Cincinnati Zoo ranked top botanical garden in US

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden earned two national honors in USA Today’s 2026 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, the latest example of the Queen City strong showing across the publication’s travel and culture rankings.

The Avondale facility ranked No. 1 in the botanical garden category and No. 3 among the nation’s best U.S. zoos in results released this week. The awards are determined by readers after nominees are selected by a panel of experts.

Zoo officials pointed to the work of its horticulture team, which oversees extensive gardens that change with the seasons and serve as the backdrop for many of the zoo’s events. Those efforts are visible throughout the year, from large-scale spring plantings during the Zoo Blooms event to a series of free April concerts held among the gardens. The horticulture program also supports conservation work, partnering with the zoo’s Center for Research of Endangered Wildlife to propagate rare plants and help restore native species.

“Every garden path, every bloom and every green space is designed to inspire our guests and connect them more deeply to the natural world,” said Steve Foltz, the zoo’s director of horticulture.

“We partner with breeders, growers, nurseries and garden centers to assemble recommended plant lists for public and industry use,” he continued. “To most visitors, the takeaway is an appreciation for the beauty that surrounds them and a sense of wellbeing. There’s more going on, but we’ll take that.”

A growing list of recognitions

The zoo’s recognition is part of a broader pattern for Cincinnati in this year’s 10Best program, which spans categories such as arts, museums and attractions. 

Some of the other local highlights this award season include Cincinnati placing second nationally for best street art. Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park placed fifth among the country’s top sculpture parks, while the Cincinnati Art Museum retained the No. 3 spot in the Best Art Museum category.

Three other local museums – the Cincinnati History Museum and The Children’s Museum at the Cincinnati Museum Center, and American Sign Museum – all finished among the top three in their respective categories. The Cincinnati History Museum placed second in the Best History Museum category while The Children’s Museum finished third among children’s museums. The American Sign Museum ranked No. 2 on the Best Pop Culture Museum list. 

The rankings are nothing new for the Cincinnati Zoo, either. In December, the Avondale facility’s PNC Festival of Lights took the top spot in 10Best’s Best Zoo Lights category for the eighth consecutive year.