Summer’s here! And the weather is getting warmer…well, it should be soon! As the school year comes to a close, the sun starts to shine more frequently, and the rains start to become more scarce more people will find themselves headed to the zoo. While exhibits are always changing and animal behaviors make every visit unique, there are some exhibits that are only open during the summer months, or specifically this summer. Here’s our guide to some of these exhibits in the Midwest.
Brookfield Zoo
- Brookfield has a few different seasonal exhibits to check out. An annual staple is the Butterfly exhibit, located near the north gate. It’s very small, and requires an additional fee but is a fun, colorful experience.
- Specific to this summer at Brookfield is the Brick Lego Safari! This exhibit is completely made out of legos, and features safari animals. We have yet to see this for ourselves, but sneak peeks of pictures make it look very cool.
- Summer Nights – For the sixth year, Brookfield will keep the zoo open until 9pm on Friday/Saturday nights, starting June 21 and running through August 10th. The nights include music, games, crafts, a laser light show finale, and some animal ambassadors.
Milwaukee Zoo
- Brick Dinos – Similar to Brookfield, Milwaukee has a lego exhibit in their zoo this summer, with the focus being on dinosaurs. Our family was able to check this out – and honestly we were a bit underwhelmed. On a hot or rainy day where the kids need to get energy out, perhaps the lego play stations will provide that opportunity. However for our family of 5, the $3 admission price per person wasn’t justified, as there were just two large lego dinosaur statues, and the rest were all small models.
- Sunset Zoofari – For six select Wednesdays this summer, the zoo stays open late and provides a concert and a movie!
- Birds of Prey Show – From Memorial Day to Labor Day, three times daily the zoo puts on a birds of prey show.
- Seal and Sea Lion Show/Feeding – this summer you can feed seal and sea lions at Milwaukee Zoo! Offered five times daily, don’t miss your chance to get up close with these fun animals.
Saint Louis Zoo
- Sea Lion Show – Offered daily from May 24-August 16, this show gets you front row seats to see the sea lions get their groove on.
- Sting Ray Touch – Open through Halloween, you can touch (and sometimes feed) the sting rays – this is a favorite of ours!
- Children’s Zoo Shows – Offered 4-5 times daily, these shows are geared toward the kids.
- Jungle Boogie Concerts – Fridays from Memorial Day to Labor Day the zoo is rockin’ with music, and animal-related activities for the kids.
Indianapolis Zoo
- Butterfly Kaleidoscope – An indoor gardens area is transformed into a butterfly palace with over 40 species of butterflies. New butterflies are released daily.
- Animal feedings – Indianapolis offers the chance to feed giraffes, budgies, lorikeets, and flamingos.
Cincinnati Zoo
- Wings of Wonder Bird Encounter – Seasonal bird show that showcases several different species.
- Cheetah Encounter – A playful show that highlights the cheetah, as well as some other animals
Blank Park Zoo
- Zoo Brew – Wednesday nights the Zoo stay open until 9 with concerts and brews!
- Camel Rides – This summer, ride a camel for $6!
Louisville Zoo
- Splash Pad – The Papa John’s Splash Pad is open all summer long!
- Rides – Pony Rides and Camel Rides are now open for the summer season
- Animal Feedings – Giraffe Feeding is available during the summer
Niabi Zoo
- Budgie Feeding – Summertime means the reopening of their walk-in aviary with feeding opportunities
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