Lee Richardson Zoo — Attraction in Garden City

We always enjoy our time at Lee Richardson Zoo! By far, the best free-entry zoo we've visited. We prefer weekday mornings... it's still cool out, no crowds, and the animals are active. However, there are many extra things available on Saturday and Sunday like animal encounters, rock mining, and tours of a historical home. LRZ also does a great job of providing fun and educational opportunities throughout the year including zoo camp and after-hours events.

Highlights: *Large variety of animals *Well shaded *Playground with equipment *Nature playground *Plenty of benches throughout *Multi-person bicycle carriage for rent (our family of 8 loves doing this!) *Well kept restrooms in multiple locations *Drive-in option ($10) *Animal encounters (Sat & Sun) *Walking paths inside and outside the zoo

To note: *Bring plenty of quarters to feed the ducks/fish and for the penny press machine. *Wagons are available to rent. *Outside food and drinks are allowed. *There are no paper towels available in the restrooms (air dryers only). So throw some napkins or wet wipes in your bag if you might be needing something of the sort. *Safari Shop with souvenirs and snacks. *You can also visit the historical museum and Finnup Center. Both buildings are on zoo grounds and have free entry. Snakes, spiders, etc are inside the Finnup Center. *There is also a large park area directly outside of the zoo. *The zoo is located next to a water park so plan to do both or prepare your children ahead of time. 😆

Our favorite exhibits to visit: Maned wolf Otters Siamang Red...

This was actually a relatively upsetting experience. The lions looked malnourished, most of the animals looked like they don't belong there. And frankly they don't. The exotic animals are in a place so foreign to them and confined, in the middle of nowhere in Kansas existing only to provide entertainment to travelers and locals in a very out of the way place.

It's kind of nice that it exists also as a park and is free, but I cannot understand how wrong most of it felt.

I will grant appreciation for the animals that are local to the area or at least the US that they work to preserve and provide education, such as the Otter and Big Cats.

It is of my opinion, that the establishment shouldn't "acquire" more animals unless it's the local ones. Those other animals deserve something better than they have here. Wild animal refuge's and care centers are great establishments that also provide tours of their facilities and the animal, I high encourage you visit those.

IN SHORT:

If you care about animals and their condition, don't go here it will just upset you as it did me.

If you just want a nature spot that's a little different and has plenty of space and can keep the kids happy and...

This zoo gets five stars from me for a lot of different reasons, but especially for the quality of the zoo for its location. We were overnighting in Garden City on a road trip and I learned about the zoo. I have been hitting a lot of zoos this year, and a small community zoo sounded interesting, plus I read that it was free.

I was not ready for how great the zoo was. I have seen a lot of big city zoos that struggle to have the quality of this zoo. The habitats for the animals were large giving them plenty of space, and there were lots of examples of engagement activities and toys in their space.

One of my favorite animals was the sloth bear. This animal is gorgeous and a real pleasure to see. I also enjoyed the giraffes as they were very active and walking around. The rhino exhibit was also great as these animals are so big and get around.

We went first thing on a Sunday before we jumped on the road to drive the rest of the way home. The morning walk through the zoo was very nice under the shade trees and all the interconnecting walkways. If you find yourself in the area, the zoo is a must and should...