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St. Louis Zoo
St. Louis Zoo
Forest Park
view websiteForest Park, One Government Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63110
800-966-8877
314-781-0900
Good-for-Kids Rating
Babies
Toddlers & Pre-KSchool-Age KidsPre-Teens & Teens
Petting Zoo
Zoo
St. Louis Zoo Description
A park within larger Forest Park, the St. Louis Zoo is completely transporting. Areas devoted to African animals resemble dry savannahs and desert oases. Visitors walk from the southern hemisphere and its lighting conditions in the penguin habitat into the northern hemisphere in the adjoining puffin exhibit. The children's zoo area allows everyone to pet horned owls, brush baby goats, and attend keeper shows on sloths, kestrels, and more; a guaranteed highlight will be the chance to ride a protected animal (a wooden version, naturally) on the carousel.
Kid Tips
Toddlers & Pre-K: Even hearty 4-year-olds will be begging for a stroller after a while, so bring one or rent one (the zoo has single, double, and infant varieties). Kids this age love the miniature railroad ($5; free under age 2) that makes a 20-minute circuit around the park.
School-Age Kids: The children's zoo, where engaging docents quiz the kids about everything from why an owl's face is bowl-shaped to the appearance of different kinds of animal dung, is completely captivating to this crowd.
Pre-Teens & Teens: Even bored teens have been known to squeal with delight when meeting the zoo's two Magellenic penguins during behind-the-scenes tours.
Planning Notes
- Free isn't always free. Though general admission is free, some exhibits cost $2 to $4 per person to enter, including the children's zoo, the sea lion show, and the carousel. However, every attraction is free in the first hour the zoo is open.
- Get behind the scenes. The zoo offers behind-the-scenes access by prior arrangement in which you can feed giraffes, touch a snake, or meet a penguin. Most activities cost $35 to $50 and must be booked three weeks in advance.
- Plan your day before you begin. The zoo is vast, and it's impossible to dash from one end to the other. Avoid disappointment at missing events by planning for transit time.
Just the Facts
Hours: Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day: Daily 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Rest of the year: Daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Fees: Free
Recommended Time: 2 - 4 hours
Reviews of St. Louis Zoo
One of the Best Zoos!
By kehufker December 31, 2008
Babies
Toddlers & Pre-K
School-Age Kids
Pre-Teens & Teens
What we loved:
Everything!
What we didn't love:
Nothing
Insectarium, Motion ride, hippos, elephants, rhinos, penguins, carosuel, sea lion show, childrens zoo, and so much more. This is one of my favorite places to go in St.Louis. I would also reccomend to go to the antelope house behind the girrafes about an hour before closing. You can see many of the babies, the animals the zoo keepers are putting in for the night, and there should be someone there to answer your questions. Take note, when you go in rivers edge, hippos, rhinos, hyenas, wild boars, elephants. There is almost no getting out and you will be required to walk through the hole exhibit which is about 1 mile long and will take an hour plus. Read More
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