The animals are visible and cared for . We saw staff taking care of the animals, the enclosure…read morelooked clean, some animals were off site for the season but enough for my toddler to enjoy.

Good place to explore with children in Aurora. It turns out to be a bigger place than it looks…read more Phillips Park Zoo is the highlight of this big public park and one of the best things about the city as well. Best thing is there's no admission price. This makes it even more worth it for looking around once, and you can come back as often as you want if planning to come more times. Even though it's kind of small, it feels there's a lot inside and you can be here awhile. It's got an interesting history. The beginnings of the zoo started when it was established in 1915, and a birdhouse was built the next year. Over the following few years the animal collection grew. There were birds, black bears, buffalo, deer, elk, foxes, monkeys, and wolves. In 1933 the birdhouse was destroyed in a hailstorm, and the following year the Brookfield Zoo opened. They chose to refocus on native animals after this. A few years after this, mastodon bones and tusks were found in the park. These were put on display in the zoo. In 1950 a barn was built. The following years included the addition of a water wheel. Farm animals such as goats, as well as birds like swans have their exhibits around these. The more recent additions include cougars, as well as improvements to exhibits for reptiles and wolves. Also the zoo has a few resources for education. The ZooCiety has various activities and programs. Have to say it's a good zoo for the city. It's located in the middle of the park. This is particularly a good one for young children, but it's open for everyone, so it's also okay for adults or whoever.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE…read more Raising children is hard, but Wolf's Crossing Community Park makes life a bit easier. Located on the Naperville / Oswego border where 95th St dead-ends into Wolf's Crossing Rd, this public park incorporates 33 acres of carefully planned and meticulously maintained space. It's the perfect answer when asked by your kid for the umpteenth time "wHaT aRe wE dOoOiNg ToDaY?" This complex features a playground, splash pad, covered pavilion, basketball courts, sand volleyball, tennis/pickleball courts, a lookout point with sledding hill and a ninja warrior obstacle course. It connects to various biking trails and there's onsite public bathrooms with plenty of parking. The ~100ft zipline is a standout feature and draws a considerable line on busier days. Watching kids nearly get yeeted off into the bushes makes for great theater! I assume the weight limit is 200lbs so next time I'ma have a go at it (get outta my way, kids!) The only thing missing is concessions, as the lone pop machine near the restrooms didn't appear to work. I think there's enough people here on a routine basis to warrant building a snack shop! I'd love to serve nachos and root beer to hungry peeps, as long as I got paid $25/hr. * TL;DR * This idyllic, multi-faceted rec area is fully deserving of its perfect rating. Wolf's Crossing Community Park was built with young children and special accommodations in mind, easily accessible to all ages & abilities. The fam spent several hours here (granted, most of them were confined to the splash pad) and we barely scratched the surface. I can't wait to beast through that legit obstacle course some day when I remember to wear close-toed shoes. Ain't no way my clumsy ass is making it through there in flip flops. WCCP has tons of what we in the gaming realm refer to as "replayability", essentially, is there enough stuff to do on repeat visits? You bet there is! See for yourself, check them out before summer's gone!

Wolf's Crossing playground and splash pad are a big hit with the kiddos in the summer months. It is…read moreusually pretty crowded because it is such a fun place. But it's free fun and kids always make new friends to play with. Highly recommended for those days you can't think of anything to do with the kids, and screens are becoming a problem.