Nagano Chausuyama Zoo
A zoo laid out across a hillside, with a monorail running to its north gate.
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Nagano Chausuyama Zoo
SaveA zoo laid out across a hillside, with a monorail running to its north gate.
A feeding session runs at the children's zoo every day, with an indoor red panda talk on weekends.
MoreWhat kind of place
Nagano Chausuyama Zoo is built into the slopes of Chausuyama, in the Shinonoi district of Nagano City.
The same operator, the Nagano City Development Corporation, also runs Chausuyama Dinosaur Park and, nearby, a course for mallet golf, a croquet-style game played outdoors.
Parking is free and holds 690 cars, and from April through November a free shuttle called the ZOO Guru Bus runs to the zoo.
Sources and evidence (12)
- The nursing room is at the north gate.source
- There is no restaurant inside the zoo.source
- Feeding at the children's zoo starts at 9:30 a.m. on weekdays (10:00 a.m. in winter), and runs twice on weekends and holidays, at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; only the first 20 people at each feeding can take part.source
- On weekends and holidays at 2:00 p.m. there is a talk about the red pandas, held indoors at the red panda house.source
- On Saturdays from 11:30 to 11:45 a.m. you can have your photo taken with a horse at the Kiso horse and pony barn, for the first 10 people.source
- On Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. the lions are given something to gnaw on at Lion Hill, though it is called off while a female is in season.source
- From November through April, on Sundays at 1:30 p.m., the orangutans are fed at the orangutan house.source
- On Sundays and holidays at 2:30 p.m. the spider monkeys are fed at their enclosure.source
- From December through March, on Sundays from 2:00 to 2:30 p.m., you can pet the rabbits at the covered shelter inside the children's zoo.source
- From December through April, on Saturdays and holidays at 2:00 p.m., you can feed the alpacas at the petting area, canceled in rain.source
- From May through October, on Sundays from 2:00 to 2:15 p.m., an armadillo is taken for a walk around the children's zoo.source
- From April through October, on the second and fourth Saturdays from 1:30 to 2:00 p.m., you can have your photo taken with a snake near the ptarmigan house. Bring your own camera; rain cancels it.source
With kidsThe part that matters
The zoo runs up a hillside, so count on slopes; strollers rent for 200 yen if you did not bring your own.
A monorail carries you to the north gate, where the nursing room is, and baby changing tables are in the restrooms at both gates and beside the children's zoo.
At the children's zoo, kids can hand food to the animals every morning, and again at 1:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays, but only the first 20 people at each feeding get a turn, so arrive at opening if your child wants one.
There is no restaurant inside, so bring lunch if you plan to stay through the middle of the day. Plan about two hours, and on a weekend or holiday add the red panda talk at 2:00 p.m., held indoors at the red panda house.
Sources and evidence (3)
- Two visits, ages 1 and 3. Slopes beat the stroller and she was carried. Rabbits won her over, lions kept her back.source
- No restaurant inside. Picnic Square stalls (ramen, takoyaki, karaage) run weekends only; you may bring your own.source
- Golden Week with a 2-year-old, south gate: packed parking lot, stalls ¥500-800, red pandas a meter overhead, two hours.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1On weekends and public holidays at 14:00 there is a Red Panda Talk, held indoors in the red panda house. On Saturdays from 11:30 to 11:45 the Kiso horse and pony barn runs "Take a photo with the horse!", for the first 10 groups. A stroller can be rented for 200 yen.The nursing room is at the north gate. Baby beds for diaper changes are inside the toilets at the south gate, at the north gate and beside the children's zoo. Accessible toilets are at two places, the south and north gate toilets. There is no restaurant in the zoo, so bring what you need to eat. Parking is free, with 690 spaces. In winter, roughly December to March, snow and frozen ground close the walking path from the north car park to the north gate, and you take the monorail to reach that gate.
- Ages 2-3They can join the feeding at the children's zoo: from 9:30 on weekdays (10:00 in winter), and twice on weekends and holidays, at 9:30 and 13:30, each round taking the first 20 people. From December to March, Sundays 14:00-14:30, rabbits come out for a touching session at the arbor inside the children's zoo; from December to April, Saturdays and holidays at 14:00, "Try feeding the alpaca" runs at the petting area. From May to October, Sundays 14:00-14:15, an armadillo takes a walk near the children's zoo.Each feeding round takes the first 20 people, so arrive in time for the start. A stroller rents for 200 yen. The daily events can be cancelled or changed without notice depending on the animals' condition and the weather, and the zoo treats its published times as a guide; alpaca feeding is cancelled in rain. A family with a 2-year-old stayed two hours (Golden Week 2025). The zoo is open 9:30-16:30 with tickets sold until 16:00; from December 1 to the end of February it is 10:00-16:00 with tickets until 15:30.
- Ages 4-6From late April to November, Sundays bring the guinea pig contact session at the children's zoo (200 yen a turn, five groups per round), with numbered tickets handed out from 9:30. From June to October, Saturdays and holidays 14:00-14:30, they can feed the tortoises at the tortoise house (100 yen a turn, 30 people). Saturdays at 13:30 the lions get their scratching time at Lion Hill, Sundays and holidays at 14:30 the spider monkeys are fed, and from November to April, Sundays at 13:30, the orangutans have their munching time. On the second and fourth Saturday from April to October, 13:30-14:00, you can have a photo taken with a snake near the ptarmigan house.The guinea pig session hands out numbered tickets from 9:30 for five groups per round, and tortoise feeding takes 30 people, so the time you arrive decides it. Bring your own camera for the snake photo; it is cancelled in rain. Lion scratching time is called off while a female is in heat. Admission is 600 yen for adults and 100 yen for elementary and junior high school students. The zoo lies on a hillside, and it has no restaurant, so bring lunch with you.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayThe alpaca feeding at the petting area, held on Saturdays and holidays from December through April, is canceled in the rain. What runs indoors is the red panda talk at 2:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays, inside the red panda house.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed2 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
- ElevatorElevator：not checked
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：yes
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：with conditionsconditions
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：not checked
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
* Other not checked (2)
Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Two visits, ages 1 and 3. Slopes beat the stroller and she was carried. Rabbits won her over, lions kept her back.
Visiting Chausuyama Zoo with small children: the animals and what the grounds are like
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
No restaurant inside. Picnic Square stalls (ramen, takoyaki, karaage) run weekends only; you may bring your own.
Chausuyama Zoo is great with kids - but what about lunch?
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Golden Week with a 2-year-old, south gate: packed parking lot, stalls ¥500-800, red pandas a meter overhead, two hours.
Red pandas, lions and elephants: a day at Chausuyama Zoo in Nagano
Nagano Chausuyama Zoo · Links & reads ▾
Where it is
Before you go
- Pets and other animals may not be brought in. Guide dogs, hearing dogs, and other assistance dogs are allowed; tell the staff at the entrance when you arrive.source
- From late April through November, on Sundays, you can hold a guinea pig at the children's zoo. It costs 200 yen and takes five groups per session, and numbered tickets are handed out from 9:30 a.m.source
- Events can be canceled or changed on the day, depending on the weather or how the animals are doing, so treat the posted times as a guide rather than a promise.source
Basics
- Fee：Adults ¥600, elementary & junior-high ¥100 (groups of 30+: ¥500 / ¥80). Free for a holder of a disability certificate plus one carer (two if using a wheelchair), shown at the ticket window. Parking is free.source
- Hours：1 Mar-30 Nov 9:30-16:30 (tickets until 16:00); 1 Dec-end Feb 10:00-16:00 (tickets until 15:30). Closed Mondays from 1 Dec to end Feb (next day if a holiday) and 29-31 Dec.source
- Time to allow：2 hsource
- Booking：-sourceOfficial booking site ↗
- There is no restaurant inside the zoo. Animals and pets may not be brought in (guide and hearing dogs excepted — tell staff on arrival).source
Basics in detail (18)
- Admission is 600 yen for adults and 100 yen for elementary and junior high school students; no price is listed for children below elementary school age.source
- Groups of 30 or more paying visitors pay 500 yen per adult and 80 yen per elementary or junior high school student.source
- Showing a physical disability certificate, a rehabilitation certificate, or a mental health welfare certificate (grades 1 to 3) at the ticket window admits the holder and one caregiver free, or two caregivers for a wheelchair user.source
- Zoo supporters who show their supporter card pay a reduced 500 yen per adult and 100 yen per elementary or junior high school student, for up to five family members.source
- Nurseries, kindergartens, elementary schools, and junior high schools in Nagano City can have admission reduced or waived by filing an application in advance.source
- From June through October, on Saturdays and holidays from 2:00 to 2:30 p.m., you can feed the tortoises at the tortoise house for 100 yen, limited to 30 people.source
- From March 1 through the end of November the zoo is open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with ticket sales ending at 4:00 p.m.source
- In winter, from December 1 through the end of February, it is open 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with ticket sales ending at 3:30 p.m.source
- From December 1 through the end of February it closes on Mondays; when that Monday is a public holiday it stays open and closes the next day instead. It also closes December 29 to 31, and from March through November it is open every day.source
- Parking is free and holds 690 cars.source
- In winter, roughly December through March, snow and ice close the walking path from the north parking lot to the north gate, so the monorail is the way in at that gate.source
- The zoo is 15 minutes by car from JR Shinonoi Station, and 25 minutes from the Koshoku interchange on the Nagano Expressway or the Nagano interchange on the Joshinetsu Expressway.source
- The nearest station is JR Shinonoi Station, and a taxi from its east exit to the zoo's south gate costs roughly 3,000 yen.source
- From April through November, a free shuttle called the ZOO Guru Bus runs to the zoo.source
- During Golden Week, May 2 to 6, a free shuttle bus runs from the west exit of Shinonoi Station to the zoo's south gate.source
- The phone number is 026-293-5167, answered from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (6)
- Official: Stroller friendly, Stroller rental, Diaper changing table
- Official: Indoor / outdoor
- Official: main site
The zoo climbs a hillside in Nagano and has a south gate and a north gate. A monorail runs from the north parking lot to that gate. Feeding at the children's zoo happens every day, and a red panda talk is held indoors on weekends. Saturdays add photographs with a Kiso horse and feeding time on Lion Hill. Sundays bring an armadillo walk in summer and orangutan feeding in winter. There is no restaurant inside, and a dinosaur park under the same management stands nearby.
| Stroller friendly | Yes | Stroller rental ¥200 per stroller. From December to around March the walkway from the north parking lot to the north gate is closed by snow and ice — use the monorail for that gate. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | chausuyama.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller rental | Yes | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | chausuyama.com | |
| Diaper changing table | Yes (3) | Baby beds inside the toilets at the south gate, the north gate and beside the children's zoo. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | chausuyama.com |
| Nursing space | Yes (1) | One nursing room, at the north gate. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | chausuyama.com |
| Family restroom | Yes (2) | Accessible toilets at the south gate and the north gate. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | chausuyama.com |
| Indoor / outdoor | Outdoor | A hillside zoo walked outdoors; the red panda talk is held indoors in the red panda house. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | chausuyama.com |
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| English support | Not checked yet | ||||
| Outside food allowed | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Not checked yet |