While the northern part of Illinois is home to Brookfield Zoo and Lincoln Park Zoo with Milwaukee Zoo nearby, the rest of Illinois still has multiple other zoo options. These other zoos are much smaller than their neighbors to the north, but offer their own unique flavor. This edition of Zoo vs Zoo looks at three zoos in Central Illinois: Peoria Zoo (PZ), Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington (MPZ), and the Henson Robinson Zoo (HRZ) in Springfield. Check out our Central Illinois Zoo Comparison to see if you agree!
Size: The Peoria Zoo is probably the largest of the three. It boasts many bigger animals (lion, tiger, giraffes). The Miller Park Zoo is much smaller in size – but they do have buildings on both ends of the zoo that help utilize their space. The Henson Robinson Zoo is probably in the middle, set up in a circular format. I would say that MPZ and HRZ are more geared toward toddlers, with PZ being more for older kids (would need a stroller for little ones). Advantage: Peoria Zoo
Shows: I don’t recall attending shows at any of the three zoos. All three offer viewings of animal feedings and keeper chats. The animal feedings we watched at MPZ were very engaging. Advantage: Miller Park Zoo
Indoor Exhibits: PZ has several indoor exhibits – small animal building with snakes, tortoises, and mole rats; monkey house that also has red river hogs; and a tropics building with lizards, snakes, lemurs, and bats. MPZ has a house for their big cats, attached to a walk-thru rain forest with birds and small animals. On the other side of the zoo they have a Zoo lab with parakeets, meerkats, lizards, and other small animals. The lone indoor exhibit at the HRZ is in the admission building where they have a naked mole rat exhibit. Advantage: Miller Park Zoo
Animal Interactions: PZ has a giraffe feeding deck and allows you to walk in with the wallabies in their Australia section. MPZ has a farmyard to feed goats and an opportunity to feed the budgies in their Zoo Lab. HRZ has a farmyard to feed goats and a pond where you can feed ducks and fish. Advantage: Peoria Zoo
Habitats: PZ has larger exhibits than the other zoos. Overall I think they do a decent job of having these exhibits be adequate for the animals. The tiger exhibit is a bit on the small size, but the lion exhibit is layered and the giraffe exhibit has lots of room. MPZ is limited to the amount of space they have, but they make the most of it. Their big cats have indoor and outdoor space. HRZ has smaller exhibits, but they also primarily have smaller animals. Advantage: Peoria Zoo
Wow Factor: PZ has big cats upon arrival to the zoo, so that is a good way to obtain a wow factor. Their giraffe exhibit also is very nice. MPZ doesn’t really have an attraction upon entering, although they are redoing their entrance. Their wow factor I would say is in the big cat house. HRZ has a naked mole rat exhibit immediately upon entering the admission building. Once you walk outside, they have the penguin and otter exhibits near the entrance. Also because this zoo is smaller, you can see most of it upon entering the zoo. Advantage: Henson Robinson Zoo
Kids Play Area: MPZ has a splash pad and large park immediately outside the zoo. This is a great area to hang out, have a picnic lunch, and let the kids play. The zoo has remodeled their concession stand, so that it will soon be available from outside the zoo to those in the park. There are bathrooms/changing rooms available in the park as well. HRZ has a small play area upon entering the zoo near their pavilion. The Peoria Zoo has a small climbing area near the education building, as well as other climbing statues throughout the zoo. Advantage: Miller Park Zoo
Price: The Peoria Zoo is $9.75 for adults and $6.75 for kids (2-12); Miller Park Zoo is $6.95 for adults and $4.95 for kids (3-12); Henson Robinson Zoo is $6.25 for adults and $4.50 for kids (3-12). Advantage: Henson Robinson Zoo
Overall: This one is close – the stats show 3 categories for Peoria, 3 for Miller Park, and 2 for Henson Robinson. Overall for the zoo, we’ll go with the Peoria Zoo in this one, although in the summer the splash pad might swing the edge over to the Miller Park Zoo. The Peoria Zoo comes in at 31st on our rankings, with the Miller Park Zoo at 40th and the Henson Robinson Zoo at 45th.
Thank you for reading our Central Illinois Zoo Comparison!
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