I've been loving the sunflower summer pass and have used it anytime we are out and about in different cities in Kansas. My sister just moved to the area and there was an hour of two that wasn't too hot so we decided to check out the zoo! A lot of the fences and gates make it hard to see the animals, so I think they could use some improvement in that area. My favorite was the tiger because we could see him so close up! The kids loved the zoo, and with kids under 5, we like small zoos that don't take all day. This one made the mark! A couple animals I wish they would add would be penguins and giraffes. There seemed to be a concession stand but that was closed the morning we went. There was a nice playground for the kids that we noticed as. There was a lot of adequate shade, which was nice. I would suggest having a stroller or a wagon because there is lots of walking and hills. Overall, for a smaller town Zoo it was great. We will be back sometime again when we visit my sister I am sure. read more

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Nice, reasonably priced zoo. My niece enjoyed looking at the animals at the park was fairly empty on a Friday morning. read more

Awesome small zoo. Very kids friendly and not any difficult walking. Get up close to the larger animals too!!

Clean, nice spaces for animals, not crowded. We went early on a weekday with our toddler and there was only a handful of people there. The animals were out and easy to see and the zoo was spacious and clean. read more

So I went to this sunset zoo today! And I'm so glad my daughter and I got to see the animals... but it was very sad there, so sadly I give zero stars, the animals did not look happy at all, from what I saw today it looks like the staff does not take good care of the animal's medically speaking, the chimpanzees had dry butts with blisters all over their butts and also bleeding! They just looked very sick and not healthy!!!From what I saw honestly broke my heart a little, I felt really bad for the animals. It was a really hot day for certain animals that are not from such a hot habitat, they looked hot and were pacing back and forth,AND PANTING HEAVILY.. yes they had water but they were still very hot:(some ... overall sunset zoo please take care of your animals because from what I saw today was not healthy at all! And today was also my first time being there, needless to say I was very disappointed:( I hope this is a one time issue and doesn't reoccur. If the staff can't do better at taking care of the animals FIRE ALL OF THEM...OTHERWISE THE RIGHT PERSON IS GONNA COME IN THERE AND SHUT IT DOWN. THIS WAS AN INCREDIBLY DISHEARTENING VISIT! read more

Sunset Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Manhattan, Kansas

Small but interesting. It can be seen in a short time. Property well maintained. A berry delightful place to spend time. read more

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Well treated animals. Well kept grounds. Really enjoyed the information posted. Free!

A great place to spend an afternoon. There's plenty of shade, an amazing playground. Pro tip: the annual pass is super worth it. You get access to tons of other zoos and being able to go for an hour or two is amazingly worth jt. read more

I just moved to Manhattan, and being the aspiring connoisseur of zoos that I am I immediately got a membership at the Sunset Zoo. It is only $30 for a year which also gets you into most zoos in the U.S. for free or half price. They also have military discounts. I didn't expect much before going, as it is just Manhattan, KS, but the entrance was new and looked very similar to big city zoos. They have a decent variety of animals including a Cheetah, Tiger, Chimpanzees, etc. Many of the cages/exhibits were on the smaller side, especially the small space for their Cheetah. I did like the way a few exhibits are set up that allow you to walk in to an area where the animals can walk right up to you if they wanted. It is pretty small, you could see the whole zoo in a little over an hour probably, but provides many peaceful sitting areas that you could spend hours relaxing or reading while being surrounded by animals and nature. There is only one concession stand (which is a good thing in my opinion) and it is not nearly as overpriced as big city zoos. Overall, it can't compete with big city zoos purely because of the small size of Manhattan, but for residents of Manhattan I strongly suggest becoming a member because outside of K State events (there aren't many in the summer) this is one of the best attractions in town. read more

Manhattan may not have a Gap or an Old Navy - gotta go to Topeka for 'big things' but just a quick drive from campus there is a zoo. Sort of. OK, I may be a bit spoiled coming from Chicago, home to both Lincoln Park Zoo & nearby Brookfield Zoo. Together those two zoos have probably had more mammals unfortunately die on their premises than the entire collection one can find at Sunset Zoo. That's only a slight overstatement. That doesn't mean that Sunset Zoo was a disappointment. It wasn't. I enjoyed my walk through seeing cheetahs, bears, bald eagles and feeding the goats. Come on, the gift shop is only open on the weekends. Let's put it like this, compared to St. Andrews or even Medinah, this was the miniature golf of zoos. read more

Sunset Zoo - The Eagle has landed. - Zoos Near Me - Manhattan, Kansas

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I love this place they take good care of there animal. The paths are clean and very easy to see. There animals look great and well fed

For a small town zoo I didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. I was really impressed with the layout and up keep of the park. We came when was kind of cool outside so seemed like a lot of the animals were out. More animals than I expected in such a small area. At $5 per person this is an excellent value. I will definitely come back. read more

Sunset Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Manhattan, Kansas

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Sunset zoo has a lot packed into a small zoo! We watched them feed and train the super cute otters. I loved that the meat for the big cats was hidden around their enclosure to give them some activities. One of the chimps followed us as we strolled past . You can tell the zoo was founded in the 1930s, since you can stay shaded under the canopy of trees that's grown up in and around the exhibits. read more

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For a local zoo, Sunset is pretty good. There are quite a few animals including large cats and anteaters. The zoo is relatively inexpensive and they have different specials that make it even cheaper on certain days. It's nice that Sunset Zoo is located right within Manhattan and can provide some quick family fun at a low cost. Definitely check out Sunset Zoo if you're looking for something new to do outside! read more

Great environment and my 5 year old daughter enjoyed the zoo as well. Great selection of animals for the size of the zoo. read more

Sunset Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Manhattan, Kansas

The zoo was over-all clean and very pretty to walk thru, only downside is it's very small and not a lot of animals.

Very cute zoo. Good selection of animals and they all look very happy and enriched! Staff was extremely friendly and the zoo is very clean!!

This is a really nice, small zoo. It wasn't very busy which was really nice. The only things that sucked was the petting zoo was shut down and my kids really were looking forward to that. The other thing is there's a very steep hill you have to go up as your looking at the exhibits and it is extremely tiring to walk up. The good things are that there's a playground for the kids and a picnic area as well as a concession stand. The Australian exhibit was my favorite bc the kangaroos are not in cages and you can get really close to them if they don't get scared and hop away. read more

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Sunset is a charming complement to the city of Manhattan. Just like the city itself, Sunset has many features of a big city zoo, but with a lot less of the hassle, the crowds, and the over-priced goods. Unlike giant zoos which usually take an entire day to get a glimpse of every animal, Sunset allows for visitors to stroll through the park without the worry of not having enough time. You can spend thirty minutes watching the chimps play without having to hurry along through the rest of the animals. Another small-town feature of the zoo is the fact that not everything is commercialized. While larger zoos have vendors on every corner trying to take your money, Sunset has one small gift shop, and a small concessions stand that aren't intruding on your visit. However, like the large zoos, there is a wide variety of animals, well-designed exhibits, and is well-suited for children. read more

What a treasure this little place is! When we arrived there was a group of kids and volunteers having a bake sale out front to raise money for programs at the zoo. The zoo was founded in 1933 by a local veterinarian and has been growing and expanding since then. The entry for adults was $4 and for kids $2. We spent at least 3-4 hours wandering around with our 3yr old boy. The exhibits are separated by region which was an excellent layout for a small zoo like this. There are meandering paths that connect the exhibits and the entire place feels very roomy (like they aren't trying to cram something into every bit of space). The are chimpanzees, a tiger, snow leopards, sloth bears, cheetahs, and much more. A few of the exhibits allow the visitors to walk into the exhibit area (one was an aviary and another in the Australia section with wallabees). My brother mentions that in the winter it seems a lot of the animals aren't out because of the cold weather but we were able to see most everything. Overall I'd say there were about 40-50 different species on display (maybe more) and it was a great afternoon. My son already wants to go back next time we're in town so that he can Julian the chimpanzee. read more

Kinda small, but they're constantly improving and expanding. It grew an incredible amount during my time in Manhattan. They have a children's section with a petting zoo and good programs for kids. This place is also AZA accredited, so you know they work hard to take care of the animals. As for grown-ups, they have programs for you, too! Wine in the Wild and Brew at the Zoo are two examples where you can sip adult beverages and enjoy catered food while knowing that your money goes to support their expansion projects. The zoo also partners with others in town, most notably reading programs at the public library and Movies on the Grass with K-State. read more

This isn't a world class zoo, but it's very sweet. The animals are well cared for, and you can even adopt one to take care of (financially that is. Damn, I really wanted a goat! Nice outing for an afternoon. read more

This is such a great little zoo. Perfect if you are driving on a long car ride and need some place to stretch your legs. Admission pays to keep it in business and you can see the whole thing in an hour. We saw a baby gibbon and the tigers were quite active. Lots of shade from trees and winding paths make it quite picturesque. read more

Sunset Zoo - See the tigers from above! - Zoos Near Me - Manhattan, Kansas

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We had the best experience here! My daughters had their birthday party here and the staff was fantastic. The price includes cupcakes and we paid extra for face painting. The kids had a great time getting to pet some animals, learn about different animals and take a little walk through the zoo. It was the best birthday party we have ever been to and quite a few friends remarked the same! Very affordable and unique place to have a birthday party! The zoo itself is small but awesome! Always clean, with a variety of animals who are well taken care of. read more

I went a few years ago and it wasn't as great as I was expecting. It is great for Manhattan and something worth visiting if you live there or are going to college there for something different to do. However, if you are traveling through the city I wouldn't recommend visiting it as it's not that great. read more

This zoo is accredited and has A LOT of educational experiences for kids.

I really enjoyed the monkeys.. It has gotten better in the last couple of years. The animals seem to be very active every time we go and the the cages are constalnly being upgraded.. I dont feel as sorry for the animals in the cages. It is a fun time when we go! read more

We are used to big zoos, but this is a great change of pace. Small but not too small. Great exhibits, with not a whole lot to read. The animals are all very close and accessible. read more

Had a great time at this zoo! The people there were very knowledgeable, and it wasn't too awful busy. The admission prices were amazing and well worth it! Go if you get a chance. read more

Took date here and we were not impressed. Layout isn't all that great and even with map we couldn't tell where we were for sure.

Not bad for a small town zoo...would be nice if better enclosures could be afforded... They do some events at the zoo to raise funds. I hope they do more. It could be a great zoo with community support. read more