The zoo is a great place to visit whether it’s summer or winter – with plentiful shade in the warmer weather, and climate controlled buildings to visit in the cold (or a/c when it’s hot out), there is always a place to get out of the weather. One thing that I loved about the enclosed buildings were the signs that were displayed above many of the enclosures – they were electronic screens that scrolled through colorful pages full of information for each different kind of animal that was in that case. The screens had a picture of the animal, a description, a map showing where the animal is found in the wild, and often a few interesting facts about them.
Along those lines of educational information, the zoo offers a full schedule of ‘keeper talks’; at least a dozen each day, located throughout the zoo, where the keeper tells the audience about certain animals. Also, there are several volunteers dispersed throughout the zoo to answer questions and offer information about the animals that they are placed by.
In the line of just-for-fun, the zoo offers hands-on activities (like bongo drums!), a Wildlife Carousel, a 4-D movie experience, and in the warmer months, a water play park.
There are 3 onsite restaurants which offer outdoor tables and seating, while a variety of food carts dot the grounds, open on busier days. The grounds are well-maintained, and the paths are all handicap accessible with ample benches available for rest stops. We found the zoo to be kept very clean, including the animal pens, and the employees were consistently friendly.
