors that made the zoo the perfect place to have our wedding ceremony and reception.

Zoo Staff: Our primary contact at the Zoo was Jackie. She answered every possible question and predicted all of our needs. The zoo team has managed so many weddings that they know exactly what they are doing, but they made us feel so special at the same time.

Unique Extras: Of course the animal ambassadors are an incredible feature that guests can't stop talking about, but the zoo also allows you to take photos throughout the zoo grounds either before your ceremony or during cocktail hour. So many special benefits.

The Value: The mansion house is so beautiful that you can save on decorations. The staff are so thorough that we didn't need a wedding planner. It was worth every penny.

Christina Sent on 11/27/2018

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Beautiful + Unique Wedding Venue

We loved having our wedding here! Brittney and her staff were professional and quick to respond to emails and questions and made the day go so smoothly. We had animal ambassadors and they were an absolute hit during the cocktail hour. Winnie the penguin stole the show. The Mansion House is a stunning property that guests loved and never knew existed!

Nicole Sent on 10/18/2018

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Best Venue!!

Getting married at the Maryland Zoo was the best decision we made! Jackie, our point of contact, was amazing! She was very quick to answer any of my many emails and on the day of, she was just amazing! She helped my day run so smoothly and everything was just perfect! The price point is very reasonable and my pictures came out amazing due to the scenery around the zoo and the animal ambassadors. I would do it all over again at the Maryland Zoo any day!!!

Brad Sent on 10/18/2018

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Amazing venue, amazing animals, amazing people!

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!

Rachel Sent on 08/31/2018

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We loved working with the Maryland Zoo! They were amazingly accommodating and helpful. They made the wedding reception of our dreams. They were so friendly and made great suggestions. They regularly checked in to make sure we had matching expectations. Thank you Maryland Zoo for hosting a fabulous wedding reception! We had so much fun taking pictures with the African Penguin and Giant Flemish Rabbit on our wedding day. It was a magical experience to pet them.

Allison Sent on 08/07/2018

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I can't rave enough about our Elopement package wedding at the Zoo! We had such a delightful time! Everyone at the zoo was so wonderful, I felt so taken care of so that I could truly enjoy my day. It was low key but classy, and Tetra the penguin was a serious star. Everything came together perfectly and we couldn't have been happier with our wedding day! I would definitely recommend weddings at the zoo to everyone!

Celia Sent on 06/20/2018

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Having our wedding at the zoo was so much fun! We were initially bummed to have intense rain on our wedding day (so we had our wedding in the Mansion House instead of at the Lakeshore Pavilion), but it was otherwise pretty perfect. Having our wedding indoors was still really lovely - the windows let in a ton of light and it's beautifully decorated. Our zoo wedding coordinator was Brittney, who was fantastic - she was super kind, flexible, and on top of everything, exactly the kind of person you want to help you out on a crazy day. We had a penguin and an eastern screech owl as our "animal ambassadors" and they were great! We felt like the zoo was the perfect place for our wedding - beautiful, unique, and really fun. Thanks so much!

Mary Sent on 06/12/2018

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Our wedding day at the Zoo was even better than I could have imagined. Part of the reason we selected the Zoo was because of the outdoor ceremony location - beside the lake, surrounded by big, beautiful trees. BUT, unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans and we had to move the ceremony inside. Our inside ceremony was gorgeous despite the rain (and probably worked out better for my older relatives). Jackie (our coordinator from the Zoo) managed everything beautifully and went above and beyond to make sure our guests had a great experience. Additionally, the photography opportunities at the Zoo are unmatched by any other venue in the area. They have so many unique locations that provide amazing backdrops for photos. Finally, the penguin (Peach) was a HUGE hit at our wedding. Our guests were loving it and taking selfies and photos with her - it was definitely a fun added bonus! I highly recommend the Zoo - their staff, location, and experience will make your wedding unforgettable.

Cat Sent on 06/11/2018

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Absolutely amazing. The Zoo was everything we wanted in a venue. The staff was spectacular and they had fantastic relationships with our other vendors so we were really able to enjoy our wedding and reception. They made it so easy flip our ceremony site into the sit-down dinner.
And absolutely the best value for money in Baltimore.

Anthony Sent on 01/28/2018

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The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore exceeded all of our expectations and more. The venue was perfect and the staff was unbelievably kind and very attentive. Jackie was our event coordinator and she was amazing. We were in contact with her and the zoo a little over a year before our wedding. At that point, we weren't really sure what we wanted for our wedding. That didn't matter though because they were amazing and gave us different suggestions on various vendors that we could use. We never felt like things were getting out of control because Jackie and her staff always seemed to be on top of things. We planned to have an outdoor wedding, but on our wedding day it wound up being cold and rainy. They were able to switch everything around to bring us inside without adding any extra stress to us. Although we intended to have an outdoor wedding, the setup Jackie and her staff made was beautiful. Our wedding went off without a hitch and everyone had an amazing time. Our family and friends all talked about how nice and helpful the staff was. Jackie worked extremely well with each and everyone of our vendors. They were able to communicate and get everything done without adding a burden on us. When we were choosing our decorations they gave us plenty of suggestions and were very flexible and accommodating. This was the perfect venue, with a beautiful view, and great staff. I would suggest the Maryland Zoo as a venue to anyone that is thinking about getting married in Baltimore. Plus they brought out a penguin for the wedding! It doesn't get any better than that.

Rachel Sent on 12/03/2017

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Perfect venue! Everybody was so easy to work with and very responsive to all of my questions! The animal ambassador was incredible and people are still talking about it months later! The Lakeside Pavilion was beautiful for the ceremony and the Mansion House was incredible for the reception!

Megan Sent on 11/26/2017

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More then I could have even imagined.

Chris Sent on 11/21/2017

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We recently had our wedding at the mansion house at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore and I cannot express how absolutely perfect everything was! From the very first contact, Jane and Jackie were extremely helpful and were there to answer any questions we had. Seeing as how this was our first (and only hopefully) wedding, we weren't sure of how everything works, but they guided us the entire time and I really didn't have to stress about anything! They were there at all times and very attentive to make sure that everything went super smoothly. On top of that, they are the nicest people you will ever get to work with!!! Even if it's not a wedding, I am hoping to get to work with them again because I know that for any event I may have in the future they are always going to make it special!

Katherine Sent on 11/16/2017

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We had our September wedding reception at the Mansion House at the Maryland Zoo. We fell in love with the venue and every member of the staff was nice, helpful, and responsive. We had last minute questions and requests that were met with ease and a smile. Our guests loved the penguin we had our reception. People are still talking about it! I would highly recommend the Mansion House for your wedding or event.

Lauren Sent on 11/14/2017

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Beautiful and unique venue!!! Everyone was so surprised and excited for the owl and the penguin. We even got pictures at the carousel I can't wait to see them :) staff was amazing especially Jackie and all of the zoo employees seemed very happy to be working there!

Marianna Sent on 10/10/2017

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We had our wedding reception at the MD Zoo on 9/29/2017 and couldn't be more pleased with the service and attention we received. From the beginning, Jackie was extremely responsive, kind, and professional. The Mansion House is truly a hidden gem - very reasonably priced, historical, and elegant. The penguins were a HUGE hit with our guests. I literally cannot say enough good things about our experience with the MD Zoo. It was the best night of our lives.

Karen Sent on 09/03/2017

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We highly recommend the Mansion House at the Maryland Zoo for a beautiful, elegant wedding. The staff at the Mansion House were top-notch and made sure that our wedding was an absolutely lovely event. We worked mostly with Jackie R, but initially met with Jane S. These two women did an outstanding job of ensuring that we had all of the necessary information whenever we had a question. Jackie was there for the wedding and made sure that the bridesmaids and the bride got to where we needed to be when it was time for the ceremony. We chose two animal ambassadors, and they were a real treat to have at the cocktail reception. We looked at a number of venues, and since the money spent went to the animals, we felt that it was worth every penny. Our wedding was lovely and the zoo is an awesome venue for a wedding!!

F Sent on 03/27/2017

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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 170 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 we got to sit right next them 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?

Megan Sent on 02/16/2017

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A hidden gem for wedding venues! Jane is the best and she really accommodated our busy schedule. Can't wait to get married here in June!

Jessica Sent on 12/31/2016

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I definitely recommend the zoo as a venue for those looking for a "non traditional" setting. Jackie was amazing and helpful very step of the way, and made sure the day was just as we wanted! There are so many fun setting for photos, and the animal ambassadors were a huge hit. We had initially booked our wedding for the spring, and the zoo was very accommodating and flexible with letting us move it to the fall. The best part is, the money we paid for the venue goes right back to the zoo and animals, which I love! I'd much rather give to this wonderful place than a hotel or other typical venue.

Kathy Sent on 12/30/2016

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If you are considering an intimate wedding with no more than 20 attendees, the Elopement Package at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is the perfect way to go! We are an older couple each previously married, and considered an informal courthouse ceremony with family, but this package offered a 'real' wedding setting with fantastic memories! We held our ceremony on the Mansion Porch, which offered a beautiful setting and lent itself well to the photographs. Jackie Romoser, the Zoo's Group Sales Supervisor, professionally arranged for the ceremony, photographer and flowers and was exceptional to work with and very responsive and timely when i had questions, even effortlessly accommodating my request for extra flowers. All we needed to do was show up! The officiant and photographer were professionals, and got to know us and what we desired for our special day. Not to forget our Animal Ambassador, a delightful penguin named Peach, who continues to be the talk of our day! What started out to be an informal courthouse ceremony became one of the most memorable experiences we have ever shared with each other and our families - highly recommend this venue!

Gene Sent on 12/22/2016

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We held both our ceremony and reception at the Mansion House at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. The Mansion House is separate from where the animals are and houses the admin offices. They have a beautiful large enclosed wrap around porch (go ahead and Google images). The porch was spacious enough that we divided the porch into separate areas for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. It gave the feeling of movement while allowing everyone to not have to drive to another venue.

We had looked at over 10 venues for our wedding. What initially impressed us was how the Zoo staff was setup for weddings. Other venues gave the impression that they would take our money but had serious restrictions or were not responsive to questions. Jane, Jackie, and all the staff were quick to respond to our questions and offer suggestions based on what was successful in past weddings. They had a great information packet.

We were so impressed with the Zoo staff for the entire process: initial contact, tours, signing, coordinating, and through the vendor day. The Zoo staff was responsive, professional, and friendly. My wife and I felt very comfortable that they were experienced and knew how to handle the wedding day.

We definitely took advantage to the perks of getting married at the Zoo. Before the wedding, our event manager drove us, our photographer, and videographer around the zoo grounds to get pictures and video with the animals. That was so great! We love looking and laughing at the photos and video.

Plus, the Zoo offers (for an additional fee) to have animal ambassadors during the cocktail hour. We strongly recommend this! It make fun conversation for the guests (with lots of selfies). Plus it gave some great wedding photos with our photographers.

You can see for yourself a write up and photos of our wedding at the Maryland Zoo:
https://www.washingtonian.com/2016/11/02/maryland-zoo-baltimore-penguin-giraffe-elephant-wedding/

Abby Sent on 12/22/2016

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This venue was more than wonderful! It was a dream come true! Not only is it a beautiful place for the ceremony, but the pictures in the old zoo are so eclectic and bring back memories of being a kid again wandering through the old exhibits. The ambassador is also such a great touch and the guests loved taking pictures with the penguin! I would highly recommend the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore for a wedding. It was the best day of my life :)

Jessica Sent on 12/21/2016

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We thoroughly enjoyed our wedding at the zoo. The staff was very professional and helpful with the planning, set up and making sure things ran smoothly the day of. Would highly recommend to anyone.

Liz Sent on 12/17/2016

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My wife and I got married at the Maryland Zoo on October 1st of this year. We could not have been happier with our venue choice!! Of course, it was pouring down rain that day but we were so impressed at the beautiful set up inside that we didn't even end up caring that we couldn't get married at the outdoor pavilion. The best, the ABSOLUTE best thing about the entire set up was the animal ambassadors. We had two penguins at our cocktail hour and our guests were so excited to take pictures with them! It really set our wedding apart from an ordinary venue. We were lucky to also have a great DJ and caterer, and that added to our experience as well. As stressful as planning a wedding was, we ended up being so thrilled with the result. It will be a day to remember for us and our friends and family as well. I would highly recommend this venue. We were originally hoping to find a winery, but the zoo was honestly way better, more memorable, and more affordable.

~Liz and Abby Lawless

Lilli Sent on 12/15/2016

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the ladies at the zoo are wonderful! So accommodating and friendly. A pleasure to work with.

Debbie Sent on 12/15/2016

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If you want an intimate ceremony and reception in a unique, beautiful setting, this is the venue for you. We have the most incredible photos using the zoo as a backdrop. The carousel photographs are magnificent. The staff were very accommodating and professional.

Ron Sent on 12/15/2016

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We first met Jane when we were looking for a venue. Jane was extremely cheerful and knowledgeable about all the venue had to offer. After deciding on the Mansion House, we interacted mostly with Jackie and she was there for our walkthrough with our caterers, rehearsal, and day of. Jackie was also extremely helpful and knowledgeable and always answered our emails within a day. She helped us accommodate the rooms for our Korean and Chinese wedding ceremonies, create floorplans for the decor we wanted, and was helping clean up and move the wedding along the entire time. People loved the penguin, tenrec and screech owl during our cocktail hour too, and we still get compliments 2 months after our wedding of how beautiful the venue was. And another deciding factor was that the money used to rent the venue goes towards the animals at the zoo. We would highly recommend the Mansion House to anyone!

Rachel Sent on 12/12/2016

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I am so happy that we were able to hold our reception at the Maryland Zoo. My husband and I both grew up going to this zoo and loved that we were able to incorporate it into our wedding. We booked for the reception only in the Mansion House and it was very beautiful. The layout worked great and it was amazing to have Hope the Penguin at the cocktail hour. The Maryland Zoo is a great Baltimore gem.

Emily Sent on 01/02/2016

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Everyone on the staff was great to work with, and the venue worked out really beautifully. I particularly appreciated how the layout of the building allowed for guests to spread out some, and groups who didn't want to be in the middle of the dance floor action could converse easily at a lower volume. (this review by mob, and checkwriter. The bride was a little concerned when I told her I wanted the music volume to not drown out the possibility of conversation, but the space lent itself to this dual use very well.)

Jacob Sent on 12/30/2015

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When we first emailed to find out about having our wedding at the zoo Jane was very quick to respond and enthusiastic. The entire team was always very helpful and quick to answer any questions we had, and they were very helpful with setting up the timeline. They took away much of the day-of stress, and everything went off without any issues and couldn't have been more perfect! We loved everything about having our wedding at the zoo, especially being able to meet Dawn the penguin!
We would definitely recommend the zoo as a venue!

John Sent on 12/29/2015

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Couldn't have been more impressed - everything went off without a hitch!

Amber Sent on 12/29/2015

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The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore helped us have a truly amazing wedding day. From day one we felt that we were the perfect amount of involved, knowing that we were in good hands helped us focus on other areas of wedding planning. Jane, Jackie and the team were quick to respond to questions we had regarding rehearsal, day of, and anything that came up in between. As we got married in December, we were worried that we would not have enough light to take pictures around the zoo, but they were accomodating and let us take pictures earlier than planned! The penguins (Hope and Peach) were a huge success - the only complaint the guests had is that they wished they had stayed the whole night (not really a complaint more a compliment to the adorable duo). All in all we could not have had a better evening with our friends and family, and could not think of a more deserving place to spend our money. Cheers to the Baltimore Zoo!

User2485029 Sent on 12/29/2015

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We chose the Lakeside Pavilion for the ceremony and the reception was in the Mansion house. We had a backup plan if it rained so there was zero stress, plus they call it early enough (rain held off for us). The layout of the Mansion worked well - you flowed right from cocktail hour to dinner to dancing. I wasn't sure I'd like it since dinner was an L-shape and not everyone can see one another but it didn't matter. Everyone had a great time and people walked around, danced in the center anyway. Lilly and Tails were our animal ambassadors during cocktail hour; I would definitely recommend having animals as part of the celebration. We got ready downtown but arrived before the ceremony to take pictures around the old part of the Zoo. They were some of our favorites. Definitely recommend.

Lisa Sent on 12/29/2015

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My husband and I used the Mansion House at the Maryland Zoo and it was the easiest and best choices we made for our big day! Jane and Jennifer were beyond helpful and accommodating with all of our questions (there were a lot of them) and last minute changes. Not only was the venue beautiful, the ladies at the zoo had everything worked out to a "T" and gave us some great recommendations for several of our other vendors. Without a doubt, the BEST part of the wedding, according to our guests, and the groom, was the penguin, Tails, that joined us a that reception. My husband and I also got to ride all around the zoo taking our wedding photos at tons of places that were both beautiful and not as common as other venues. The Mansion House at the Maryland Zoo is the perfect place to have your wedding if you're looking for a great price on a place that is unique, elegant, charming, and truly one of Baltimore's best locations!! Thank you to the Guest Services team for making our special day so incredible and memorable!

Pamela Sent on 12/22/2015

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We did not hold our wedding ceremony at the Maryland Zoo - just the reception. The service was impeccable. Everything was absolutely beautiful and handled in a professional manner. The staff was very helpful with assisting with every detail and our reception was absolutely PERFECT! It was everything that we had imagined. We especially enjoyed the penguin, the ambiance. Our guests are still talking about the uniqueness of our wedding reception and how well everything was executed. We would definitely recommend this location to our friends/family.

Gail Sent on 12/21/2015

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We had a fantastic experience getting married at the Zoo! The logistics were straightforward, and Jane and Jenn were easy to talk to and very responsive, which really eased the stress of that part of the planning. Having the flexibility of the outdoor ceremony able to be moved indoors in response to the day's weather was another stress reliever. And the venue itself is great -- good use of space for the ceremony and the different reception elements, and of course everyone LOVED the penguin! Having Jenn as a logistical coordinator for the day to talk to the vendors was super helpful too, since we didn't have a separate planner or coordinator. We initially considered the Zoo based on a friend's recommendation, and we'll definitely pass it along to others!

Emily Sent on 10/28/2015

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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!

Megan Sent on 10/10/2015

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I had no idea the zoo was even an option to get married at until I saw it online. I was so happy I chose this venue, it was simple yet beautiful and to have penguins (my favorite animal) during cocktail hour was even better! Both Jenn & Jane were quick to respond to my emails, very informative and helpful with any questions I had about the venue. There was an all day/night event the same day as our wedding and Jenn was on top of providing us with new directions to help our guests & shuttle arrive without any issues.
For our sneak peek pictures, Jenn took us down to this old tree and it was such a great spot to get away from early guests and have an intimate moment between me & my soon to be husband. After those pictures were done, Jenn took us throughout the old part of the zoo for more pictures and those areas made for some fun pictures.
We had both our ceremony & reception in the Mansion House and everything was perfect & went smoothly. We had about 120 guests and had plenty of room to walk around and dance during the reception. The huge windows of the Mansion House made for a great view and when it became dark, the view from the outside was absolutely gorgeous with the lighting through the windows. We also had sparklers at the end of the night and that made for even more gorgeous pictures with the Mansion House lit up in the background.
Jenn & Jackie were on site the day of the wedding and were there to help & make sure things went as planned, which they did. I've already recommended the Zoo to people to have their wedding & I'll definitely recommend this venue in the future. Thanks again for making my special day so effortless & with zero stress :)

Michelle Sent on 08/29/2015

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After searching through what felt like a million venue reviews, we found the Maryland Zoo. My husband and I joked at first when I clicked on the link, him laughing at me because I loved the zoo and very skeptical that we would ever get married there. But as soon as we saw the pictures of the lovely mansion house, we started to seriously reconsider! We met with Jane at the zoo and immediately fell in love with the venue. After seeing at least five other spaces, we knew that we would have to do little decorating to make the beautiful space exactly what we wanted for our special day. Jane was very helpful in working for us and we walked out feeling like we had finally found the place to get married. They had a comprehensive list of vendors they liked to work with and we found soo many other vendors that we also fell in love with. When Jen took over our event, we war equally pleased with how responsive to our questions the zoo was. AND we had a penguin, who can beat that! My brother in law even sent a copy of If I Ran the Zoo and staff members at the zoo signed the pages to make it the most memorable gift we have received. We highly recommend the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore if you want a truly unique and romantic setting for your wedding!

Haley Sent on 08/27/2015

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We recently had our wedding ceremony and reception at The Maryland Zoo, and it was a perfect venue! Jane and Jackie were helpful and responsive, making the planning process as easy as possible. The venue itself is beautiful. First, we got great pictures in a variety of settings around the zoo, which I can't wait to see. We then had an indoor ceremony on the Mansion House Porch, though the windows still made the ceremony feel summery and light. Our cocktail hour and reception were also on the Porch. I wasn't sure how the transition between events would go, but it was seamless. During cocktail hour, we had 2 penguin ambassadors, which was a huge hit among guests! I really appreciated that Jackie coordinated the penguins' arrival with a few minutes my husband and I had planned to have outside by ourselves after the ceremony. That allowed us to have some time with the penguins, taking pictures and talking to the handlers, so that when we went in to the cocktail hour both we - and perhaps more importantly, the penguins - were free to interact with guests.

Overall, we were really pleased with how well everything went on the part of the venue - thanks in no small part to Jane, Jackie, and Jenn - and what a beautiful, functional backdrop it provided for our wedding. We also felt that it was a great value!

Jess Sent on 07/20/2015

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The Zoo is a wonderful and beautiful place to have a wedding ceremony and reception.

The staff members are extremely responsive, organized, experienced and kind. They will make sure you have thought of everything as they help you set up your event. I would give them over a 5 star rating if I could.

A lot of people were shocked when I said I was getting married at the Zoo, people don't realize what the site really looks like. The Lakeside Pavillon and Mansion House are behind the Zoo, closer to Druid Hill Lake. This makes it peaceful, quiet, serene and beautiful.

The Mansion House being surrounded by windows really makes you feel like you're outside. The lighting inside is gorgeous and your photos will turn out lovely. The room is a square, so 1 side of the room cannot see the other. This is actually great if you have family that doesn't get along. The dance floor is in the middle though, so have no fear, everyone can see you.

The Lakeside Pavillon is quiet and quant. You may see some random animals around!

The option to have an animal ambassador (or 2 or 3...) is the most fun. Guests can enjoy taking selfies with the animals and as the couple, you may get to touch! You definitely get private photos and the trainers teach you a little about the animal too. Super cool experience for both you and your guests.

The best part for me was taking a golf cart tour around the back of the Zoo that loops around to the front carousel. This allows for some awesome fun photos!

You will not be disappointed with a wedding at the Zoo!

Colleen Sent on 06/29/2015

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If you want to have a simple, low key ceremony plan for the elopement package at the Maryland zoo! My now husband and I did not want the traditional church wedding. We really would have rather eloped but our families would not have appreciated that!! The elopement package is the best of both worlds!! You are there for an hour, you can add a photographer and PENGUIN to the package as well!!! Winnie the penguin made the experience so amazing and we have some of the most fun and unique photos with her in them!!!! Jane is so awesome to work with and she responded to ALL of my MANY emails promptly. I couldn't be happier with our zoo wedding experience and it will be a day I will never forget!

User2156739 Sent on 05/26/2015

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What a beautiful place to celebrate a wedding! My husband and I wanted a venue that offered both historic charm and natural Springtime beauty. The Mansion House is the perfect marriage of both. Jane was a pleasure to work with- very professional, responsive, warm, and helpful. She was respectful of our budget and guided us to several of our other vendors (whom we loved!). We wanted to layout the space differently and were accommodated per our very specific request. We arrived at the zoo during a rainy downpour. The attendants remained outside (while getting soaked) and were quick to help us into the building. The penguin, Hope, was adorable and loved by all our guests. Her keeper was also fantastic and surprisingly helpful in assisting in our photos with her. The Mansion House is a great place for anyone who wants an outdoor venue but is afraid the weather will not cooperate. It has private parking, lots of space, great photo ops, and a wonderful staff. The best part is knowing your money helps a very worthy cause. We would highly recommend!!

Jessica Sent on 04/06/2015

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Our wedding was beautiful and full of charm. The staff was wonderful and very helpful. We could not have asked for more.

Kristen Sent on 01/20/2015

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The Zoo was the absolute best place to have our wedding reception! Most of our guests were from out of town, so we wanted to give them a true "Baltimore" experience at a place that was easily found. The Zoo was the most affordable place we looked at, easy to get to, and set in a gorgeous historic house with a unique layout. It is not your cookie-cutter wedding venue! Additionally, we had Tails the penguin at our cocktail hour -- within a week, everyone's profile pictures on facebook were of them and Tails (and even some holiday cards we recently received)! Tails' handler was great to work with as well - he knew the best poses for couples, and gently explained to us how to handle the bird without upsetting it, in addition to making our photo session fun! He also knew so many facts about penguins that we learned while taking our photos. My bridal party had fantastic photos and we were able to do so many different poses at the steps to the house, and the pictures that my husband and I got to take with our photographer around the Zoo's property (the lion cages, lion statues, hundred-year-old tree) are amazing and unique!

The staff at the Zoo were wonderful to work with, knowledgeable, and offer so much advice and information on how to best lay out and plan your day. I could not have asked for more!

Chelsea Sent on 01/19/2015

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The staff walks you through ever step, is there when you call, and simply helps make your big day the best day ever!

User1995055 Sent on 01/03/2015

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This was a fantastic wedding venue. The location is beautiful -- both the indoor and outdoor settings -- and the staff are competent, friendly, and refreshingly sane. The planning was painless from our perspective, and our guests had an awesome time!

A few tips:
1) The Mansion House is a historic building, so they're a little particular about what you can do there: no lit candles, no confetti, and they have a lot of hoops to jump through if you want to use a caterer that they don't usually work with. However, they are very upfront about all of this -- no hidden clauses. They also have something like 11 approved caterers they work with all the time, across a range of prices, so we absolutely had no trouble finding one that we liked. (We didn't want to look at more than 11 different caterers anyway!)
2) The animal ambassadors were a huge hit. Definitely worth it!

Joseph Sent on 12/30/2014

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When you say the zoo you do not think of the perfect place to get married, but that is exactly what the mansion house was for my wife and I. Everything was exceptional from the mansion house itself, to the staff that supported us. They couldn't have been more friendly or flexible, making sure that our special day was truly perfect. Thank you so much for everything!

Julia Sent on 12/30/2014

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The on-site staff was fantastic!

User1984556 Sent on 12/26/2014

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The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore Mansion House was a beautiful historic and unique venue for our wedding. Their staff was professional and willing to work with us to replan our wedding in only a month due to our previous venue being auctioned. Jane was able to help us find vendors and complete everything we needed to in such an abbreviated amount of time. Jackie was so much fun driving us around in the golf cart for pictures and at the reception! Winnie the Penguin was present at our cocktail hour and stole the show! All of the guests loved her, plus my husband and I were able to pet her! We had a truly magical night and the perfect wedding! I would definitely recommend The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore Mansion House for an amazing and once in a life time event!

User1974828 Sent on 12/17/2014

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Very affordable and truly offers you a blank slate to work with. You can turn your event into whatever you want it to be.

Alison Sent on 12/17/2014

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I had my wedding reception here and everything was PERFECT! Jane was absolutely wonderful to work with! She was respectful, very kind, and extremely helpful in everything. The Baltimore Zoo Mansion House was a perfect venue as well! The inside of the Mansion House is gorgeous, with tons of windows overlooking the beautiful nature. We had our reception at 5pm, so we were able to watch the sun set, which was just phenomenal. The price is affordable for the size of the venue, and I felt good knowing it went to helping maintain and fund the Baltimore Zoo.

Two extras you won't find at any other venue are that firstly, you can have an animal ambassador! We had an African Penguin come and everyone had a great time taking pictures with her. Secondly, we got to go around the closed off (older and original) part of the zoo with our photographer to take pictures. Though we opted out of it, we could have taken pictures inside the first cage (a lion cage, I think?).

All in all, the venue was beautiful, everyone had an amazing time, and the staff was absolutely wonderful to work with!

Sadie Sent on 12/17/2014

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The entire staff at the Maryland Zoo made the entire process of planning my wedding so much easier and the day of they made sure I didn't have to lift a finger. I couldn't imagine getting married anywhere else. It was the best night ever thanks in large part to the staff at the zoo

Elisabeth Sent on 12/01/2014

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The Maryland Zoo is a fantastic place to get married! When I was first getting started – I found it very frustrating when venues would give me the run around regarding prices/availability/etc – Not here. Jane always responded quickly – and from the first email I was impressed with her professionalism.

Due to the month – my wedding ceremony and reception were both held in the Mansion House. The transition from ceremony to cocktail hour to reception went very smoothly. The DOC that was provided by the Zoo was also very nice to work with (Thanks Jackie!) The house is absolutely beautiful – and gave all my pictures a lot of grandeur

My husband (!) and I went on a golf cart tour of some picture sites around the Zoo prior to the ceremony and got some amazing photos at the 1st cage, lions and an old tree – which was a ton of fun!

And the icing on the cake? My cocktail hour was visited by Winnie the penguin and a giant Flemish rabbit! My guests and family had a fantastic time with the animals.

User1923119 Sent on 11/15/2014

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The Mansion House at the Maryland Zoo is a spectacular venue in the heart of Baltimore City. Our guests were amazed by its beauty and elegance. In the daytime, sunlight floods through the windows, and at night, the (electric) candles on your tables are reflected in 1000 panes of glass. It's stunning. The price is reasonable, the staff is friendly, and they provide a handy list of recommended caterers, photographers, etc. P.S. The penguin was also a big hit!

Giovanna Sent on 09/25/2014

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We just had our wedding at the Maryland Zoo and it was amazing! It truly was exactly what we were hoping for when looking for a unique wedding in Baltimore. Jane and Jackie were extremely helpful and attentive throughout the planning process. They took us through all of the details, gave us complimentary tickets for an engagement shoot and coordinated all of the vendors the day of. There was nothing for us to worry about! The venue itself is beautiful. We got married at the Lakeside Pavilion and experienced perfect fall weather. We then had our reception in the Mansion House. It's a beautiful historic building with such character. The glass windows framing the porch allowed our guests to look out at the scenery in Druid Hill Park. It didn't even feel like a zoo, but a classy, sophisticated wedding with personality. At first, I was concerned that reception would take place on the porch which surrounds the offices on the first floor of the building making it not a perfect square, however there were no issues whatsoever! The flow worked out perfectly because we had different areas for each event, cocktail hour, dancing, dinner etc. They also just remodeled the bathrooms which look great. The best part of the night was the ability to have animal ambassadors at the cocktail hour! We had Winnie the Penguin, a Flemish Giant Rabbit and the Eastern Screech Owl. It was a great treat for our guests and made for fabulous pictures! Overall, it's also a great venue for wedding photography. We did all of our photos before the ceremony so we could spend as much time as possible at our reception with our guests. We had a private couples shoot with the penguin and owl. We were also carted throughout the older part of the zoo in their golf carts to take photos with some really historic exhibits that had been at the zoo since the 1800s. All in all it was an amazing experience, the best day of my life and I couldn't have picked a better venue.

Elizabeth Sent on 07/06/2014

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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.

Joanne Sent on 06/28/2014

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The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore created an unforgettable experience for our wedding. So many of our guests said that our wedding was the BEST WEDDING EVER! The staff was professional and courteous, the lakeside pavilion beautiful and the Mansion House an amazing venue for our reception. The penguins were a big hit--one tried to nibble my toenail polish which was quite funny. We danced the night away and everyone had a blast. As a same-sex couple we wanted a venue that really understood us and they absolutely did--we highly recommend this venue!

Caroline Sent on 06/15/2014

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Unbelievable wedding!!!! we went with the elopement package because we wanted a small and intimate affair. The zoo was so quick to respond to all our emails, working with them was a breeze! The elopement package had everything we needed included in it. The day of, we got married at the lakeside pavilion, with 15 people at our side. The day was magical- and having a penguin to take pictures with made our wedding ultra unique. I would not have changed a thing.

User1649225 Sent on 06/06/2014

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Elopement package was ideal for intimate wedding. Outstanding service and coordination.

Kerri Sent on 05/13/2014

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My husband and I were looking for something a little out of the ordinary for our reception. We looked at bunch of different venues in Baltimore and we chose the Mansion House porch. I liked that there was free parking (and plenty of it) and there are a number of spots very close to the venue that you can assign to special guests/guests with special needs. The venue itself is a little different, being U-shaped, but it totally works, and it adds a nice flow to the party. It's a beautiful setting. The bride/groom can be taken in a golf cart to different locations for unique photo ops. You can also rent up to three animals to join you at the cocktail hour and the bride/groom can have special photos with them, too. I think this is a must if you're having your wedding at the zoo! It costs extra, of course, but it was so cool to have a penguin and a Chinese alligator there! There is a specific list of animals you can choose--my husband wanted the rhino, and I wanted a giraffe, but, unfortunately, they weren't on the list... :) We dealt with Jane, their sales director, and she was so nice and so very helpful. We had a wonderful experience and we tell people all the time that they should hold their reception there, too.

User1471417 Sent on 12/12/2013

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Absolutely wonderful. They had an elopement package that took care of all our needs. No stress at all. Plus, we had a penguin after the ceremony. It was awesome!

User1361433 Sent on 10/03/2013

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Jane and Sienna are excellent to work with. The animal ambassadors program has to be the most unique and incredible part of holding your wedding at the Zoo. I highly recommend a penguin! You just can't beat the photo opportunities. From the animals to the old tiger cages this is such an incredible venue to hold an event. If you are looking for somewhere a little different for your wedding I can highly recommend the MD Zoo!

Brad Sent on 09/26/2013

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Sienna and Jane are awesome. Recommended for sure.

Craig Sent on 09/13/2013

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Words can't begin to express our satisfaction and sheer joy having our ceremony at the Maryland Zoo. Jane and Sienna were the epitome of professionalism! Not only did they assure us with their confidence, but they made us feel like we were long time friends. My husband and I truly appreciate all their hard work and warm attitude. One important deciding factor for us is that the Maryland Zoo is very LGBT friendly. If you are planning a same-sex wedding, the Maryland Zoo well worth checking out.

I give my highest recommendation to hold your wedding there. The grounds are astonishingly beautiful! The Mansion house is roomy and very accommodating. The Lake House pavilion added the perfect backdrop to our ceremony. As an added bonus we had a special guest: Tails the penguin showed up to our cocktail hour and charmed our friends and family.

If you are unsure if you want your wedding at a zoo, just make one appointment to talk with Jane. She'll win you over in heartbeat.

Tiffany Sent on 08/01/2013

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What a wonderful venue! The option of having an animal ambassador was such a treat for our guests. Our ceremony was scheduled to be outside, however it rained. We had to move it indoors, but it was gorgeous!

User1191231 Sent on 06/07/2013

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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!

Caitlin Sent on 03/07/2013

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We had our wedding and reception at the Mansion House at the Zoo on 02.23.2013. Jane and her team were fantastic to work with--incredibly responsive and very knowledgeable and professional. We had a great event and all our guests raved about what a neat space it was and what fun they had. One of the perks of getting married at the Zoo is you can take pictures around the grounds--we have wedding pictures with the flamingos, in an old tiger cage, on the lions, etc.

Marie Sent on 11/22/2011

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Jane and her staff made the event so beautiful and memorable! The animal ambasadors added nicely to the evening.

Kelly Sent on 06/05/2010

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I recently had my wedding at the Mansion house and could not have been happier. The zoo staff was incredibly helpful from everything from accommodating site visits to coordinating parking on the day of. Jane was so lovely to work with. She was professional and approachable and ever so sweet. The mansion house's beauty speaks for itself and I cannot imagine having my wedding anywhere else. The night was perfect.

Amie Sent on 04/29/2010

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I had the perfect wedding, and Jane from the Zoo had a lot to do with that. We had an outside ceremony at the Lakeside Pavilion and then our reception at the Mansion House. I can't even count how many compliments we received on originality, quality and beauty. We had to change our date and caterer mid stream, and Jane helped me tremendously, she kept me sane throughout the whole planning stage as well as event. We did not hire a separate coordinator so I was worried about my vision coming to fruition...you will have no worries if you use Jane and the Zoo. Some of the top reasons we chose the Zoo were because the price was reasonable, tables and chairs comes with your rental (unheard of), and they have a well orchestrated rain plan. I'm very picky and I wanted a beautiful and elegant affair, but I was on a budget, so I was concerned that a wedding at the Zoo would be cheesy...I could not have been more wrong. Our wedding was beautiful and elegant and exactly what I had envisioned. Many thanks to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore and especially to Jane.

Nicole Sent on 08/18/2009

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I loved this venue. Of course we chose the Mansion House because we could have animals from the zoo at the reception. We chose 2 penguins. It was wonderful. Jane was an absolute delight to work with. The house itself is perfection! All in all, it was a day I will treasure always, and I'm sure our guests won't forget anytime soon!

Jennifer Sent on 02/23/2009

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The Zoo fit the bill for our outdoor, late summer ceremony. And the Mansion House porch was a delightful setting for our family friendly reception, especially with animal ambassadors. Jane went out of her way to answer questions, accomodate site visits, and assist with everything for our perfect big day. The only thing we didn't anticipate was other users in Druid Hill park on the day of our event - it all worked out, but we needed special signage to direct our guests past the supercross bike race.

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore Reviews

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The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore