Excursion destination

Zoo

The wildlife park with its striking old trees is one of the city's most popular leisure facilities.

About the Zoo

The 112-hectare recreational forest attracts numerous visitors at any time of year with its wildlife.

The zoo owes its existence to Duke Johann Friedrich, who had it laid out in 1678–79 for court hunts. At that time, 120 fallow deer were released into the park. However, the duke did not live to see the first court hunt in 1680; he died a year earlier while traveling in Italy.

The Tiergarten has been open to the public since 1799. To this day, the fallow deer population in the Tiergarten has remained stable.

From the very beginning, the focus has been on hunting, wildlife, traditional silvicultural practices (pasture forests, selective cutting), and forest aesthetics—rather than on timber production geared solely toward yield, as is the case in many other forests. This has allowed old-growth stands to develop, which today play a crucial role in making it possible to admire forest landscapes of rare beauty and expressiveness in the Tiergarten.

In addition to fallow deer, the zoo is now home primarily to wild boars and roe deer. Since 1997, the former wild horse enclosure has been home to 10 to 20 red deer. In 2022, a small herd of mouflon moved in. The zoo is also a habitat for numerous bird species and rare bats.

A special highlight, especially for young visitors and families, is the Zoo Festival, which takes place every year on the second weekend in October. This is the forestry department’s way of thanking the children for collecting acorns and chestnuts, which are fed to the animals in winter.

Opening hours

The zoo is open to visitors daily from 7 a.m. until dusk. From November 3 through mid-December, the zoo will open its gates at 12:00 p.m. on Mondays through Wednesdays. On all other days—Thursdays, Fridays, and weekends—visitors can enjoy the zoo as usual from 7:00 a.m. until dusk.

The Department of Environment and Urban Greenery has published a brochure about the Tiergarten, which is also available for download here as a PDF file.

As part of the "Green Hanover" program, guided tours of the grounds are held every year.

The Tiergarten rules apply at the Tiergarten: according to these rules, dogs and bicycles are not allowed on the grounds.

Three new puzzle tours

As part of the “700 Years of Garden Culture” anniversary celebration, the city is offering three new digital puzzle tours along the Üstra “Garden Line” at the Stöcken City Cemetery, Hannover Zoo, and Maschpark: