For anyone considering a visit to Minnesota Zoo, having been several times in both seasons I can confidently say that visiting in winter is better. Less crowds, the only animals you miss are domestics, and the animals are a lot more active.
America's 50 Must See Zoos
- Thread starter pachyderm pro
- Start date
I'm very pleased Minnesota was able to make your listMinnesota - Minnesota Zoo
Founded: 1978
Size: 485 Acres (196 Hectares)
Species & Subspecies (On and Off Exhibit): 522
Mammals 63
Birds 112
Reptiles & Amphibians 41
Fish 240
Invertebrates 66
Being one of the northernmost major zoos in the country may limit collection diversity, but if done correctly can be extremely beneficial for exhibit design. With a large rainforest house as an exception, the zoo specializes in animals that can be outdoors year-round in a northern climate and lack many ABC species like elephants, giraffes, rhinos, lions, hippos, and great apes as a result. The enormous entrance building connects all of the indoor attractions under one roof to prevent guests from having to traverse the outdoor loop during a frigid Minnesota winter. Discovery Bay is the zoo's aquarium that’s slightly underwhelming, although Hawaiian monk seals were a neat addition, but now the zoo is down to its last individual, so the future of that habitat is up in the air. The outdoor trails are where the zoo truly reaches its apex. Minnesota Trail has an excellent collection of North American wildlife. Wolverine and fisher are particularly neat highlights alongside an excellent black bear habitat. The main series of outdoor habitats are vast fields and rolling hillsides for ungulates, but no African savannah here. Instead, multi-acre paddocks for bison, moose, takin, caribou and other northern species. The pair of tiger exhibits are absolutely gigantic and can be argued to be the best of their kind on the continent, and nearby is a stunning forest habitat for dholes. An unshowy and easy to miss cabin for native mussel species is a real gem as well. The zoo's most impressive attraction however is Russia’s Grizzly Coast, a spectacular complex themed around the Kamchatka Peninsula with grizzly bears, amur leopards, sea otters and wild boar. It’s a brilliantly designed series of habitats with some fascinating species, incredible detail, and it shows just successful a zoo keeping only cold tolerant species can be.
Grizzly Bear Exhibit, @Ding Lingwei
Sichuan Takin Exhibit, @Milwaukee Man
Tropical Reef Tank, @snowleopard
American Black Bear Exhibit, @pachyderm pro
Smaller Amur Tiger Exhibit, @pachyderm pro
Zoochat Gallery:
Minnesota Zoo - ZooChat
Zoo Website:
Home - Minnesota Zoo
Zoo Map:
https://mnzoo.org/pdfs/MNZooMap2021.pdf
. Even though the zoo has slightly decreased in quality, ambition, and number of species over the years, I would still rank it as the fifth or sixth best zoo I've visited so far. What it lacks in ABC species and collection diversity, it makes up for with excellent outdoor Exhibitry for the species they have. The Northern Trail has some of the best stand-alone Ungulate enclosures I've seen in a major zoo, coupled with two of the country's best Tiger exhibits. The Minnesota Trail is a solid set of habitats for a nice lineup of native species, and Russia's Grizzly coast is one of the best zoo exhibits on the continent. Although I may have my gripes with the zoo's current state, I would highly suggest you pay a visit to the Minnesota Zoo if you have the means to do so.
I know we are a little farther down the alphabet than when it would have come up, but I'm a little surprised that Audubon Zoo in New Orleans wasn't on here. I understand why it might not be that high on the list, as there perhaps aren't as many rarities as other zoos, but in my opinion, I thought a lot of the newer exhibits were fairly top notch. Including those with the very old historical buildings on the site, I found it very much worth the time to visit it.
I agree! Audubon would definitely make my list!
New England is very similar to National Aquarium (same architects who repeated a lot of the same details), but National is larger and has more going on.
Great thread @pachyderm pro I am really appreciate these posts. Keep up the good work! If you don't mind me mentioning this, so far I have personally visited 19 of the 25 facilities presented here.
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Thanks, I think? You may have the wrong must-see thread.
Thanks, I think? You may have the wrong must-see thread.
My bad, I fixed it.
Good summary of the current state of the Minnesota Zoo. I do think it's likely to begin a little run of improvements soon, starting with the treetop trail on the old monorail track, after lacking significant renovations or additions since 2015 or so.I'm very pleased Minnesota was able to make your list
For zoo history folks it's worth noting that in it's time the Minnesota Zoo's tropics trail was the world's largest indoor exhibit pavilion.
Missouri - Kansas City Zoo
Founded: 1909
Size: 202 Acres (82 Hectares)
Species & Subspecies (On and Off Exhibit): 247
Mammals 82
Birds 96
Reptiles & Amphibians 46
Fish 19
Invertebrates 4
How do you elevate an average mid-sized zoo to a standout institution? Tacking on another 100 acres worth of African habitats should do the trick. It’s loosely connected to the original plot and has just about every major African species one would expect to see in some absolutely enormous exhibits. Four acres for elephants, 1.3 acres each for lions and cheetahs, an acre and half for gorillas, and antelope yards as large as 17 acres. Smaller things aren't forgotten about either with both black-footed and sand cats present, as well as various birds of prey and some herps. As spectacular as it all is, the climax is the brilliant three acre chimpanzee habitat that utilizes the lush forest to make it appear as if the exhibit goes on forever. With access to live trees and dense vegetation, it may be the greatest ape habitat in the country. The only drawback to the massive African complex is that it’s almost too big and is a bit of a chore to get through. It’s a good problem to have, but it has proven to be an exhausting trek for many. The zoo has since combated this issue by installing various different methods of transportation to reach the area. The original zoo also has some highlights to offer, namely a large penguin house and a very solid collection of Australian species including a walkthrough tree kangaroo exhibit. Orangutans and polar bears have exhibits that are good, but fail to be anything exceptional. The African area definitely overshadows everything else in the zoo, but next year a 600,000 gallon saltwater aquarium will be unveiled which will definitely help bring more attention to that side of the park.
Chimpanzee Exhibit, @geomorph
Polar Bear Exhibit, @KCZooFan
African Savannah, @geomorph
Scrubland Aviary, @KCZooFan
Guinea Baboon Exhibit, @snowleopard
Zoochat Gallery:
Kansas City Zoo - ZooChat
Zoo Website:
https://www.kansascityzoo.org/
Zoo Map:
https://ontheworldmap.com/usa/city/kansas-city/kansas-city-zoo-map.jpg
Founded: 1909
Size: 202 Acres (82 Hectares)
Species & Subspecies (On and Off Exhibit): 247
Mammals 82
Birds 96
Reptiles & Amphibians 46
Fish 19
Invertebrates 4
How do you elevate an average mid-sized zoo to a standout institution? Tacking on another 100 acres worth of African habitats should do the trick. It’s loosely connected to the original plot and has just about every major African species one would expect to see in some absolutely enormous exhibits. Four acres for elephants, 1.3 acres each for lions and cheetahs, an acre and half for gorillas, and antelope yards as large as 17 acres. Smaller things aren't forgotten about either with both black-footed and sand cats present, as well as various birds of prey and some herps. As spectacular as it all is, the climax is the brilliant three acre chimpanzee habitat that utilizes the lush forest to make it appear as if the exhibit goes on forever. With access to live trees and dense vegetation, it may be the greatest ape habitat in the country. The only drawback to the massive African complex is that it’s almost too big and is a bit of a chore to get through. It’s a good problem to have, but it has proven to be an exhausting trek for many. The zoo has since combated this issue by installing various different methods of transportation to reach the area. The original zoo also has some highlights to offer, namely a large penguin house and a very solid collection of Australian species including a walkthrough tree kangaroo exhibit. Orangutans and polar bears have exhibits that are good, but fail to be anything exceptional. The African area definitely overshadows everything else in the zoo, but next year a 600,000 gallon saltwater aquarium will be unveiled which will definitely help bring more attention to that side of the park.
Chimpanzee Exhibit, @geomorph
Polar Bear Exhibit, @KCZooFan
African Savannah, @geomorph
Scrubland Aviary, @KCZooFan
Guinea Baboon Exhibit, @snowleopard
Zoochat Gallery:
Kansas City Zoo - ZooChat
Zoo Website:
https://www.kansascityzoo.org/
Zoo Map:
https://ontheworldmap.com/usa/city/kansas-city/kansas-city-zoo-map.jpg
We’ve now reached the halfway point of this thread. So far there’s been traditional zoos, aquariums, theme parks, specialist facilities and everything in between. It happens to work out that the next few consecutive picks will all be juggernauts of the zoo world, lauded as some of the best of the best: Saint Louis, Omaha and Bronx.
Judging by what states are left, I think there are an obvious 20 choices for inclusion in this thread. However, I'm honestly not sure at all what other facilities might make the list in the final five slots. Will be very interesting interesting see!
Missouri - Saint Louis Zoo
Founded: 1910
Size: 90 Acres (36 Hectares)
Species & Subspecies (On and Off Exhibit): 555
Mammals 103
Birds 121
Reptiles & Amphibians 198
Fish 31
Invertebrates 102
Saint Louis may already have a large collection in beautiful exhibits, but the preservation of its history is what really puts it over the top. The past is not forgotten even with newer developments, such as the facades of the old bear grottos being used as the backdrop of the grizzly bear exhibit. The 1904 flight cage became a landmark before the zoo was even founded and has been gracefully redone into a cypress swamp aviary for various ducks, teals, egrets and herons. Measures have been taken to ensure the century old animal buildings remain up to date in the modern era and the best example of building on an existing structure while preserving its historic integrity involves the primate house. Unspectacular on the inside, but on the outside lies a newly added complex series of habitats connected via bridges and tunnels rotated between roughly a dozen species. The reptile and bird houses have also been refurbished throughout the years and are similarly attractive. The more modern penguin and puffin building is wonderful, allowing guests to get so close to the point where volunteers are stationed to stop anyone from reaching out and petting one. The sea lion pool is one of the best in America thanks to the addition of an underwater tunnel. The zoo has proven it can tackle immersion design as well with the Rivers Edge complex, where most of the popular megafauna are exhibited. This area has several highlights like the hippo underwater viewing area, excellent habitats for sun and Andean bears, an incredibly lush rhino and sacred ibis exhibit, and multiple Asian elephant yards. Already one of America’s finest zoos, yet it doesn't seem to be satisfied. By 2026, the zoo is looking to construct an open range sister facility in the same vein as the San Diego Zoo Safari Park with a primary focus on ungulate and amphibian conservation.
1904 Cypress Swamp Flight Cage, @Moebelle
Asian Elephant Exhibit, @Moebelle
California Sea Lion and Harbor Seal Exhibit, @Moebelle
One of many Rotational Primate Exhibits, @Moebelle
Herpetarium, @Moebelle
Zoochat Gallery:
https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/categories/saint-louis-zoo.1000/
Zoo Website:
Home | Saint Louis Zoo
Zoo Map:
https://www.stlzoo.org/files/5816/2102/7099/Saint_Louis_Zoo_map_spring_2021_revised.jpg
Founded: 1910
Size: 90 Acres (36 Hectares)
Species & Subspecies (On and Off Exhibit): 555
Mammals 103
Birds 121
Reptiles & Amphibians 198
Fish 31
Invertebrates 102
Saint Louis may already have a large collection in beautiful exhibits, but the preservation of its history is what really puts it over the top. The past is not forgotten even with newer developments, such as the facades of the old bear grottos being used as the backdrop of the grizzly bear exhibit. The 1904 flight cage became a landmark before the zoo was even founded and has been gracefully redone into a cypress swamp aviary for various ducks, teals, egrets and herons. Measures have been taken to ensure the century old animal buildings remain up to date in the modern era and the best example of building on an existing structure while preserving its historic integrity involves the primate house. Unspectacular on the inside, but on the outside lies a newly added complex series of habitats connected via bridges and tunnels rotated between roughly a dozen species. The reptile and bird houses have also been refurbished throughout the years and are similarly attractive. The more modern penguin and puffin building is wonderful, allowing guests to get so close to the point where volunteers are stationed to stop anyone from reaching out and petting one. The sea lion pool is one of the best in America thanks to the addition of an underwater tunnel. The zoo has proven it can tackle immersion design as well with the Rivers Edge complex, where most of the popular megafauna are exhibited. This area has several highlights like the hippo underwater viewing area, excellent habitats for sun and Andean bears, an incredibly lush rhino and sacred ibis exhibit, and multiple Asian elephant yards. Already one of America’s finest zoos, yet it doesn't seem to be satisfied. By 2026, the zoo is looking to construct an open range sister facility in the same vein as the San Diego Zoo Safari Park with a primary focus on ungulate and amphibian conservation.
1904 Cypress Swamp Flight Cage, @Moebelle
Asian Elephant Exhibit, @Moebelle
California Sea Lion and Harbor Seal Exhibit, @Moebelle
One of many Rotational Primate Exhibits, @Moebelle
Herpetarium, @Moebelle
Zoochat Gallery:
https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/categories/saint-louis-zoo.1000/
Zoo Website:
Home | Saint Louis Zoo
Zoo Map:
https://www.stlzoo.org/files/5816/2102/7099/Saint_Louis_Zoo_map_spring_2021_revised.jpg
If I'm able to make my USA zootrip next year, that fabulous Kansas City chimp exhibit certainly is on the list.
Is this because of the pandemic? Last time I checked their prices was in 2020 and they were still $100 a person. Do you think they will lower them after the pandemic is over???
No idea why they were raised but I don't think they'll be lowered, since those prices are from only a few months ago.
I could be wrong about this of course, but from TinoPup's quote I take it as being that it is $100 per person - but with a minimum of five people (i.e. $500, then $100 for each additional person over five, as in the quote).
Generally places which have minimum numbers will do tours for fewer people, but they need to pay the full group price (of five people in this case).
So they're only catering to the wealthy now???? They should make a cheap *only* elephant tour option since I can see all those other species at other facilities. Would like to see that huge herd once they finish bringing them all there. Maybe that extra $400 is the elephant upkeep money????
Well, they don't have prices visible on their site anymore so.....