Illinois Zoos

[snowleopard]

The state of Illinois has a plethora of zoos, and one of the world's truly great aquariums. I was wondering if folks could give me approximate times in regards to touring the smaller institutions as it will come in handy for a possible future road trip. Some people whip through zoos alone and without family slowing them down, while others take all day as they watch specific animals for hours, but as a general rule of thumb do these times sound appropriate?

1- Brookfield Zoo - 7 hours (basically an all-day zoo)
2- Shedd Aquarium - 4 hours (although a few more hours is possible)
3- Lincoln Park Zoo - 4 hours
4- Peoria Zoo - 2 hours
5- Niabi Zoo - 2 hours (non-AZA facility)
6- Miller Park Zoo - 1 hour
7- Phillips Park Zoo - 1 hour (non-AZA facility)
8- Cosley Zoo - 1 hour
9- Henson Robinson Zoo - 1 hour
10- Scovill Zoo - 1 hour

I've heard from a couple of people via private messages, and the itinerary below sounds perfectly feasible:

Day One:

Cosley Zoo + drive 30 min. + Phillips Park Zoo + drive 2 hours + Niabi Zoo

Day Two:

Peoria Zoo + drive 45 min. + Miller Park Zoo + drive 1 hour + Scovill Zoo

In 2008 I spent a day split between Lincoln Park Zoo and Shedd Aquarium and a day at Brookfield Zoo and thus I'm looking at possibly ticking off some smaller zoos in a year or two.

 

[snowleopard]

Day One:

Cosley Zoo + drive 30 min. + Phillips Park Zoo + drive 2 hours + Niabi Zoo

Day Two:

Peoria Zoo + drive 45 min. + Miller Park Zoo + drive 1 hour + Scovill Zoo

In 2008 I spent a day split between Lincoln Park Zoo and Shedd Aquarium and a day at Brookfield Zoo and thus I'm looking at possibly ticking off some smaller zoos in a year or two.

How about this for a very busy Day Two:

Wildlife Prairie State Park (from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00) + drive 20 minutes + Peoria Zoo (11:30 - 1:30) + drive 45 minutes + Miller Park Zoo (2:30 - 3:30) + drive 1 hour + Scovill Zoo (4:30 - 5:30). Scovill Zoo is open to 7:00 p.m. all summer long (last admission at 6:00) so 4 zoos in one day is theoretically possible as none of them are very large and they are close together. It would not be a totally crazy idea to tick off 7 small Illinois zoos in 2 days, especially for a single individual if I left my wife and 3 kids at home in western Canada.

 

[Moebelle]

I went through Brookfield twice within an hour and a half, one hour at Lincoln Park, and two hours at Shedd.

 

[snowleopard]

I've visited 11 zoos in the state of Illinois, with the 4 that I've not been to being Brown's Oakridge Zoo, Hickory Shadows, Summerfield and Willowbrook Wildlife Center. Are there any Illinois zoos that I'm missing?

15 Illinois Zoos:

Brookfield Zoo (Brookfield)*
Brown’s Oakridge Zoo (Smithfield)
Cosley Zoo (Wheaton)*
Henson Robinson Zoo (Springfield)*
Hickory Shadows Exotic Wildlife Rehabilitation (Mt. Vernon)
John G. Shedd Aquarium (Chicago)*
Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago)*
Miller Park Zoo (Bloomington)*
Niabi Zoo (Coal Valley)
Peoria Zoo (Peoria)*
Phillips Park Zoo (Aurora)
Scovill Zoo (Decatur)*
Summerfield Zoo (Belvidere)
Wildlife Prairie Park (Hanna City)
Willowbrook Wildlife Center (Glen Ellyn)

* = AZA-accredited

 

[cloudedleopard]

I have visited three- Brookfield, LP, and Shedd Aquarium.
If I went to Illinois ever to visit zoos, I would do-
1. Lincoln Park+Shedd Aquarium
2. Brookfield
3. Drive 45 minutes+Cosley Zoo+drive 8 minutes+Glen Ellyn Wildlife Center+drive 30 minutes+Phillips Park Zoo+drive 70 minutes
4. Drive 2.5 hours+Summerfield Zoo+drive 2.5 hours+Peoria Zoo
5. Drive 20 minutes+Wildlife Prairie Park+drive 50 minutes+Brown's Oakridge Zoo+drive 1.5 hours+Henson Robinson Zoo
6. Drive 45 minutes+Scovill Zoo+drive 1 hour+Miller Park Zoo+drive 2.25 hours+Hickory Shadows
7. Drive 5 hours+Niabi Zoo
8. Leave Illinois

 

[Gulo gulo]

Everyone- comment back if you think this dream schedule is too ambitious, bad, good, etc.

What is this Facebook? Instagram or some other “like my status and comment"? You spam threads left and right. It's fine to be enthusiastic and all. Just need to rein it in some. If you are serious about your trips start them in a fantasy thread, if it becomes reality maybe a moderator can move it for you?

 

[blospz]

I went through Brookfield twice within an hour and a half, one hour at Lincoln Park, and two hours at Shedd.

Wow, did you stop to take any photos at Brookfield? Granted I was with other people when I went, but I hardly got through it when I got there an hour after opening to closing.

 

[Moebelle]

Wow, did you stop to take any photos at Brookfield? Granted I was with other people when I went, but I hardly got through it when I got there an hour after opening to closing.

There has to be a way that I made that up but not by much, and yes, I took hundreds of photos specifically for Zoochat. As for my August 2014 visit, it took me almost 2.5 hours to get through the zoo once.