While in town, my husband and I went to the Peoria Zoo to see the zoo lights. It is highly recommended that you buy tickets ahead of time. Entries are timed so that the zoo doesn't get too crowded at any one time. Most animals are asleep or in other areas at night but we did get to see the lion and some other animals. The zoo was large and spacious. There were nice walking paths that you could take to get to the different areas of the zoo. The different sections of the zoo were well labeled. There were many, many lights and plenty of opportunities to take pictures. I would visit the Peoria Zoo again. read more

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Peoria Zoo is a nice small-ish zoo to finish. Granted, I am spoiled living near Brookfield and/or Lincoln Park Zoo. But I wanted to check out this location since I was in the area. Parking was a little confusing. GPS tried to direct me to the a possible south entrance which was closed. Then it redirected to the possible East entrance...which did not exist. Finally, I was able to find the entrance which was a West entrance. Entering it was a little more confusing since there were at least two possible entrances so I had to stop and wait for the blinking lights to tell me which to take to the zoo. The Zoo parking has a little lot. If it fills up, I think people were parking on the street leading up to the zoo and/or a big lot to the south... but I could be wrong The Zoo itself was very clean and well maintained. There are not a lot of animals compared to my local zoo, but the exhibits were very nice and spread out. It seems like each animal should have plenty of room to roam around. We did stop by the food area for a quick lunch. The food selection were very impressive, as well as the quality and price. I ate the Turkey Bacon Wrap and I was impressed at the quality of food I had. Overall, the Zoo is impressive, but it is an hour or two zoo visit. read more

This is an awesome zoo for such a small town. Cheap tickets and great variety of animals! read more

Peoria Zoo - Giraffes - Zoos Near Me - Peoria, Illinois

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Always love seeing animals, they have a lion, zebra, giraffes, snakes, and much more. Worth the drive. read more

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I've been to this zoo 4 times. It has 4 sections; combined it took us about 90 minutes. All the animals are up close. The entire zoo has a balance of sun and shade. Quite a few animals for a small zoo. Very stroller friendly; ramps instead of stairs. The 3 sections are: 1.) "the original section" which is a building that has monkeys, foxes and an outside area with a barn with goats and donkeys and a conservation center 2.) an Asian section which has a handful of exhibits with animals like tigers and takins, and a small building with snakes and bats 3.) an African section which takes up almost half the area with big enclosures for rhinos, zebras, and the like 4.) an Australian walkabout Zoo is very clean, well-maintained - and can do as much or as little as you like. And.. there's a children's museum within walking distance as well! read more

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Nice, smaller zoo. Actually, not that small..it's a decent size. They've got a nice representation here including African and Australian exhibits that showcase some impressive animals. In our walk through the Australian exhibit we heard a rustle in some long reeds. We stopped to look and a wallaby came out. That kind of made our day as he/she stepped out and just sat down for several minutes while eating. It was really hot the day we visited so some of the animals were understandably inside or dormant. For the price you pay here you get to see quite a bit, and the zoo itself is well taken care of. Cheers. read more

Peoria Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Peoria, Illinois

This is a great little zoo. Super affordable with a great balance of sun and shade. I loved the exhibits and the animals were able to be seen and enjoyed. Highly recommend. read more

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What a nice little zoo, for its size there are a good amount of exhibits and animals, we really enjoyed feeding the birds and giraffes, and the big cats were great. My son loved the meerkats. This is a great little zoo, very nice. It's a little small for the price, but we ended up having lunch outside in the park in front, the bathrooms were clean, and we had an issue with a kid getting split up and the staff was right on it. If you are in the area, its worth stopping read more

Super fun place and very cool looking. The animals look very well taken care of. And employees are super nice

Just awesome. We are from the south suburbs of Chicago, but I absolutely love this zoo. It has tons of charm, and even more love and care goes into taking care of the zoo itself & animals.. it shows! We got to feed the giraffe, and picked up some turtle drawn art before we left. Absolutely wonderful place to go and get up close with the animals. read more

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I went there with my grandma this morning and we enjoyed the zoo and it was a relaxing and enjoyable day read more

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I had a surreal experience here. A male lion stared at me up near the glass enclosed and roared for a good 10 seconds. Amazing creature. The tigers were awesome too. read more

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A nice place to take the kids for a short afternoon trip. It's small so no need to be there all day but big enough so the kids feel they're on an adventure. Parking is limited since it's a small place. read more

Peoria Zoo - Visiting grandma - Zoos Near Me - Peoria, Illinois

This review is kind of unconventional, in that it does not rate the Zoo so much as it does the Zambezi River Lodge, where you can hold wedding receptions. Yes, you heard me right. Wedding receptions. At the Zoo. Roar! When I told my grandmother I was having a wedding reception at the zoo, she laughed. Then she asked, in her lovely Puerto Rican accent, "really mamita, where are you going to have your reception?" Crystal: "The Zoo." Grandma: "Ha ha ha, really now, where?" Crystal: "The Zoo! The Zoo! What part of "the zoo" don't you understand!?" Okay, okay, so I'm just kidding about that final reaction, but it did take a while to get it through her head. I know it's not the usual hotel ballroom or cater inn, but I loved it! Why should you have your wedding at the Zoo? 1.) Unique atmosphere and very pretty room with circular layout, view of the Africa exhibit. 2.) Have a list of "preferred caterers," but are willing to work with you and in your budget so that you don't have to order $100 plates of food for all your guests. 3.) Their events manager, Preston Waters, is awesome and really knows his stuff. He has everything under control, literally, and doesn't overlook any details. He's your man! 4.) They have lots of tables and chairs, so you don't have to rent any. 5.) Awesome kitchen for caterers, great audio system for djs, clean and modern bathrooms right on site. 6.) Preston drove around in one of their extended "golf carts" to search for wedding guests around Glen Oak Park and shuttle them to the Lodge. Cons: In my mind, the only "con" is the price, which was $900 for us as museum members/$1000 for non-members, and I've heard it has since gone up. But, I truly think it was worth every penny. This was probably the only real "splurge" in our wedding, with everything else being very low-budget. read more

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Staff was very friendly but sadly we weren't able to see many animals. Many exhibits were closed for some reason. My daughter and I came at 3pm which is later than I would've liked to go but naps come first. It's not a big park so we were able to actually make it through the park and gift shop in 1.50 hours (we were going slow). It was a bit odd with all of the exhibit closures (when we went the closed areas were: the entire Australian walkabout, part of the African exhibit, bat section, Galapagos tortoise, meerkats, muntjac, and alligator). I expected to start running into animals being corralled into their internal enclosures toward the end but literally there were barriers up all over. My daughter is 1 so she was free but with families with many kids 2 or up might be way more disappointed or frustrated. Like I said staff was super friendly and the actual park was nicely laid out so no complaint there. Otherwise, it was a nice afternoon for a good walk, occasionally seeing some cool animals and learning some neat facts. read more

I'm from out of town visiting and came to the zoo with my family. It's super small but definitely worth taking a tour. I love the fact that the animals are up close and personal because you actually get to interact with them. At the San Diego Zoo everything is glass and you barely see the animals. I love the Australia exhibit because the animals are free to roam and they literally are standing right in front of you. Enough animals to see for a small zoo, great price, very stroller friendly. Definitely worth going if you need to kill time or district your kids. read more

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Zoo is very nice and they have a wider selection of wildlife. The gift shop is the equivalent of a tourist town over packed souvenir shop. Not enough room for everything inside. It's like stuffing 10lbs of stuff in a 5 lbs box. Also would be better if they had more refreshment stations throughout the park to aid thirst. Zoo staff were friendly and courteous read more

Let me open with, this is a local thing. If you live in the Peoria area and you like zoos, you should definitely be a member. Great place to pop in for an hour and relax (and then walk over to Chef & the Baker, or Rumbergers for lunch). If you have little ones you can join this up with the Children's museum for an extended morning/afternoon. If you have a tiny one like me (2 yrs old) it will likely take 2 trips to see everything. They have a really nice Africa section with lions, zebra, rhinos, giraffes, monkeys....etc.... They also have a neat little Outback area where you walk among a few animals (not a kangaroo, but something like it). There is also an indoor section with some pretty cool monkey's for a rainy day. For those that compare this to a large zoo (like San Diego or Washington), you will be disappointed. This is a small zoo that won't take more than 2 hours if you walk at a normal pace. Not real pricey (I think $8-9), but not a place to travel to see. Again, I think the member value truly kicks in for this place. My recommendation is based on that experience. Enjoy! read more

I currently happen to be in Peoria, and since i didn't want to be stuck in the hotel, i decided to visit the Zoo. Its been almost 5 years since i visited the zoo, i should say that this is a small zoo and is almost 1/3rd the size of the Chicago zoo ( in terms of space and animals). I visited alone and it took me roughly 90 minutes to view all the animals. I was bummed that the front desk lady didn't give me any maps, but since it was so small, i didn't need one. Only bummer was that the only Tiger in the zoo appeared to me malnourished. I was happy to see the Lion, Giraffe, and Rhino's. No Elephants and large birds of prey. They have a very small selection of reptiles. For some reason the Wild Australian walk through Section was closed, although i could see the Kangaroo's Emo's and Walibis through the fence opening. I wish i could have seen this part of the zoo. For $9.00 per adult, they have a decent selection of animals, and i feel that given few more years of growth this zoo can become a good public attraction for Peoria. read more

Cozy, quick, and easy! This zoo was just right for me and my 4 kids (ages 8months-8years) to visit while tagging along on Dad's business trip. Coming from Omaha and it's world renowned zoo, I was scepticla if it would be enjoyable. What I loved was that it felt like going through a walk in the woods (beautiful old trees! Everywhere!) and along our winding path we were able to see some amazing animals living outside. I could tell it was an old zoo, but it was clean and well-kept. We loved the Australian Walk-through exhibit. Seeing wallabies and emus up close was amazing for all of us! We were able to walk through the whole zoo, have lunch, play in several different play areas-all in 3 hours! That is a win for me as a mom! I only wish we lived closer so we could come back to this sweet zoo way more often! read more

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MY wife and I have been so impressed with our Peoria Zoo since the African Exhibit addition and upgrade. Of course it isn't a large zoo, but like much that Peoria has to offer you can have a really nice esperience in a short visit (you don't have to be there 9 hours to feel you got your moneys worth) and you don't have to spend multiple hours commuting to and from this zoo. I was absolutely knocked out by the sound system and the boardwalk in the African Exhibit . The sound transports me to another place. I can't believe how much mileage our park district got out of twenty million dollars! read more

Peoria Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Peoria, Illinois

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The Peoria Zoo has an amazing staff and volunteers who seem genuinely committed to caring for the animals in residence. It's a small zoo, but there are some fun opportunities for kids to interact with animals. My kids love feeding the Australian budgies and the animals in the small petting zoo near the entrance. We also enjoyed meeting the zoo's reptile keeper, a living treasure who seemed to know everything there is to know about alligators and frogs. Prices here are very reasonable on everything from dining at the zoo's Zambezi River Lodge to gift shop souvenirs. The zoo also features several areas for kids to play, and there is a lovely park just outside the zoo with plenty of playground equipment. read more

It's not a big zoo like the kind I grew up with, but for a smaller zoo it's decent. My daughter loves it because of the seal aquarium set up which works with me because there are benches in the shade right behind so I watch the little monkeys while she watches the seals. =) The new Africa exhibit really makes it a lot better because there is more space for the animals. When we went to visit, the lions were laying down right next to the big glass window to their exhibit. That was awesome, until the lions decided to engage in breeding activities. It was so funny how all the parents grabbed their kids and bolted to the next exhibit so they wouldn't have to explain it. Although I did the same as them too. Still, hilarious moment. The one thing I don't like about the zoo is that to get in and out you have to walk through the gift shop. Having an eager toddler makes this very aggravating. read more

I love zoos, big and small, and have come to appreciate each institution for the work that they do in their communities. The Peoria Zoo, although not the biggest, is a cute little zoo, that has been doing some really nice renovations and thematic exhibits over the years. Their newest exhibits, such as the Africa walkway and Australian exhibit, are quite lovely. It's nice to see a zoo that is able to raise funds for both the care of the animals and space. As far as animals go, they have a nice variety of critters, including big cats, monkeys, reptiles, amphibians, insects, bats, giraffes, zebra, wallabies, etc. Bring a dollar to feed the budgies. They are super cute, and love gobbling up the seeds on the sticks provided. If you get hungry too, you can mosey on down to the Zambezi River Lodge, which has ample seating, cool African decor, and a variety of kid friendly food like hot dogs, chicken fingers, etc. As a side note, I also got to experience the Zambezi River Lodge as wedding venue for my sister's nuptials almost 5 years ago, and it was beautiful. This isn't a conventional location, but the staff is really friendly, the space is unique and pretty, the price is affordable, and we all had a good time. read more

We were so pleased with the Peoria Zoo that we bought a membership. It is just the right size! The animals look well cared for and the park is clean and easy to get around, even with a clunky stroller. We saw a group from a nursing home that day, and they were able to navigate the entire zoo in wheelchairs - VERY nicely done! Since it is in affiliation with other zoos, buying the membership allows us to visit other zoos too. read more

It is hard to rate any zoo after you have been to The San Diego Zoo, but this one is just fine for the area. This is a great zoo for introducing animals to little ones. There are a variety of animals, the most popular being giraffes, lions, rhinos, seals, and monkeys. There is a small petting zoo with a llama (who has a serious staring problem), goats, bunnies, and more. I loved that they had an enclosed walk through with wallabies. It made the kids feel really immersed and up close in the habitat. The zoo also as picnic areas and a few play areas. The park is clean and easy to navigate. I was a part of a field trip, and the staff was very knowledgeable and patient with all the kids. So awesome! I would like to see a couple things improve. We missed several animals due to closed exhibits or animals not being let out yet. Maybe we had bad timing? Also, with all the animals and little dirty hands, I was really bothered that there was no warm water or soap in the bathrooms. So bring hand sanitizer!!! I still enjoy my visit and think the low prices are a great deal! Great place to spend an afternoon. read more

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Super cute little zoo. I have only been there twice, once for actually looking at the animals and once for the Halloween hunt thingy. It's very clean and looks very nice. Yes, it's small, but I think it has a nice display of animals. It's very open and the animals aren't in cages, which I enjoy seeing. I think we will be taking our small children here a lot this next summer. I'm sure they will enjoy it, older children might not as much. There is a small gift shop and places to eat. Lots of walking, but that is pretty typical of a zoo I think. For the most part is seemed pretty wheelchair friendly if you have a family member that needed to be pushed around. I pushed a stroller around there this fall fairly easily. Good place for an afternoon of family time. read more

We visited the Glen Oak Zoo after the opening of the Africa exhibit. It was hyped up to be much more than it really is. To get to the giraffes, there is a lot of walking. I liked the bridge you walk to get to the giraffes a lot, it just would have been a lot nicer if you could get closer to the other animals for viewing. read more

Very clean, friendly staff. Bigger than Miller Park in Bloomington, and had a better variety of animals. Was able to get through it in a little over 90 minutes (with no kids). read more

I liked the zoo. I saw the new Africa exhibit and it is very nice. It's not a huge zoo but you can tell people are putting a lot of work into it. They have a touching zoo too I liked. I like the monkies the most. read more

Used their rental facilities for a wedding event in August 2014; despite a change in event coordinators halfway through the process and some difficulty finding information, the Peoria Zoo is overall a high value choice and strongly recommended for your event needs. Pros: - The price of the event space also includes the ability to use the event space for rehearsal from 5PM-6PM - You may store a small amount of set up items the night before in a back office - Rental space includes staff to help with setting up the event space starting at 3:30PM - The rondoval has outlets everywhere; great atmosphere for ceremony and reception dance floor conversion - Tables and chairs included - Full kitchen in back Cons: - Although wifi is available, reliable live-streaming is still a ways off and not something the zoo technical staff is able to help with (in case you also are interesting in trying this) - You can only purchase alcohol via Peoria Zoo and you are not permitted to keep any unopened/unused alcohol -- it was hard to find the information on this at their website and it wasn't included in the handouts at our first sit-down - No good changing space/hide-y hole area for the wedding party. The cons far outweigh the pros and some of the cons themselves are highly particular, so they may not apply to you. Since I was taking pictures offsite before the ceremony, a suite area for changing didn't apply to me at all. read more

SAVE YOURSELF SOME DISAPPOINTMENT...DON'T GO HERE. Worse zoo experience I've ever had in my 60 years on this planet. There's so much wrong with this place that I don't know where to begin. Whoever designed this zoo had their head way far up there where the sun don't shine. For starters, it's not wheelchair friendly at all. I took my mom there today & she's in a wheelchair. Every doorway threshold was a challenge to get over & the paved pathways are extremely bumpy & full of potholes. Extreme lack of signs telling you where the animals are, or map showing where you are in relation to anything else. Time & again we happened upon an empty exhibit & had no idea what animal we were supposed to be looking for until we were leaving it & would see a small sign saying what animal it was. Sometimes we'd be going from one apparently empty exhibit to the next, wondering where the animals were. I saw more signs explaining about the climate of the country the animal was from than what the actual animal was. When we decided to leave after only seeing a few animals here & there, we couldn't even find any exit signs to guide us in the right direction to get the hell out of the pitiful place. I had to ask several locals, who weren't all that sure either, & when asked for directions, started every answer with, "I think it' might be..." One area is a wooden walkway that has a railing that was seemingly built specifically to block the view of anyone who happened to be in a wheelchair. It's like they researched what height the average wheelchair bound person's line of sight is, then put a thick railing at exactly that height. In short, it's a very poorly designed & barely maintained place that hardly serves the purpose for which it was built. Definitely not worth the time & effort at all. I'll never go back there, despite loving to see animals. I just hope the animals are being treated right. read more

This is a great little zoo and a great way to spend a couple hours. Make sure to take advantage of the free admission to the Botanical Gardens also. I could not give this zoo five stars because I am used to going to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo which is the best there is with so many more components but it is crowded and takes all day to go through. I enjoyed the clean, well organized flow of this little zoo and it was just right for us on our trip. read more

First off, this zoo is really awesome for a small one. But, I went here with my mom a few weeks ago. The parking lot is really small and I suggest to expand it a bit. The memberships actually help a lot. The first thing we went to was, the Asia exhibit only has tigers and I would like to see more Asian animals. But, you probably don't have room for it. I must say though, the tigers are really cute. I would like to see them have tiger cubs sometime. The walk about is really nice because they have Austrailian animals that you can't see anywhere else in the zoo. Like walabies, emos, Black Swans, and parakeets. In "Africa!" Their's rhino's, zebras, gazelles, Giraffes, Lion's, and Red River Hogs. There's also new Lion Cubs and Red River Hogs. Also, in that area their's a cafe with really great food. Actually, really disappointed that there's no elephants and that Rosie died. :( This is a great place to take the kids and it's a really fun place. Also, visit the petting zoo! read more