Where are the most magical children's zoos and what makes them cool?

DavidBrown

DavidBrown

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Children's zoos aren't something that I gave a lot of thought to growing up, as the zoo that I went to as a kid in Sacramento didn't have one.

Now I have nieces and nephews that I take to zoos, children's zoos are more relevant.

I am wondering where people think the best children's zoos in the world are, and what specifically makes them great. Most children's zoos seem to feature the same staples: a contact yard with goats, cows, etc., an animal nursery for raising animals that don't get raised by their parents, some kind of animal show.

Are there any mega-cool exhibits that stand out to people as delivering a meaningful wildlife conservation experience or providing outstanding fun that could be considered "magical"?
 
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I loved the friendship farm at TWPZ Dubbo but it closed a while back now. Tarongas backyard to bush is pretty good. full of farm animal, interactive displays and a house full of exhibits to show the creatures that share our homes, mainly inverts and reptiles.
 
My wife and I used to skip children's zoos on our visits, but now that we have two very young children (a boy and a girl) a children's zoo is a necessity. At smaller zoos we sometimes spend a great deal of time in a kiddie zone, and at the larger zoos it allows me an opportunity to leave my wife and kids for periods of time so that I can explore the steeper, more elusive walking trails in search of animals that the rest of the family does not care about. Why should a two-year old want to gaze out at a herd of addax when they can be going up and down an elephant-shaped slide and chortling with glee?

I have found that zoos without specific children's areas are severely lacking, as approximately 85% of all zoo visitors have kids with them on their tour. Why don't all zoos cater to the younger crowd in some fashion? One example is Oregon Zoo, which has a farmyard area but it is very small and fairly disappointing. That zoo definitely needs to construct a major children's section, but at this point there is nothing in the works in the master plan and that fact puzzles me to no end. Florida Aquarium suffered with attendance issues for years and when that establishment constructed what is supposedly an amazing 2-acre outdoor waterpark zone attendance skyrocketed and has held steady ever since. Children can tour the aquatic exhibits indoors and gain insight into the world of water-based creatures, and then they can go outside and have some fun in the sun.

What makes a great children's zoo is a fantastic question to begin a thread with. I've seen so many zoos that have the standard American farmyard scene, complete with a goat petting yard and pigs basking in the sunshine. Sedgwick County has elevated that scenario to a supreme degree, and the zoos that have rare animals in their kiddie zones stand out for me. Also, young children are extremely tactile and they need to hold, grasp, climb, burrow, dig, etc, and so the zoos that have incorporated physical playground elements into their children's zoos are the ones that have created a successful area for youngsters.

Here are 5 of the best in American zoos:

San Antonio Zoo - I ripped into this facility in my 2010 review as it is packed with outdated exhibits, but the "Tiny Tot Nature Spot" was designed for children under 5 and it is spectacular. There are 7 major areas that include some fish tanks, a petting zone in a farm area, a discovery building, a campground area, a fantastic beach shoreline, and some cool animals for kids like naked mole rats, prairie dogs, coatis and squirrel monkeys.

Sedgwick County Zoo - This is one of America's best zoos in many ways, and instead of having the typical American farm site there are actually a trio of farmyard areas: American, African and Asian. In this large area there are many species of chicken, water buffalo, yaks, Watusi cattle and even a camel to go alongside the usual assortment of domestic critters.

Oakland Zoo - This 4-acre section of the zoo has a small bug house, a reptile house, a gigantic flying fox exhibit, a typical petting yard, alligator and otter pools and other odds n' ends in what is arguably the best part of the entire zoo.

Pittsburgh Zoo - This 7-acre area has sea lions, white-tailed deer, beavers, alligators, skunks, bats, naked mole rats and other creatures. There are also a lot of hands-on, interactive elements that combine to make this one of the best children's zoos in America.

Houston Zoo - Porcupines, deer, owls, coatis, bald eagles, raccoons, otters, alligators, swift foxes, bats and prairie dogs are some of the more unusual animals here, and there is of course the typical petting area as well. Lots of play areas (both dry and wet) and a spongy floor section are highlights of this well-designed zone.

Nashville Zoo - This would be my 6th choice, and while the zoo does not have a true children's zoo with animals it does have an enormous Jungle Gym area that can hold up to 1,000 children at a single time. Who needs to see animals with something that magnificent?
 
Lowry Park Zoo's Wallaroo Walkabout exhibit is basically half animal exhibits and half children's zoo. There are lots of rides in this section of the zoo, goats and fish to feed, and ponies and llamas to ride on. Another feature some kids might be interested in is a walk-thru wallaby exhibit, but I'm not sure if the walk-thru feature was made especially for kids, because adults seem to enjoy it a lot too.
Busch Gardens Tampa doesn't have a true children's zoo like Nashville, but huge playgrounds with climbing nets, bridges, water-play areas, and multi-level mazes, and one play area is 3 stories high! The Treetop Trails area also incorporates animals into play with unique views of Asian jungle animals (underwater tunnel to view fish and formerly Gharials, a clubhouse to see gibbons, and going high enough will let you get a good view of flying foxes.) In addition, Walkabout Way can let kids (and adults!) hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies, which is quite a fun and unique experience.
 
I think Lincoln Park Zoo has a very good children's zoo exhibit wise and they also have things like under water viewing for otters and beavers, a fake log where children can go into to see a black bear in the other half of the log and an indoor play place for kids.
Brookfield Zoo has the best children' zoo that I have seen (Hamill Family Play Zoo) it has an animal hospital, a lemur exhibit, a outdoor garden and many other animal exhibits. Here is it on zoolex for more information: ZooLex Exhibit. Also the zoo has an all outdoor children's zoo that has a goat petting area and it also has farm and native Illinois animal exhibits. My favorite part of this area is a pit that hold raccoons and a skunk this exhibit is my favorite exhibit because at one time this exhibit used to hold baby chimps, orangutans and gorillas. Brookfield Zoo has two large play places that have soft rubber ground, lots of slides and climbing areas.
 
I always go to the Children's area because this is usually where zoos stick the really interesting animals - the ones that don't fit into their generic "African" or "Amazon" exhibits. Armadillos, porcupines, insects, and occasionally real gems like pangolins or wombats. I find these animals so much more interesting than sleeping lions or elephants.
San Diego Zoo has a great children's zoo and there are new animals there on every visit. Their Bug Zoo is really well done (albeit small). They occasionally walk giant porcupines or other animals through on leashes.
 
San Diego's is quite good. Another of note is probably the Maryland Zoo (Baltimore Zoo when they opened the exhibit). Haven't been in awhile, and the last time I went it felt like it was worn down a tad, but I recall when it opened in the 90's it was quite special. It's very big, with fun areas for the kids but also numerous animal exhibits for the adults (bears, otters with under-water tunnel, nocturnal section, farm area, etc).
 
Erie Zoo has always been my favorite displaying a children's section. You have to get to a bridge to get to that part of the zoo. I remember a troll blocking off the entrance during the Halloween themed night. Their carousel is beautiful with the unique animals, such as manatees and giant otters, that you can ride. There are also metal sculptures of trees and flowers. There are contact areas: walk in lorikeet aviary, kangaroo yard, zebus, goats, sheep, llamas, etc. There is mystery mountain which has always been a mystery to be because it doesn't display any animals. However, it does give you a nice overview of the kangaroo yard. Outdoor exhibits included an American alligator and an African black footed penguins. The outside area also includes big lilly pads to walk on, and musical squares that make noise when you step on them. There is a building where kids can dress up as different workers at a zoo. It also features terrariums with also reptiles/amphibians, birds, and tamarin monkeys. The last section consist of a huge playground with animal inspired designs. The back fence is made up of pegs looking like Crayola crayons. The train also goes behinds this section of the zoo.

I really look forward to seeing what the snowleopard family thinks about this area of the zoo.
 
Although I never saw it at opening, the children section at the Maryland Zoo has gone down hill since then. For kids, they still have a lot of fun elements. Sculptures to take pictures by, spinning turtle shells, giant lillypads, big birds nests, slides to go down, contact yards, etc. For an adult looking for animals, it's not as exciting. The whole wooded area is beautiful and I see so much potential for the used and unused land. The river otter exhibit is probably my favorite out of this section. I have seen less birds lately at the aviary/wetlands area, and the fox and snapping turtle are a hit and miss. I hardly ever see the boxed turtles in the exhibit with the pop up bubbles. I think if they started adding more animals to this area, it would be more interesting for adults.

As for the Pittsburgh Zoo's children section, it has definitely grown on me. The first time I went it was the last section we visited. We were hot, kids were runnings around, and some animals were missing. Come fall time, the animals are active and we had a wonderful experience! A sea lion kept following my fiance's hand when he slide it across the viewing window. We were able to pet the kangaroo and feel their soft fur. The beavers were swimming around their pool. The leaves were bright and beautiful. Many different animals to see and fun features for children.
 
While not a Children's Zoo at all, Beardsley has set up a maze for children that not only entertains children, but is very educational in the sense that it has facts about tigers all over the outside of the maze. I've heard that once in the maze, the maze is supposed to make you feel like a tiger as you make twists and turns as you stalk your prey, and a dead end means something like your habitat has been cut down and you must turn back to find new territory.
 
I like some of the ideas coming out of the new children section of the Philadelphia Zoo, but I am getting bored of farms. I commend them for showcasing rarer farm animals, but they're still farm animals. But maybe it's like the case of the Smithsonian National Zoo where this is the only chance of city children to see farm animals. I just would like to see more original children zoos.
 
DavidBrown said:
Here is a story on the new children's zoo/nature play area at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island. Is this possibly the future direction of children's zoos (i.e., the emphasis on reconnecting kids with nature through active play rather than petting baby critters)?

RI zoo exhibit connects kids to nature with play - Boston.com
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I think there is a trend and I think it is a positive thing for both the children and the animals. I do beleive it is important for the kids to have on-on-one interactions with live animals but it is better done with live animal encounters presented by docents and the like.

I especially like the trading post deal and I hope more zoos participate in something like it. I have seen it done in a few places and all I can think is "I wish they had that when i was growing up, it sounds like a blast!" Just recently saw this at the Austin Nature and Science Center. It is a very small, low-budget facility but the collection of "stuff" that had been brought in and was available to get was amazing. They also had a lot of the reports that were done by the kids to get the points displayed and you can tell the kids put a lot of effort and thought into them. What a great way to get kids involved with nature.

EDIT: Below is a link to a series of pictures i just posted to the Gallery.

Austin Nature and Science Center » United States - Other Gallery
 
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blospz said:
I like some of the ideas coming out of the new children section of the Philadelphia Zoo, but I am getting bored of farms. I commend them for showcasing rarer farm animals, but they're still farm animals. But maybe it's like the case of the Smithsonian National Zoo where this is the only chance of city children to see farm animals. I just would like to see more original children zoos.
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We as zoo aficionado's sometimes lose sight of this, but a zoo's mission is not generally to be that different than other zoos, especially ones that are far away. Very few people travel specifically travel for zoos so that's not a target audience they should concern themselves with that much. When talking about kids, the point becomes even stronger. I doubt there are many kids saying they'd like to see more original children zoos.

Now with that said, of course it's great if a zoo does something outside the box and executes it well.
 
mweb08 said:
We as zoo aficionado's sometimes lose sight of this, but a zoo's mission is not generally to be that different than other zoos, especially ones that are far away. Very few people travel specifically travel for zoos so that's not a target audience they should concern themselves with that much. When talking about kids, the point becomes even stronger. I doubt there are many kids saying they'd like to see more original children zoos.

Now with that said, of course it's great if a zoo does something outside the box and executes it well.
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No offense, but i completely disagree! The majority of people do not travel specifically to see zoos but the majority of tourists visiting other destinations look for other attractions in the area to visit while on vacation. If a zoo can offer new, exiciting, innovative exhibits it will be much more successful at bringing in people looking for something to do while on vacation than just another cookie cutter zoo. In my experience, of all the missions that zoos have "to not be that differant than other zoos" is certainly not one of them.
 
Drew said:
No offense, but i completely disagree! The majority of people do not travel specifically to see zoos but the majority of tourists visiting other destinations look for other attractions in the area to visit while on vacation. If a zoo can offer new, exiciting, innovative exhibits it will be much more successful at bringing in people looking for something to do while on vacation than just another cookie cutter zoo. In my experience, of all the missions that zoos have "to not be that differant than other zoos" is certainly not one of them.
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The bottom line is a zoo should do what they think will work best, not be thinking, well tourists may not visit us because their zoo also has a farm in their children's zoo. If a farm exhibit works well for the residents of that area, you know, the people who are most important, then you do it. As for tourists who are interested in going to zoos, most of which are not people like us, they are unlikely to even do a compare and contrast vs their home zoo prior to visiting and the zoos will of course be different enough even if they share some of the same concepts. If it's a good zoo, or at least a well marketed zoo in a place tourists are likely to visit, then tourists will come, regardless of the existence of some similar exhibits to their home zoo.
 
mweb08 said:
The bottom line is a zoo should do what they think will work best, not be thinking, well tourists may not visit us because their zoo also has a farm in their children's zoo. If a farm exhibit works well for the residents of that area, you know, the people who are most important, then you do it. As for tourists who are interested in going to zoos, most of which are not people like us, they are unlikely to even do a compare and contrast vs their home zoo prior to visiting and the zoos will of course be different enough even if they share some of the same concepts. If it's a good zoo, or at least a well marketed zoo in a place tourists are likely to visit, then tourists will come, regardless of the existence of some similar exhibits to their home zoo.
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I agree with you it has a lot to do with marketing and that zoos should do what they think will work best. If you were to change your statement that one of the missions of zoos is to not be that differant than other zoos to one of the missions of zoos is to provide the best possible experience for the residents of the area then we would be in complete agreement. Of course i am thinking beyond the farm exhibit but farms don't necessarily work for everyone and there are more meaningful and interesting ways to have hands on experiences with wildlife. There are a lot of children that want nothing to do with petting goats or sheep especially if they are stressed out and agressive (my 5-year-old daughter literally got head butted hard enough to knock her over).

Also, if you don't push the envelope every once in a while and try something new and innovative then every zoo will start to have the same "boring" (to the toursit) set of animals and after three zoos of the same old stuff people would start to question if going to another one would be worth it because they would think that all zoos have the same stuff. Of course not everything has to be innovative but at least a few things would be a welcome relief to local residents and tourist alike.
 
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