minnesota zoo

Love the Zoo, it's a great place to visit with the family. Nice habitats for the most part where animals Seem comfortable.

We went with the entire family. @ children ,grand parents and ourselves. It was a nice day for the zoo.

Great place to escape the cold and keep the little ones occupied! Staff is so friendly and informative. Much more than just a place to visit , will go again and again. Variety of animals is wonderful!

good place to visit ---been there many times---grandkids love itfriendly staff---lots of zoo to see

I visited the Minnesota Zoo, and I found it quite disappointing. I have been visiting the zoo for many years, however it has been a couple years since I last visited. The first thing that was not good was that they charge for parking...$7.00. Beings it is in the middle of nowhere, how is one going to get their without using the parking lot. They asked me if I used the parking lot, and I was honest and said yes. What I should have said was, "No I walked here." even though it was a bit above zero temperatures. The tropical trail was very chilly despite being a tropical area and all the animals in that area were huddled together to keep warm. One of my joys of the past was the monorail. It was air conditioned in the summer and warm in the winter, and the view was pretty good. I asked about it, and was told due to budget cuts, the monorail was discontinued. In the past I also enjoyed the dolphins, and before that the beluga whales. Most of that entire section is closed with only two tidal pools with star fish, small sharks and a few other ocean creatures. Normally when I have gone there, I could easily spend 4-6 hours. This trip I saw everything in a little over an hour.Total cost of that hour? $25.00 even though they receive funds from the state of Minnesota. Como Zoo, in which one can see more animals than the Zoo. Free!! Next time it's Como all the way.

I'm actually surprised being from MN and doing a search that Como zoo is rated above Minnesota zoo. I was born and raised in Como Park, MN and I still live in MN. The Minnesota Zoo is far superior to Como though..kind of makes me feel like a traitor saying that but it's true. I remember back in the day viewing the animals in jail cells at Como, pacing, frustrated, angry animals but thankfully the zoo changed, however, they do not have the space the MN zoo has. I've not seen an animal exhibiting frustration behavior besides the dolphins which thankfully the MN zoo stopped the program too. I feel that the MN zoo is a thoughtful zoo that listens well to feedback from the public and I believe they are focused on animal health and enrichment. I had the pleasure of being part of their school program when I was in high school where they took us behind the scenes and showed us what exactly they had to consider with care of the animals. They have the balance that I think every zoo should consider when people look for conservation efforts. I remember a few years back they had a Bald Eagle, but he had broken his wing so he was in recovery and couldn't be released due to the extent of his injury. I think that is a just case in a zoo owning an animal. He can't be released, he would die in the wild so why not educate people about him?: This is why I respect and go back to this zoo. It may not be the case with all the animals but at least they show promise and care and consideration for the animals and their well-being which is more than I've seen from other zoos. I would recommend this as THE zoo to visit in MN.

Neat exhibits! Penguins were a real hit! Staff was very helpful!Closes at 4 p.m. however, so get there early!

Our family tends to steer clear of Zoo's because we often see unhappy animals in small enclosures. We are happy to report that is not the case for this zoo. There are a few that could be improved , but overall this Zoo is doing an amazing job. Be prepared to walk as the exhibitions are spread out around a large amount of land and there is no tram or train, but it is well worth the walk.There are plenty of places to eat, rest and bathrooms and everything was spotless. There is a real focus on education and animal care.In summer be sure to check out the Carousel and Farm.This Zoo is worth checking out.

We've been going to the zoo since it opened. (We live about a mile away) We also tend to visit zoos when we travel. This zoo compares favorably with every zoo we've visited. While they do not display as many animals as San Diego, it is very large and the quality of the exhibits and the way that they show the animals in their own habitat is unsurpassed. The food inside the zoo is meh.. Have lunch a couple of miles north on Cliff Rd

The zoo is well managed with many varieties of birds and animals to view in natural, spacious settings that are spread out over many acres. It has a model farm that is great for kids. along with food and drinks. You can spend a few hours or a whole day.

The Minnesota Zoo is huge, with never ending sights to see. Many animals to see, from the north, south, to animals from the ocean. Touristy place to visit if you are from out of town. I would highly recommend a visit to this zoo

The zoo is far from the way it used to be. There was enough there to keep the kids interested but you can see everything in just a couple hours. I expected it to take the whole afternoon.

The zoo was excellent - the grounds/landscaping was just as much an attraction as were the exhibits. The show of great birds was well worth it for adults and children! The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. There is practically a water park too - kids were having a blast in this fountain area. The food options were good as well as the adult beverages. Would definitely visit again!

Last summer I brought several family members who were visiting to this zoo and I was completely impressed with how fun the zoo was for everyone.The zoo has great exhibits and you really feel like you are getting up close to the animals. I brought my 12 year old step sister and seriously haven't seen a kid get that excited about a zoo but she loved all the animals and the chance to touch the starfish in the aquarium are. She loved the Russian Grizzly bears as well.I has so much fun at the zoo that when my sister and niece visited I took them as well. My niece loved the bug exhibit, especially the performance of the actors near outside the big bug exhibit. My niece also loved the splash pad, which was a perfect way to end a hot day.

I stopped at the zoo on a Saturday morning during a recent business trip to teh area. I was limited in time and could not go through the entire zoo. Being December, it was fairly cold with some snow.Much of the zoo is housed in a large building towards the front. There are entire exhibits like the tropics that are enclosed, so going to see them in the winter is not a burden. Others, like the Minnesota Trail are semi-enclosed and are also easy. However, the central loop is wide open, and you may need to be a hardy sole to take the fairly long trek. it is a worthy journey, though, as you will see some unique animals like the Takin and Amur Tiger in their natural winter habitat.Small negatives for me were the zoo was a bit small, it was crowded the day that I was there, and the layout required retracing steps more than I liked. The last would probably not be as big an issue once I learned the zoo better.Big positives for me were the young animals (not babies) on the Minnesota Trail and reasonably large enclosures for the animals.My personal favorite of the trip were the sea otters with the river otters and Canadian Lynxes being close seconds.