Brookfield Zoo — Attraction in Riverside Township

Not accessibility/disability friendly.

EDIT: Got sent to furthest parking lot and had to walk. My mom did run down a gator cart to get me into the park, but not out of the park. There were workers, nobody asked, nobody even looked at me. There were not signs for a drop-off area. More than 50% of the handicap accessible buttons did not work, including the one to get into the handicap restroom. Some of the newer buttons that did work were not helpful because they are too close to the door, meaning the door closes because you're in front of it when you push the button. Multiple places where there's a significant curb to get into an exhibit.

I went there a couple years ago on crutches and needed to rent a wheelchair. My family went spur of the moment. There were hundreds of wheel chairs available. I could see them. I was told every single one of them needed fixed. They let me rent a child's wagon. It almost broke in half because they did not inform me there was a weight limit. Then they let me try and rent a stroller, but I asked if it had a weight limit and it did, so they had to refund me for that, too. I had to sit in the car in 100+ degree weather all day. Near the end of the day, an hour before close, my family went up and inquired about renting a wheelchair as the park was almost cleared out. They said all of them were reserved for the night. I know the website says to reserve in advance because there might not be any available upon arrival, but there were definitely wheelchairs available in mass and they refused to let me pay for those. I told them I don't care if it's manual or electric, I just need 1 chair, at any point in the whole day. They make it sound like a "plan ahead" thing, but it's more of a "hard no" thing.

The one other time I did go and had a mobile chair I had to park it and walk because it was hard to maneuver in a lot of the indoor houses. That is just not an option for me this time.

Fast-forward 3 years and I am trying to get tickets, but they have made it impossible to find the navigation for the wheelchair rentals unless you google it directly. You can find it eventually if you click enough buttons on their website. I thought about borrowing a wheelchair from somebody to go, but I'm afraid they wouldn't let me inside the gates if it's not theirs. Their website will not let me checkout with a ticket and a wheelchair at the same time, and they have made it very confusing with it saying it will mail me my ticket for the wheelchair. I can either add a wheelchair or I can add my ticket, but not both. As soon as I add one, the other disappears. I just want to go to the zoo with my family. It looks like they are trying to get 2 convenience charges out of this.

I forgot to add that everybody was very short with me and couldn't be bothered to actually talk to me. I had to get 3 or 4 refunds because they just kept selling me stuff I couldn't use. Every single employee acted like they...

Seven coming here since before I could remember like literally my mom would take me when I was a toddler. She was a teacher and had also were off and would take me a few times a week when she didn't have to work. So the summers between '95 and '00 I had probably been to the zoo 200 times. And then we went in fourth grade sixth grade for a field trip and it never got old.

I remember baboon island and the African elephants and I remember being obsessed with the dolphin show and the big overhead splash at The Living Coast. I remember the pachyderm house but my favorite ones were always the Swamp and the primate house which was unfortunately closed when we came December 2024. I remember there was some amazing picnic areas under these beautiful trees and you can't go wrong with the moldarama machines.

I think the best one was tropic World because it's in the biggest most obnoxious building that also barely even notice.

Linkin Park zoo is amazing but it's not quite the same vibes although I'm very happy that they have adopted a more natural enclosure system instead of something that looked like an animal cracker box. I'm pretty sure the Brookfield zoo is older than the San Diego zoo but going to the San Diego you can obviously tell that the Brookfield zoo has had a permanent impact on every zoo around the world. I just want to thank everyone who works there for just being so good to the animals eating in conservation and reintegration and bringing back animals from extinction in the wild. Brookfield zoo is bomb as hell. The only thing I can think of is that I don't like the new logo Because it looks like the Harris Bank logo 🦁

Also if anyone is just a casual visitor and they see someone tapping or banging on the walls of an enclosure you are 100% allowed to scream at them to make them stop and embarrass them because they got caught doing things that most 3-year-olds...

During my childhood, my parents consistently chose Brookfield Zoo over Lincoln Park Zoo for its diverse animal collection and welcoming ambiance. Recollections of my visits to the zoo during that time evoke images of vibrant exhibits, healthy animals, and a sense of exceptional care and habitat quality. However, a recent visit with my sister and mother two weeks ago painted a starkly different picture.

Upon arrival, parking was convenient, but we encountered a lengthy queue at the ticket kiosk, with only one window operational. After a considerable wait, we opted to purchase our tickets online at a steep price of $30 per ticket, totaling $90 for our group, contrasting starkly with the cost-free entry at Lincoln Park Zoo. Inside, the installation of a new Ferris wheel struck me as an odd addition to a zoo setting. While the initial exhibits near the south entrance exuded a familiar charm, as we ventured further, we noticed numerous closures and empty animal enclosures without any explanatory signage. This departure from my cherished childhood memories was disheartening.

In essence, while I appreciate the value of spending quality time with my family and observing a myriad of animals, the current state of the park, marked by numerous closures, malfunctioning features like the fountains, and visibly unhappy animals, falls short of justifying the steep entry fee. Regrettably, despite my longstanding affiliation with this zoo, the recent decline in its standards compels me to reconsider future visits. The disappointing degradation of the park over time casts a shadow over its once vibrant allure.

CONCLUSION: An experience marred by dwindling attractions and disheartening animal welfare concerns renders this zoo, once cherished, a questionable destination.

NOT WORTH YOUR...