Milwaukee County Zoo — Attraction in Milwaukee

Strongly suggest u Call a head to plan your trip. Ask about current shows, favorite animal availability, cost of train etc. Then get yourself and your family a zoo pass theyre great. You pay one time it last 12 months. It makes future getting in the zoo a lot Quicker, all you do is show your zoo pass n your ID they scan it and you go. You also get discounts at the gift shops and there are other benefits fun etc that comes along with having a zoo pass. You'll save a lot of money and admission get all the details you need about things. That might be blocked off because a construction whatever before you venture out. So you're less likely to be disappointed when you get there. I strongly suggest bringing a full cooler with a picnic lunch that you can enjoy at the many picnic areas outside and you can also eat it inside the cafes. Also bring water. Cuz its expensive however u can refill water bottles at many of their bubblers. I also suggest that if u see something while at the zoo that is a concern call there number and alert security or staff and trust they'll take care of it. They want everyone to enjoy the zoo however certain issues only specific staff can handle. I've called when I see something and response is pretty quick as well. I have included some helpful information with my photos like where something's are, times of some shows (some shows are seasonal)and more. Please understand that things can change due to weather, construction etc. Huh please respect that some of the animals can't be out depending on the weather, noise etc from the construction. Stop cussing etc when u approach and are disappointed. The zoo wants the animals to be safe and comfortable cuz they actually care about the animals. if u r worried about parking costs u can the bus (mcts or Waukesha metro) call their companies for details) or get parking with your pass. please Stop fussing and just plan your zoo day, call and gather info, read these reviews etc get all the info you need before you head out and enjoy your day. We've been going to this zoo for over ten years it has changed a lot over the years like the plastic molds use to be a $1 no they're $5 stuffed animals use to be 2/$25ish now they're $25+ each depending on size etc. penny press use to be .26 are now .51 they're still cool to collect. The traditional summer on a calendar and the summer stuff at the zoo may not be the same. Example calendar 1st day of summer is 6/21 the zoo summer stuff may start before or after that. The zoo is still a great place to go, staff and volunteers are always helpful friendly and professional, bathrooms, grounds etc are clean, not sure how the food is cuz we haven't eaten it in years cuz we fill a cooler with a complete picnic lunch, snacks and drinks including water. We have been helped by their emts, guest services etc and outside of a few hiccups that were handled professionally we will always love respect and defend the zoo Parents teachers care givers STOP ALLOWING CHILDREN TO CHASE PEACOCKS ETC. don't allow them to be too loud in the cafes, climb on gates n enclosures, throw rocks at animals etc THE ZOO IS THEIR HOME. IF U Don't want People DISRESPECTING YOUR HOME RESPECT THEIRS FROM THE ANTS TO THE ELEPHANTS.

ALSO ME and my kids bring are stuffies we've collected in the last ten years, (they are getting a bit expensive however zoo pass gets u a discount, check on details with the zoo) to go along with are themed visits, they belong to us we are NOT giving them to anyone STOP trying to take them and don't let your kids even touch...

Been coming here since I was a kid myself. Love the continuing renovation and updating but it's pretty expensive! Going to the WI State Fair was cheaper. I think it is absolutely ridiculous to charge for any kids under the age of five. It's $16 for adults 13 and up. Parking is $15, which honestly should be included with the admission. Being a Milwaukee county resident should have a bigger discount but that's "Milwaukee" for ya. Then its extra money for all the other things like the lego exhibit, dino exhibit, train ride and recently the Ice Age Exhibit....$4 each ticket, with eight of us that adds up AND yes we did not HAVE to but we only come once a year. I don't recommend coming on the free days because it is so packed and one time the line to get in was backed up to the freeway. We thought about doing the zoo pass but since we only go once a year it would not be worth it. When we went to the zoo there was zoo A la Carter going on...cool and all but only concern I had was the loud music disturbing the animals...just a thought. Also if you got your tickets at tri city for this event for the "reduce admission price" you got ripped off it was cheaper to pay at the entry, upon arrival. Even the gift shop got pricey used to be buy two stuff animals for $35 and now its 2 for $40 seems to go up every two years.....I don't wanna hear about "InFlAtIoN" we are all sick of it. All we want to do is have a day/night out with our family without breaking the bank. Also $35 for cheap plastic the animal vet carrier. Once again we did not need to purchase but it was a treat to spoil our kiddos just wasn't expecting it to be that expensive for cheap plastic, like 99cent store plastic. Upon our visit saw lots of employees cleaning the animals sanctuaries. We love the otter area. The dole whip is absolutely worth it, especially on the hot days, I think it was $7, worth it. Try the strawberry too. The pretzel was almost $8 not worth it. The ICE is way overpriced its almost $8, last time we went before covid happened it used to be $5 with cheaper refills. We normally don't eat at the zoo because we go out for dinner afterwards. You can bring a cooler though for like a pinic and what not. I do have concerns to the tiger, poor fella kept pacing back and forth for a good 30min. Can't wait for that area to be updated. It was so very hot when we went so we kinda accidentally skipped the camels and elephant lol but there were lots of medic driving around which was nice. Definitely took a lot of breaks, brought our own water and fans. The zoo host a lot...

We visited from out of state and I saw this zoo on TikTok so I decided to take my family. We had a member with us and I paid over $100 just being nickel and dimed throughout the entire zoo. The food and drink prices were insane and every little thing in the park cost extra. The lines were incredibly long for just about everything, including being able to see the animals. The enclosures were small and the animals I did see, seemed pretty lethargic. For the price of EVERYTHING, I was disgusted by the enclosures. They were small and lacked enrichment. The majority of the animals weren't visible the day we went, one of the trains was down, the sky lift wasn't working, bathrooms were dirty and the penguins were picking off some kind of rubber substance off their "rocks" and eating it. The zoo itself was not well kept, even the Carousel was missing pieces and chipped paint. The dinosaur exhibit was okay but not all were working and a staff member incorrectly identified one of the dinosaurs to my son. The owl had nowhere to spread wings, the monkeys had 2 swings and nowhere else to go, several enclosures were under construction or just empty and worst of all was the reptile house. Enclosures in the reptile house were not up to par and dispite the signs about not tapping, there were tons of people disrespecting animals at every turn and not a staff member in sight to protect them. Not one thing was reasonably priced and nothing but entry was included in the admission price, yet it didn't seem like the animals were profitting from the expense. Furthermore, they pretend to care about the conservation of these animals but instead of investing in land conservation for the animals natural habits, they have zoo breeding programs to cash in on the display of these animals being bred in captivity. I wouldn't give this zoo a single dime ever again. Major seaworld vibes from this place. Just gross.

If you're traveling and looking for a good place to go, visit the Reptile Gardens in South Dakota. The entire facility was immaculate, everything from shows to hands on interactions with the animals is free. Staff is present to protect the animals from disrespectful guests and the keepers are friendly and knowledgeable. Even their gift shop is reasonable and you can get season passes to come back for free just by taking a selfie with a sign. Its clear the money goes back to...