It's what it is. I don't have kids, so the bells and whistles don't do a lot for me. I just realize that unfortunately zoos need revenue from a wide swath of the public, not just people who are dying to see great exhibits and rare species.
Honestly I love the Northern and Midwestern zoos with the old European style architecture and cheesy imitation pagodas and mosques. I have to think that in the old days this was how they made zoos seem more adventurous and exotic as opposed to just a bunch of cages and pens. I really admire the efforts of places like Cincy and the Bronx to keep these buildings and updating the animal facilites rather than just tearing them down to expand. Madagascar at the Bronx is a good example. Cincy's Elephant House is another. It once held six large herbivore species incramped stalls and has been converted to an elephant only facility. The landmark building still stands, and the accomodations are improved. Lincoln Park's Kovler Lion House is a bad example of this, as it was updated long ago, but still has some awfully small exhibits for the big cats.
