The only reason for the missing star is the entrance fee. As a kid, the zoo was a standard summer Sunday excursion for my family, and I used to take my kids there too. Since they started charging for admission it has become a special occasion outing and I think I've been maybe 3 times. My son and his wife love going, and have season passes, and visit it all through the year. We joined them on a nice couple of hours walk, about 2 miles, slowly rambling through the zoo, stopping in the bird house, monkey house etc and having lunch in the Tundra grill.

The display areas are very nice, much bigger and more humane than 50 years ago. The animals are impressive, and there are lots of helpful, knowledgeable volunteers, even in the -15 weather we visited during.

The Tundra Cafe is a burger style eating place, with lots of support for families. Aunt Sally's Farm is a thing remembered only by us oldies, but the play area here is still fun, and a lot less scary for the animals.

An additional feature of the grill is the view. You are looking out at the polar bear area and we got quite the floor show, the bears came right up to the windows and looked in at us, and then proceeded to goof around right in front of us.

I had the big burger meal, but there are smaller meals as well as vegetarian options. I just missed the park breakfast meal due to getting there just after 11:00 but it looks like a good deal. Food was very good, hot fresh and generous servings. A bit more than a McD's but the floor show seemed worth it.

We explored the aquarium exhibit, watching the seals power round the tank, and were fortunate enough to be given another show by the polar bear who jumped in and swam around and over us.

I would like to go back, but the admission fee is pretty high for a pensioner, I'll probably wait till early summer to see the changes and maybe a few more animals.

20241024 Was invited to an event at the Polar Bear house. It is a very nice facility, we had a talk and a show in the small auditorium, which functions very like an old planetarium, and of course there is the observation tunnels for the bears and the seals.. I was also on the fringe of Boo at the Zoo which seems like a lot of fun. Again, I haven't attended since my kids outgrew it, but I think it looked like a lot of fun too.