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

WOW. WOW. WOW. There's simply nothing like this!…read more The photos tell much more of a story than my words, and the photos don't even do it justice. This is one of the most magical things we did last year - I can't wait for this year (and can't believe it took me this long to finally go!) HOT TIP: It gets busier the later it gets into the night, but don't worry - the sun sets early so you'll still see plenty if you go in the earliest group! We felt like we hacked the system getting right in - as we walked out, we saw a huuuuge line forming. GO EARLY! Plus, going early means you get much better parking spots and have space to walk around and enjoy. So many pumpkins, expertly carved, with absolute masterpieces on each one! It's truly a spectacle and sight to behold. I will be recommending to anyone who will listen as Halloween season approaches this year!

I've always wanted to do this and finally got to this year due to getting free tickets from a…read moreprofessional event, I definitely would not dish out the big bucks for this but I loved it ($25ish per person, then $10 for parking and $6+ for drinks). We went on a Saturday so it was real busy with families, pretty crowded but folks respect the walk for the most part as they send you in timed groups.

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.

A good activity for the family that is indoors! We went on a Saturday and it was a little busy but…read morenot so busy that you couldn't enjoy seeing the animals up close. When you arrive you purchase your tickets and decide if you want to any add ons. You can purchase various sizes of feeding cups, experiences with the animals or opportunities to hold some of them. Once inside you can feed or pet any of the animals that are behind a single fence. Those further away or in glass enclosures are for observation. There are kangaroos, goats, lizards, chickens and more. There is a fun pulley system to feed some of the goats. They have an informational show that happens a few times a day where they discuss some of the animals and reptiles they house. It's not a huge space but we spent about an hour there. If you have real animal lovers you could be there longer. It's an interesting experience.

I love it. Lots of animals and you get to feed them! I got the capybara meet and greet thing and it…read morewas so fun! They do bite fingers tho so I used a spoon to feed them. Saw turtles f*cking and that was funny. And one thing DO NOT mess with the parrot

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.

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.

Who knew there was a hands on alpaca farm right in the Twins Cities. Owner has a farm with full…read moregrown and baby alpacas plus a small gift shop with alpaca wool merchandise for purchase. For $10 you can take Salomon and Talledega out for a leisurely stroll around the marked trail surrounding the farm. 80% of the trail is pretty shaded so nice during the summer time but still hot. Sometimes our alpacas just wanted to stop and stare at the lady alpacas from across the trail. It was a moment trying to get them focused on the exercise. Lastly, we purchased some alpaca wool mittens and socks which were so soft and comfy. Check their website for events or appointments to visit.

So much fun! Who doesn't like baby animals, cookies & cupcakes?! The alpacas were so cute! Cutest…read moredonkeys, baby goats, chickens, turkeys, rooster & kitties! Surprise gift shop & bakery! Beautiful selection of alpaca yarn!

My experience here was good. It's a bit chaotic sometimes with everyone there, but that's to be…read moreexpected with such a small area and so many people there's it's not that busy all the time the animals are kept in pretty decent size caging the channel and the people there are nice

I hosted my son's seventh birthday here. It's definitely a unique experience where you get to pet…read morethe animals and learn about them. we chose the lizard lounge theme where we learned about a lot of lizards. They also had the option for snake, but I thought kids would be too scared. I love that the room was very spacious and we were able to host many people. We ordered our own food such as pizza and brought in our own cake. It was very reasonable about $250 to rent the birthday area.

If you grew up in Minnesota, you have memories of coming here. Coming back decades later with my…read morekids did not disappoint! We travel full-time and go to tons of museums, and my kids said this is their favorite, hands-down! So many exhibits I remember and a bunch of new, more-relevant stuff as well. Omnitheater content was a bit aged, but it was free with our ASTC membership entry so that's okay. We loved that they had fun presentations throughout the museum sprinkled throughout the day. The Hot & Cold presentation was so much fun! I also loved that you could bring your sack lunch inside to eat. Three hours in, we still hadn't seen everything - since we have the ASTC membership, I didn't sweat it - we'll be back! [Coffee shop not too great for this seasoned sipper, but they don't lose points for that... just keep it in mind!]

We got a family membership as a gift last year (2024) and both of our kids love coming here…read more There are a variety of interactive activities for kids (and adults) of all ages. Our boys' favorite activity is the one you get to race against professional athletes, T-Rex or TC Bear! It's great that the Omnitheater shows are included in our membership.