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Milwaukee County Zoo

4.1 (303 reviews)
Open 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
Updated 1 week ago

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Camels
Claire L.

Our first time to the zoo was a success! The layout is very family friendly and not crowded at all (visited on Father's Day weekend). It's very easy to navigate with a double stroller. Enjoyed all the different animal exhibits. Kids loved all the animal sightings! The playground is slightly disappointing as it could have incorporated more of the animal/safari theme rather than any playgrounds outside the zoo. The dining options are plentiful and offers vegetarian options (huge win for me)! They even have a Lionie cart serving up adult beverages! We had a relaxing time on a Saturday. Much slower pace than other amazement parks like Disney or Universal. Pro-tip: skip the line by purchasing tix online and head to the West Entrance instead of main.

Regal lioness in the big cat section
Erin G.

This zoo is awesome, especially considering it's right smack dab in Milwaukee suburbs. The staff is quite friendly and plenty of space to navigate. No crowds during weekdays. The main downside for only four stars is how much construction is constantly going on, and always a few exhibits are down. Otherwise tons of variety of animals to see and many additional events are held here. Great for kids.

Giraffe licking the wall- I could not stop giggling
Sarah R.

Unfortunately I feel this was rather expensive for the time of year. There was a lot of construction and walkways closed, as well as lots of people putting up their holiday lights so we were unable to see as much as I'd have hoped with the time we had. Considering it's $45 for two people and for parking, I wish they had let us know there were going to be things closed due to construction as we may have foregone. However, I continue to think this is a very good zoo and we will certainly be back! Our favorites: the cats, the Afrian animals, and the birds. We also always love the reptiles and fish- a very nice zoo for a sunny afternoon!

Lights at the zoo holiday walk!
Liv L.

We visited the zoo with my toddler niece to experience Wild Lights and had so much fun! They have so many amazing animal light set-ups throughout the zoo! It's definitely not your average holiday light show. I love that the light up animals were placed by where the real animals would be at the zoo. Most of the animals were away for the night- but we were able to walk through the big cat building which was neat! Lots of fire tables to sit by if you need to warm up for a bit. The exhibit also had several light set-ups that are intended for selfies! Great event! Can't wait to go again next year! Also highly recommend the train!

BEAUTIFUL day at the zoo
Robynleigh O.

A little bit crazy due to it being Mothers Day, but it was a great day to be out! Definitely should've remembered sunscreen.

beautiful fall leaves
Elizabeth B.

The Milwaukee County Zoo is definitely larger and has more to offer than some smaller regional zoos. We used our home state zoo membership and got 50% off admission through the reciprocity program, which was a great deal, though parking cost was steep, especially when we arrived and hour and half before closing! The animal habitats were well maintained and we were able to see it all in 90 mins (a couple with no kids). The highlight for us was their big cats - esp. the lions, and the fall weather made for a gorgeous day!

Lisa S.

Very nice visit for my first time at this zoo. You can get tickets online but I wanted to use my MN Zoo membership to get a discount so I bought tickets at the gate. I showed my membership card and ID and was able to get 50% off of each of our four entries. Great way to leverage a zoo membership. We started at the African animals exhibit and fed the giraffes. One of my fav areas was the fish, snakes, and frogs building. It was a very hot day on our visit but much of the outdoor trails were well shaded. So many cool animals to see including big cats, gorillas, elephants, and river otters. So glad I was able visit this zoo. Really enjoyed it.

Fish tank
Dawn O.

Winter time at the zoo is great. They're no lines, no crowds, the attraction houses are warm and always fun. Plus pdume parking is a bonus too. Even the carousel and gift shop are open for all. We got to see the new penguin exhibit and then went inside for Apes. All the animals were awake and active it was a great visit. There is new construction where the old rhino and elephant exhibits were, so that will be so exciting to see this fall. The volunteers were all available to ask if we had questions. They are always helpful and full of knowledge. Enjoy the zoo Anytime.

Katie M.

The Milwaukee County Zoo was such a fun experience for myself, my daughter (2) and our friends. I found it pretty reasonably priced for a zoo, as kids 2 and under are free, and adult tickets are under $18.75/person. To feed the giraffe, you're only spending $5 per ticket, which gives you 3 pieces of greens, and the dinosaur exhibit was only $4 for me, as my daughter was free. The concessions and food will hurt the budget though, and the food is a joke and takes far too long to cook. I ordered the vegetarian po'boy, and it was 2 halves of fried tomato and a ton of sauce and TOO much bun, and very overpriced. Gross Pepsi products are almost $6, or $9.99 with the included souvenir cup. The options were incredibly lacking for vegetarians, which is kind of a shock in 2024. I feel like the exhibits were decently sized, and none of the animals looked crammed in. They're currently working on a penguin exhibit, so I am looking forward to returning within the next few years. Plenty to experience for all ages.

Goats!
Allie G.

I truly feel like the MKE zoo is one of the best in the country. Our family goes in the snow, rain, and sunshine! They have so many exhibits indoors when the weather is gross, which makes this place a gem when you have little ones. The workers are so polite and the volunteers are so knowledgeable. My daughter loves everything they offer, including the carousel and the train. It's great you can use the "coupons" that are on your Zoo pass for the train and carousel. The playground is another hit, since it wears our little one out towards the end of the visit.. although it can get crowded. I suggest going early when the zoo opens. The food options are fairly good, especially when the food trucks are available. Bathrooms are always very clean and there are optimal spots to rest when your little one is tired. The best part is that you can bring in your own food and beverages. We always get coffee beforehand at a local coffee shop. Highly recommend.

Brett J.

This is a great zoo! It has been a long time since I have been here but what a joy to return with my boys and my granddaughter. There is a lot to see... elephants, feed the giraffes, monkeys, penguins, lions, tigers and bears... oh my... What a wonderful day as a whole... rode the carousel, rode the train, saw everything there was to see and got to spend the whole day with my oldest granddaughter! It was a fabulous location for an amazing day. It is not something I will ever forget. The zoo is clean... well maintained... and the animals were out and about in most cases. I'm so glad we all spent the day here.

Jessica J.

Recently visited the zoo for the first time in maybe a decade. My son is around the age that he's loving animals of all kinds, so we thought it was the perfect time to show him them in real life! My mom and I decided to take him on a Monday morning. The zoo opens up at 9:30am, but hot tip: arrive before then to get into the car line to get in. It stretches quite far and it's worth being in the front. My son didn't quite meet the age where the was a cost for his entry, but for my mom and I it was roughly $48 - this high of a price mostly due to parking, which is a bummer. We'll definitely consider the family zoo pass in the future, as it seems to be a great deal for returning guests. Upon entering into the lobby we noted how wonderfully kept and well-updated everything looked since our last visit. Fully equipped with a coffee shop, help desk, rest rooms, and of course the gift shop. They now have a QR code to scan for a map, but if you prefer the paper one they still have those too. We explored majority of the zoo before we had to hit the road for nap time. The grounds are very well-kept, as are most of the buildings. I'd say some of the enclosures for animals could use an update however. They have all the animals you'd hope to see, from the reptiles, hippos and fish, to monkeys, elephants, giraffes and tigers. Plus, plenty of food and drink vendors (though many weren't open in the morning). All in all, a great local zoo, worth the day out!

Amber K.

tl;dr this is a great nearby zoo for family The zoo is a great place. We were gifted the zoo pass when we had our twins and with them being one-year-old it has been a great activity to do with them. You can go to the zoo over and over again and there will be new things to see and experience for the kiddos. Or it least it feels that way because the zoo is so expansive and you can attend small chunks and come back to visit the rest another time! The exhibit staff are very friendly and knowledgeable and the exhibits themselves appear mostly clean and in fair shape. I really appreciate all of the hard work the zoo puts in during holiday seasons. The fun Halloween theme in 2023 was so cute and clearly a lot of time was invested in the displays. The winter/holiday looks were also really well done. I will say some of the down side seems to be that unless particular specific timeframe/season, a lot of the food locations are not setup for operation. I will admit I don't mind this much, as my family and I always brings packed lunches anyways. However, is strange to see large stretches of the zoo kind of desolate as there's nothing going on and no one eating there. Sometimes there are some communication issues (one time there was a sign saying a building was closed, but then the door was unlocked and people were visiting and there didn't seem to be any problems, etc.) Overall, the zoo is a great place for education, fresh air, seeing animals and hanging with your family!

5/16/2025 - An alligator in the aquarium building

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Ask the Community - Milwaukee County Zoo

It is tour season, is the parking lot traffic line and the admission line at the gate for Milwaukee zoo gonna be a long wait?

i went there on a busy saturday and the lines went very quickly.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

Review Highlights - Milwaukee County Zoo

This is our first year with a zoo pass - and we have really enjoyed it for trips to the zoo with my toddler.

Mentioned in 30 reviews

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Milwaukee Public Museum

Milwaukee Public Museum

4.3(204 reviews)
5.9 miWestown, Downtown

Though I'm sure the new MPM will be amazing, I'm still bummed to know this museum is closing soon!…read moreMy kids are big fans of this place. So crazy that it hasn't changed a bit since I would go here on school trips years and years ago. The exhibits continue to offer so much! From taking you through the dino-ages, to exploring the rainforest, and Native American history. Lots of areas to check out. Favorite has to be the Streets of Old Milwaukee which is just so immersive. We also love the butterfly room (so many live butterflies!) and the planetarium dome theater, which shows various educational films. They ask that you don't have food and drinks while touring around (understandable), but they have a huge cafe/dining area on the ground level. It's great because you can bring your own packed lunch and snacks, or purchase from their various offerings. Underground parking, easy check-in, and friendly staff, too!

I grew up in the Fox Valley and have fond memories of the occasional field trip to the Milwaukee…read moreMuseum and the occasional family trip to visit as well. It took until adulthood for me to learn there's a button to make the rattlesnake move. (If you know, you know). I enjoyed bringing my own kids when they were little and seeing the exhibits through their enthusiasm. I have nostalgic memories of MPM and I really hope that transcends to the soon to be new facility. I hear the streets of Milwaukee exhibit will be modified in the move. To the powers that be that may stumble across this review - this exhibit and what you do with it when you move will do a lot to make or break public sentiment.

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Milwaukee Public Museum - Skull

Skull

Milwaukee Public Museum - Bear with real bees (I believe).

Bear with real bees (I believe).

Milwaukee Public Museum - Africa!

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Africa!

Safari Lake Geneva

Safari Lake Geneva

4.5(98 reviews)
37.4 mi

My friends and I surprised one of our friends with a trip to Safari Lake Geneva to kick off her…read morebachelorette weekend, and we all ended up having a great time. None of us had ever done a drive through safari before, so it felt like a really unique and memorable activity. When we first arrived, it was a little confusing figuring out exactly where to go to start the drive-through experience. The signage could have been clearer. Thankfully, we visited near the end of their open season and at a slower time of day, so the entrance area was not crowded and we were able to take our time getting started. One thing to be aware of is that the driving trail has a lot of potholes and uneven spots, so you definitely need to drive slowly and carefully. Some sections of the path are pretty bumpy, especially if you are not expecting it. We decided not to buy the animal feed because at the beginning, we were a little nervous about opening our windows, and also did not want food all over the car. Even without feeding them, we still got very close to a lot of animals and were able to pet them through our open windows when we felt comfortable doing so. Throughout the drive, you see animals like deer, camels, llamas, alpacas, bison, antelope, and tons of ostriches and emus. There were also a couple of giraffes and zebras toward the end. The ostriches were definitely the most aggressive and curious. They walked right up to the cars and pecked at windows, which had us laughing and slightly panicking at the same time. We also noticed there was animal spit all over the outside of the car from all of the animals trying to get food from us, despite us not having any. There are not a huge number of different species, and you will see some of the same animals many times along the route, but it was still fun to take pictures and watch how the animals interacted with the cars. Admittedly, I felt bad for the animals because I feel like it could be easy for a car to accidentally run them over. Some animals took a long time to move out of the car's way, and because the safari is just one big open field where the animals can freely roam around, the animals come out of nowhere sometimes. Once the driving part was over, we looked at the other parts of the safari where you could walk around. We saw pigs, little monkeys, donkeys, and more! I love how interactive the experience is and how you can't pet animals at a zoo, but you can here. Pricewise, it wasn't crazy and ended up being about $23 per person because they don't charge per vehicle; they charge per person. Overall, this was a really fun and unique experience that made for a great start to our friend's bachelorette weekend. It is definitely something different to do if you are in the Lake Geneva area, but just be prepared for a bumpy drive and some very curious animals.

We did the safari and had a blast. Took my nephew and mom and we laughed the entire way through. We…read morehad bought plenty of food and boy the animals were right at our car. My only concern was avoiding the horns from scratching the car! The only thing t improve this would be if there were signs up at least saying what sort of animals you may encounter in certain areas. There were several that we were like, what is that?! It was in the 90's when we went so we did the car ride only, not the walking area. So fun!

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Safari Lake Geneva - Capybaras!!!!

Capybaras!!!!

Safari Lake Geneva
Safari Lake Geneva

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Ocean Connections

Ocean Connections

3.0(2 reviews)
0.0 mi

I was at Hershey Park and came across their amphitheater, which was having an Oceans of Fun show,…read moreso I decided to stop in. In the center of the amphitheater was a nice, large pool where a few sea lions were swimming around. First, he did a couple of tricks including jumping around in the water, playing with a ball and kissing his trainer. He even waved to the crowd a couple of times! It was just amazing to see how smart and talented these beautiful animals are! I also found the information we were provided with to be very interesting including how the trainers work on the sea lion's schedule and the threats they face in the wild. I suppose the sea lions go back to Milwaukee in the winter and during the months the park is not fully open, though I'm not sure. Altogether, seeing Oceans of Fun was truly amazing and I would highly recommend it!

My son was given a reservation as a birthday gift. I was told the wrong date and we showed up a…read moreday later. (Which left me crying with a 9 year old CHILD.) This is a $100 event. Their policy states that if you miss the show, you lose your money. We offered to pay again for a different day since I empathize that this kind of program must be costly to run. We never once demanded a full refund. I find it EXTREEMLY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE that they wouldn't even offer us a discount for readmission. We were then told to call a manager. THEY NEVER CALLED BACK. I HAD TO CALL THEM AGAIN. I was told to wait for discounts that may come up during Black Friday. (You explain that to a child that doesn't understand.) This is not a concert/event that leaves town. So needless to say, the money was stolen. Nice way to treat zoo members, don't you think so? The manager kept repeating the word "policy" and "all of my documentation of the situation". Honey, I've been in management retail for 14 years. I have a masters degree in public health (service)....don't stand behind that excuse. I never once swore or treated the employees rudely.

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Ocean Connections - Join us for an experience of a life time!

Join us for an experience of a life time!

Ocean Connections - Kids can join us for an amazing summer camp experience!

Kids can join us for an amazing summer camp experience!

Ocean Connections - We have programs for all ages that will introduce you to the incredible world of marine mammals!

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We have programs for all ages that will introduce you to the incredible world of marine mammals!

Zoological Society of Milwaukee County - Welcome

Zoological Society of Milwaukee County

5.0(3 reviews)
0.0 mi

This last weekend we visited the MKE zoo and were so pleased with our experience. We live in Green…read moreBay and have visited the zoo a few times but this time was the first big outing that we've had with our kiddos since both being diagnosed with ADHD and my youngest with a sensory processing disorder. He has really been struggling at school with aggression and outbursts when dysregulated and we've been slowly reintroducing family outings since taking January when most of it started. To say we were nervous about taking a two hour car trip (both ways) and being in a busy place with lots of families around to watch if he got out of control is an understatement but we were feeling confident and ready to try it. We were so pleasantly surprised at the wait of the line - it looked incredibly long but the folks at the stands were all quick and we ended up going to the service desk to purchase a family pass for the year. While checking out I noticed a sign that said "sensory bags available" and had a pair of headphones on it signifying that there were noise cancelling headphones for kiddos who tend to dysregulate with loud noise/crowded areas/etc. I asked about them and the person at the desk shared that they were free to borrow and they had some small fidgets in them! Now, I'm not saying the bag was a lifesaving thing but it did definitely come in handy. My son instantly gravitated toward the headphones especially in smaller enclosed areas like the hippo and small mammal enclosure. He also loved the stretchy elastic fidgets and the bag was actually really handy to carry extra things that they accumulated in the zoo. This is a very long winded review to share that we really appreciated the sensory bags - from the free availability to the easy return process - thank you MKE zoo for thinking of neurodivergent kids that can utilize these bags for that elevated experience to let everyone in the family enjoy the day.

We are so lucky to have such a world class zoo in Milwaukee. Did you know that the sloth painting…read moreworks of art?? Even in this time of COVID, most of the exhibits are open including all the outdoor animals and select indoor exhibits. It's really important to support places like the zoo right now and it's great for our own mental health to get out and remember everything that's out there! It's easy to social distance and take other precautions to keep yourselves safe so consider a visit :)

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Zoological Society of Milwaukee County - Flamingos

Flamingos

Zoological Society of Milwaukee County - Cheetah enclosure (decided to take the headphones off in here)

Cheetah enclosure (decided to take the headphones off in here)

Zoological Society of Milwaukee County - Otter yawning!

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Otter yawning!

Milwaukee County Zoo - zoos - Updated June 2026

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