Tierpark Hagenbeck 🇩🇪

Located in Stellingen, Hamburg, Germany, Tierpark Hagenbeck offers you a chance to experience a historic zoo still run by the Hagenbeck family. Founded by Carl Hagenbeck Jr. in 1907, it revolutionized zoo design as the first facility to replace barred cages with open enclosures surrounded by moats, presenting animals in realistic, wild-like landscapes. As you explore the grounds, you can admire Hagenbeck's famous panorama displays, which group animals by species and use hidden water moats or pits to make different creatures appear as if they share one continuous habitat.

You will also encounter unique historical features scattered throughout the park, including life-sized dinosaur sculptures crafted by Josef Pallenberg, who sculpted the original entrance gates. Additionally, the zoo houses the Sala Thai pavilion. Designed by Thai National Artist Pinyo Suwankiri and built using traditional joinery techniques without a single nail, this gifted structure is claimed to be the largest Thai pavilion of its kind in Europe.

From its complex history to its pioneering open-air exhibits, Tierpark Hagenbeck provides a fascinating walk through wildlife display history.

What to see at Tierpark Hagenbeck

• Innovative open-air panorama displays separated by hidden moats
• Life-sized dinosaur sculptures created by Josef Pallenberg
• The Sala Thai pavilion, built without nails using traditional joinery techniques
• Exhibits detailing the historical legacy of the Hagenbeck family

Visiting tips

Look out for historic art and architectural details, such as the nail-less Sala Thai pavilion and Josef Pallenberg's vintage dinosaur sculptures, as you walk between animal enclosures.

How long: 2-4 hours · Best time: Morning

How to get there & what’s nearby

Tierpark Hagenbeck is easy to reach on Hamburg’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Hamburger Kunsthalle and St. Nicholas Church, Hamburg. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Hamburg travel guide.