Great place to visit for a family fun adventure. It's really easy to just walk in and start roaming…read morearound. There are wagons and some gravel road/trails that meander the property. If bringing a stroller, I'd suggest a jogging stroller or something with inflatable wheels. There are tons of pumpkins, all different sizes for carving. If you're looking for something more decorative, there are gourds galore! If you want something unique, they have all kinds of bumpy, lumpy textures pumpkins too. Of course there are apples, you can pick your own or grab a bag from the store. I've never had donuts but apparently they're good, I do know the caramel apples and caramel corn are delicious. For activities...take your pick between a small little zoo, I'd say more observation than petting. I saw pigs, bunnies, chickens and goats. There are a couple corn mazes but they aren't free, buy entry at the store cashier. They do have an area for a little bonfire some days and there are trails and a big pile of hay bales to climb around on. Pick your own apples is definitely an activity too! Nice little gem out there in Oronoco!

They do a great job!!! If you like apples, pumpkins, and a great atmosphere, this is the place to…read morego.

Cool place to check out of you or your kids are into snakes, lizards or gators! Kinda small and you…read morecan get through the place in about 30 minutes. The best parts of our visit were: 1. Watching staff feed the animals 2. For $5 you can hold and get a picture with a small gator or large snake Parking is free. The zoo is within an outdoor shopping mall so it took me a minute to find it. My GPS was leading me to the wrong building. It's in the front left corner of the shopping strip.

The first glimpse is a little deceiving. The front area is pretty good, but there are a substantial…read morenumber of displays in the back. They brought out a huge snake and a young alligator for us to see up close. You can also get pictures with some animals for an extra charge. Fun for everyone, but especially little kids.

Must see - llamas are out in the open for visitors in their habitat. Definitely a cool experience…read more My biased opinion - The Red panda and the red fox are the cutest animals there. Dipping dot flavors are good, but a soft serve would be amazing.

First time checking out the Treetop Trail, a great addition to the zoo! Half of the trail is in…read moremore of a wooded area with limited animals. Unfortunately, we started on that side so our kiddos were a little bored by the time we got halfway through. Note to self: start on the other side first next time. There are plenty of places to exit and enter along the trail. The playgrounds were also a huge hit. We spent more time on those than we did seeing actual animals. I loved the self-service kiosk at the food station, and they have great beer options, too. It's a busy place no matter when you go, but it's so nice to have that much space to walk around and explore. Excited for the Japanese monkey update coming soon!

FLORA & FAUNA This…read morefabulous public zoo in Saint Paul is fun, multi-faceted, and FREE! When researching things to do in the Twin Cities, Como Park Zoo & Conservatory popped up on numerous "best of" lists, including best places to bring kids, best free attractions, and other recommended activities. The family and I came here in early June, and we had a lovely time. Parking is free but lots fill up quickly and street spots are on a first-come basis, so the longer you wait, the further you'll have to walk.  My advice is to get here early to avoid the gauntlet of busses filled with school groups, summer camps, and other families heading to the zoo. They suggest a voluntary donation of $5/kid and $8/adult; we chipped in $20 for our family of four.  By comparison, Brookfield Zoo in Illinois charges $30/adult and $21/kid....the 4 of us would have paid $100 PLUS parking.  The Shedd Aquarium in downtown Chicago is even pricier, so this was a welcome relief. We saw giraffes, a gorilla, polar bears, zebras, fishes, turtles, colorful dart frogs, a tiger, and lots more.  Within the zoo is a small amusement park with a handful of kiddie rides and a 'Galaxy' model roller coaster, as well as a splendid carousel outside the park that's $4/pp.  All rides are open seasonally from May-Sept. The sea lion show seemed mid.  They made a big deal of it (not to mention amassing a huge crowd) and all I saw were some volunteers trying to complete some goofy task faster than a sea lion would.  There was a lot of narration but very little actual activity from what I could tell.  yawn. We couldn't get anything to eat or drink outside of the visitor center cafe.  None of the snack stands were open (despite it being 11:45) and every pop machine was either unplugged, sold out, or all the plastic bottles were removed for environmental reasons.  Thank goodness we packed snacks for the kiddos. The conservatory was breathtaking: lush jungles with funky plants like the Ipecac tree, air potato, chocolate, cacti, and aloe.  We encountered a logjam of people near the fruit tree section with everyone stopping to admire fig, papaya, coffee, and sugarcane plants. The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory was home to a legendary 81" tall corpse flower named 'Frederick' in 2025.  These plants, considered some of the rarest and smelliest on earth, bloom once every few years and last for only 1-2 days.  Witnessing this in person takes incredible (lucky) timing or tremendous patience. 'Horace', their latest corpse flower, displayed his magnificent burgundy bloom from 6/7/26 to 6/9/26.  We missed it by less than a week!  These generate quite a crowd, with lines stretching for hours and people waiting outside to view (and smell) a once-in-a-lifetime botanical event. * TL;DR * A cool zoo, an even cooler conservatory, and the coolest part?  You don't even have to crack open your wallet. Spending a day at Como Park Zoo is perfect for those wishing to embark on budget-friendly adventures.  Pack a lunch, wear comfortable walking shoes, and get here around opening to take advantage of decent parking.  The animals appeared to be well taken care of, and the grounds were clean. The conservatory is stunning although the narrow pathways can get crowded during peak hours.  We loved our time spent here and would highly recommend Como Park Zoo & Conservatory for families or solo travelers seeking to kill a few hours in the Twin Cities.

Beautiful place. Easy to walk around. You gift your admission upon entry. Nice little cafe and…read morethe entrance has some amazing lily pads. It made for a wonderful stop in the late morning. They also have a carousel on property

This is a destination spot, for sure. I live in Minneapolis and even the trip down is pleasant (I…read morerecommend going down the Wisconsin side of the river), with great views and frequent eagle sightings. Lake City is a very pretty place to stop and take a walk, with lots of good places to eat. Continuing down to Wabasha (back on the Minnesota side of the Mississippi) , it's a really pretty drive. The Eagle Center is equal parts educational and a place to get up close and personal with a variety of eagles. They also have demonstrations that are guaranteed to delight both kids and adults. Take a bit of time and walk around the town of Wabasha, which was established in 1854. Many of the old homes and buildings still remain in this very historic town. The Eagle Center and the town of Wabasha are great destinations at any time of the year.

We didn't see much eagles, just two injured ones in a tiny room of ppl packed like sardines and it…read moresmelled of farts . For tiny museum we spent 54 on 2 adults and 3 kids for 30 min of walking around of tiny museum with random eagle facts and army stuff ... weird Wonder Woman statue ... it was not worth it. If you go there don't pay for the museum just walk around the area it's pretty there by the river . We all thought we will see eagles but you don't maybe if you go there at certain season ( we went in mid October)

Went here on Independence Day weekend due to recommendations I've received from locals. The actual…read moreviewing area for the animals is a little bit longer of a drive once you enter the park winding through the forest. Parking and admission is free but they do accept donations. They were a decent amount of animals to look at from birds to bears. The only downside is that the animal exhibits were only a few which isn't bad if you're three for picnics or exploring the forest/play on one of their various playgrounds. They do have a concession stand in their welcome center but doesn't look like much. All in all, a good place to spend a summer afternoon if you way to plan a picnic or do something outdoors as well as spend some time petting animals!

This is one of the best parks in the Midwest…read more The zoo is fun during the summer, with peacocks that are free to roam around the avian area. We spent a good couple of hours just watching them doing bird things, including ostentatious displays of power and mating ability. This year, we went in fall and the birds were away. We did see some bison behind a fence. It's quite amazing to be three feet away from them, something which you wouldn't be able to do safely in the wild. Further down the road, there are a couple of donated buildings: an early 20th century area school and a 19th century pioneer log home. The school is a particularly fine piece of architecture. Scattered through the park are many pavilions and covered picnic tables. It's a great park and zoo!

Fun, family friendly. Five dollars to pick, tractor ride up to the orchard, corn mazes, play area…read moreand farm petting zoo. It was a good deal. You pay separate for the 1 peck bags. The orchard is all honeycrisp currently; great looking trees. They have elk at the back of the orchard. They have mums and pumpkins for sale. In the large barn they have crafts and food for sale. The things to improve are the bathrooms, just a porta-potty, and hand washing facilities, especially by the petting zoo area.

Fun for the whole family! Educational, entertaining, and encouraging. The place is staffed by an…read moreall sober crew, which is inspiring in itself. They are clear-headed. Native-American traditions can be found and purchased here as well as other unique souvenirs. A good day to spend a day in a very "locals only" type atmosphere. Check it out. Go Wolves!

Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with my visit to this "animal sanctuary." I visited during…read morethe winter with my sister and nephew. Upon entering, we were greeted by a man holding a large fox that my nephew was able to pet, which was very exciting! Upon closer inspection though, we noticed the fox could barely hold his head up and looked like he may have been drugged. The wolves had a fairly open enclosure, but the large cats and other animals (cougars, fox, raccoons, etc.) had shockingly small cages- probably the size of an average dog run. It was very depressing for us to see. We did not see any educational signs near the cages. You are also allowed to feed any of the animals which I found odd because there are many reasons (in human favor) that you should not feed wild animals. Hopefully some wildlife advocates will close this place down and get them transferred to a proper place... or at least require the animals have larger cages.

It's been SO many years since i've been to Sea Life. I recall when I was a kid going here a lot…read morewhen spending weekends w/ my dad, used to be conveyor belts moving you through the exhibits. I love that now you can take your time. They have an Animal Crossing event which was fun for the kids. I personally loved seeing the fish and sea creatures cross over above us in the tunnel parts. Also love jellyfish so that section was really cool to me as well. They do get you with the photo thing and having you wait in the store. Of course the kids are going to want everything. Would definitely make me skip the photo all together next time. Fun to experience every few years!

We decided to visit the aquarium at the Mall of America, and it turned out to be a great…read moreexperience. The highlight of our visit was the long underwater tunnel, which provides an incredible view of sharks, rays, and a wide variety of fish swimming all around you. The exhibits were well maintained, and the animals appeared healthy and well cared for. There was a good variety of marine life to see, and the layout made it easy to explore at a comfortable pace. Overall, it's a very nice aquarium and a worthwhile attraction if you're visiting the Mall of America, especially for families or anyone who enjoys marine life.