Cosley Zoo Mom Tips - Zoo With Us

Our experts give you things you need to know about Cosley Zoo in our Cosley Zoo Mom Tips!

Membership – This is our best Mom Tip on this site!!! Go for the membership! For a 1-year family pass, you pay $59 dollars. However, in addition to getting free entrance to Cosley, you have access to the 150 zoos in the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) network. This is how we got started! As a small example, it would cost our family of 5 $54 to go to the Milwaukee Zoo, but with this pass – it’s Free (plus parking)! Most zoos are at least 50% off admission, and some are completely free. Read the blog, check out the tips, and go get a zoo pass!

Parking – They’ve improved the parking lot over the past few years, but if you come at high traffic times (during duck feeding or during events) they’ll have you park on the streets or over at the Sports Center – so get there early.

Food – They have a small snack bar here, and it’s actually pretty cheap. So if you need a Mom win, a quick snack here should accomplish that. But this zoo takes less than an hour to do, so you could opt to bring a lunch or take the kids out (or back home) afterwards; they do have a lot of picnic tables if you’re there with a group.

Stroller – Definitely not needed here. As mentioned above it’s a small loop, and we’ve come many times with the purpose of letting our toddlers tire themselves out before nap time.

Don’t wear your Sunday best – This one’s probably redundant – I mean you are, after all, at a zoo. Our girls love wearing dresses everywhere…and sometimes they do here as well. At Cosley, you’re moreso at a farm, so you’re going through a barn. Most of the animals are hands-on. There is a nature play area in the front that allows them to play on logs and rocks. There’s also a sandbox nearby that the kids usually like playing in…so I’d say save the dressing up for a different day.

Duck Feeding – Of the extras they offer, the duck feeding is the best; the kids love it, and it’s engaging. However, if you don’t make it in time, there is always tons of food on the ground for the kids to pick through. These feedings are seasonal (April thru Columbus Day, plus Spring Break);

The duck feeding cost is minimal, but requires cash. BUT – if you don’t carry cash, you can go to the gift shop and purchase a feeding pass for convenience.

Chicken Feeding – This one we stay away from. They give you a long stick with a scoop on the end, and you hold it through the gate for the chickens. Inevitably they spill the food, or it takes forever for them to eat it all, so not worth it in our opinion. But again if you’re killing the clock before nap time…have at it!
Caboose – Toward the end of the loop there’s a caboose with sensory items for the kids to play with. Our kids love this…but I secretly keep a timer so that we keep moving along.
Events – They do a really good job of events here. We come to “Santa’s Corner” every year, where for 3 straight weekends, Santa is available in the upstairs of the barn for pictures. The even requires a small donation fee. While they do charge for pictures you can take as many as you want with your own camera. They also have snacks and crafts available. We’ve done the Easter Egg hunt as well. They do this near the evening. It’s not the most organized event, but the kids have fun. We stay away from a lot of the “Storytime” programs, as the cost isn’t really worth it. If you come on one of their “Character” days, get there VERY EARLY. The lines are more than an hour long for this 2-hour event, but they do a good job of having critter carts for those in line. We also had a birthday party here, and it was very reasonably priced.

Thank you for reading our Cosley Zoo Mom Tips! Check out more about this zoo here.