Sedgwick County Zoo — Attraction in Wichita

This was our worst zoo experience to date. It deserves zero stars. We came here based on the reviews and I had to go back and re-read them to make sure we were at the correct place. We travel the country and visit zoos everywhere with our kids because we have one child who is very driven to become a Veterinarian. We do make a point to visit accredited zoos only because I personally struggle with the ethics of them. I’m pretty surprised this one is accredited and has won any awards with some of the horrendous staff and some of the clearly neglected areas. The poor gorillas area had piles Of wet, unchanged, feces and urine filled hay. All of the staff here were so clearly bothered when answering any sort of question (from questions about the animals to where is a specific exhibit). We watched the zoo keeper at the elephants continually spray one elephant with a hose between the eyes, which the elephant obviously did not like. Honestly they seem to lack so much knowledge about the animals it appeared they were making it up. One girl told us how she threatens kids on field trips and then called half the animals the wrong names. The overall theme and tone of the zoo by staff seem to have some sort of chip on their shoulder to not be like the other zoo type place nearby that they made the whole experience probably worse than the other place actually is. After looking at both websites, they both equally offer plenty of “animal encounters” for a large fee so I’m not sure how one is better than the other, when they both are clearly driven by the $. When we asked about where some of their animals came from, all of them were brought in from other zoos who were bred in captivity for human knowledge. The lady at the train station was absolutely atrocious and since the train is basically “customer service,” it appears their standards are insanely low. We would never come back and we most definitely will not. For a place that prides itself on education (the future is our children and they are HORRIBLE to kids), they lacked it everywhere. It was a hot day so there were very, very few animals out (not their fault). The few that were out and had a zoo keeper doing something acted so threatening to us and our kids if we even asked a question about the animals (except the bird guy- he was fantastic). Not only did it cost us over $100 to get in, it was another $85 to “feed” a giraffe (not too close bc they’re wild- eye roll, no, they’re not, they’re in captivity and have been incredibly stressed out by being brought to your zoo), “touch” a sting ray (again bred in captivity for human), and ride a train. I’m not opposed to the idea of education, hence our many visits. But when their education is a clear dig at the other place (their education for the large cats was about how white cats aren’t natural and are inbred, not about the actual cats themselves), and we’re told to pay to feed the giraffes but stand an arms length away and then if we want to touch any part of a giraffe (we live close to an accredited zoo that led the way on feeding giraffes and they do an incredible job of facilitating this for both the giraffes and the humans)we have to touch with 2 fingers a small patch of their dead skin/tale/bone from a lady who should not under any circumstances be working with kids or the public, I question the judgement of this “accredited zoo.” We probably could have visited the other place nearby and supported the same...

Heartbreaking Zoo Visit: Broken Promises Leave Child in Tears

⭐☆☆☆☆ (1/5 stars)

What should have been a magical day of wonder turned into a painful lesson about disappointment for my family, especially my child.

Before visiting, I called the zoo specifically to confirm mobility scooter availability, as walking long distances is impossible for my pregnant wife. The staff assured me scooters would be available in the gift shop. We planned our entire morning around the zoo, with my child buzzing with excitement about seeing their favorite animals.

Upon arrival, the staff's dismissive response crushed us: "Scooters require reservations, and we're booked solid for two weeks." a cold statement of policy that contradicted what we'd been told over the phone.

This isn't the first time their internal communication has failed. Previously, we experienced the same issue with animal feeding experiences. Confirmed by phone, denied in person. The gift shop never answered our call's, we called the gift shop twice. Forcing us to contact the front desk, who clearly don't communicate with other departments.

The real tragedy wasn't the wasted time or money, but watching my child's face crumble as I explained we had to go home. Those tears as we walked back to the car will haunt me. "But you promised," , not understanding that it wasn't my promise that was broken.

For a place dedicated to education and families, this zoo fails to understand the devastating impact their disorganization has on children. What lesson did my child learn today? That excitement leads to heartbreak and that adults' words can't be trusted.

Save yourself and your family from unnecessary tears. Call first and record the call so that you don't have to go...

Way too expensive, takes a whole weekend to get through the whole thing and even then you don’t get your money’s worth. I understand the animals having access to better temps for the weather but shouldn’t that be taken into consideration. The zoo has become another Kellogg project, always under construction but not much good coming from it. Do better Kansas. I can't believe we had never visited before. It was a great experience with so many animals. The paths were easy to follow to see all the animals.

The baby elephants were adorable. I was so excited to see the Kookaburra.

I also love all the information available about the animals.

The only thing that would be better is if I zoo reciprocity could be used online.

Ordering food for a dairy allergy was a bit challenging but we had brought snacks with us.First time visit here... soooo impressed with this zoo. The layout is so easy to follow, and nothing is too far of a walk to get to. Exhibits are all well planned out and you can tell a lot have been recently updated. All well maintained. The petting zoo area was soo fun! We got to see baby goats! Would highly recommend and want to visit again soon!We had a fantastic time at Sedgwick County Zoo! The zoo is clean, well-organized, and the animals looked well cared for. Highlights for our family included the petting zoo—where the kids could safely interact with friendly goats—and the touch pools featuring stingrays and sharks. That was a huge hit! We arrived later in the day and missed the giraffe feeding, so I’d recommend getting there early when they open to catch the full experience. Overall, a fun, family-friendly outing with...