Unknowingly we’ve typecasted Michigan into having beautiful Fall zoos. We’ve visited both the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids and the Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek in the fall, and both were absolutely perfect for a cool, fall day. The hardest part about this match up I would say is that both zoos have the same strengths, so no category was really an obvious choice one way or the other. See below for our Western Michigan zoo comparison.
Size: The John Ball Zoo has a large circular loop with a decent amount of walking, but it’s on a hill with scenery all around. The Binder Park Zoo is basically split into two zoos, with a tram ride or a 15-minute walk to connect one to the other. Both have a considerable amount of walking in them, but overall I’d say John Ball utilizes their space a little better. Advantage: John Ball Zoo
Shows: To my knowledge, and recalling our visits, neither zoo offered any shows. We did visit both zoos in the fall (as mentioned above), so perhaps these are seasonal. But due to not knowing about them at either, we’re going to have to throw out this category. Advantage: N/A
Indoor Exhibits: John Ball Zoo has an aquarium in the middle of the zoo with penguins, fish, and a tidal wave exhibit pool. There is also a treasures building with reptiles, sloths, and other animals, as well as a tiny building to view frogs. The Binder Park Zoo has a building for their reptiles, sloths, and amphibians. Advantage: John Ball Park Zoo
Animal Interactions: The John Ball Zoo has a parakeet exhibit where you can feed them, a walk-thru area for their wallabies with the option to touch them if they are on the path, and a barnyard area where you can pet farm animals. The Binder Park Zoo also has a petting zoo area, as well as a Giraffe deck where you can feed the giraffes. Due to visiting in the fall, this area was not open during our visit as the temperature was too cold for the giraffes to be on exhibit. But during the summer, if you’re looking to feed giraffes, Binder Park is one of the only places in Michigan where you can do this (Detroit Zoo and Boulder Ridge we believe to be the others). Advantage: John Ball Zoo
Habitats: Both zoos are strong contenders in this category. John Ball Zoo is built into a forest with natural terrain variation and forest scenery built in. Their most impressive exhibit is Tigers of the Realm, which as both a lower level viewing by a waterfall, as well as a top level vieweing with a large glass viewing area. In between the tigers can roam a forested trail between exhibits. The Binder Park Zoo is also set in a woodsy setting. Their highlight is the African Savanna, where zebras, giraffes, waterbuck, ostrich, and addax roam together. Advantage: Binder Park Zoo
Wow Factor: Upon entering the John Ball Zoo, there are several exhibits in front of you before you enter the large circular loop, with the immediate one being pelicans. The Binder Park Zoo greets you with large bug statues for kids to climb on, as well as their Australia section with dingos, kangaroos, and wallaroos. Advantage: Binder Park Zoo
Kids Play Area: John Ball Zoo has multiple play areas for kids, including a nature play area in the back of the zoo near the tiger exhibit, a ZIP line excursion, a ropes course, and even a gem mining station. The Binder Park Zoo has some interactive climbing statues for kids, but not a dedicated play area. Advantage: John Ball Zoo
Price: The John Ball Zoo is $13 for adults and $10 for kids (during peak season). Binder Park Zoo is $14.25 for adults and $12.25 for kids. Advantage: John Ball Zoo
Overall: The John Ball Zoo comes away with a 5-2 victory. JBZ comes in at 24th on our rankings, with the Binder Park Zoo very close behind at 26th. As mentioned above these are great zoos to check out during some nice fall weather, but I’d love to see them during the summer as well.
Thank you for reading our Western Michigan zoo comparison. Curious what others think? Check out this list of the top 10 zoos in Michigan from Trip Advisor.
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