Indianapolis Zoo Mom Tips

Our experts tell you what you need to know in our Indianapolis Zoo Mom Tips.

Parking – The parking lot is VERY big – you shouldn’t have trouble parking here.
Cost – This Zoo is not part of the AZA Reciprocal Zoo list – so this makes for a VERY pricy day! As such, we recommend planning out what to spend your money on – because they do have several good options! But admission cost alone for our family of 5 was $123 (plus $8 for parking)! If you plan on coming more than once, it’s actually worth buying a membership!
Strollers – Yes! This zoo is big enough that you should bring your stroller!
Route – The biggest part of this zoo is the Africa section, which happens to be in the back. So we recommend you go through the zoo all the way to Africa and do that first. It gets very hot and crowded there in the afternoon.
Bathrooms – It seemed like bathrooms were all over the place! They were very easy to find. There is also a nursing station for moms over by the flamingos.
Extras – When buying your admission tickets, you can buy a Total Adventure Pass (TAP) for $12/person ($10 for members). This gets you unlimited animal feeding opportunities, as well as unlimited rides (Sky tram, roller coaster, and carousel).
Shows – There is a “Magnificent Macaws” show that happens on the hour (except 1pm). We highly recommend this free show that has macaws fly right past you! They also do a dolphin show – it’s worth doing once, but no more than that. There is a lot more video included than there is opportunities to see the dolphins show off their skills. We elected not to go to the dog show, although people seemed happy with it.
Feeding Opportunities – This was the best part of the zoo! You can feed a flamingo (11am, 1pm, 3pm) for $3! With the TAP, you get unlimited feedings. Each member of our family fed them at least four times! There is also giraffe feedings for $3. We’re a bit torn on this, as you feed them one carrot. While it was easy for little kids (always a plus) if you only have $3 to spend, I’d say skip the giraffes and feed the flamingos. The feedings are also offered at 11am, 1pm, 3pm. They also have budgie/lorikeet feedings for $2. We recommend observing through the wires first, to see if they’re actually eating – they might not be.
Keeper Chats – The keeper chats at this zoo were very good! We checked out the walrus and bear chats, and enjoyed both. They are more like training/enrichment sessions. Check out their daily schedule so you can see what’s happening when you visit.
Must–See Exhibits – The Walrus! Did you know the nearest AZA-certified venue with a walrus to Indy is the New York Aquarium? The aquarium, by the way, is over 700 miles away!
Food – Bring your own, or just buy snacks here. The jumbo pretzels are good at just $4 each. However, our meal of 2 orders of chicken fingers, 2 fries, and 2 cups of fruit was over $30!
Playground – There are multiple playgrounds here. We especially like the small one near the flamingos, as it has soft padding and is good for kids of all ages.

Click here for our full review of the exhibits.