Detroit Zoo Review - Zoo With Us

The Detroit Zoo has a lot of animals! A unique blend of past and present, I appreciated how they’ve improved many of their exhibits. I also appreciate that some buildings still maintain their old-school charm. The biggest challenge with this zoo would be the long walk to get from the entrance and first few exhibits, to the back of the zoo where many of the larger exhibits are. I really wish they had included more on the route so it didn’t feel like such a long journey.

Pros:

Polk Penguin Conservation Center – This exhibit might be the best one we’ve ever seen! It contains several different species of penguins. Also, you journey from the top level to the bottom in a 4-D simulator of a ship! At the bottom level you’ll find a penguin tunnel as well as a very large viewing window!
Red Panda Exhibit – This exhibit is larger than usual for red pandas. The trees that the red pandas sat in were extremely large. The best part of the exhibit is the long, narrow bridge inside the exhibit that visitors can walk across, becoming part of the exhibit!
Arctic Ring – This exhibit is home to polar bears, seals, sea lions, and arctic foxes. On top of being large, this exhibit is cutting edge. We enjoyed the tunnel where the seals and sea lions swim all around you.
Butterfly House – Near the entrance, this building is one of the older ones in the zoo. It includes butterflies and a walk-through aviary.
Nature Boardwalk – In the middle of the zoo there is a nature boardwalk. This was a lot of fun! It’s a quieter area but an enjoyable, peaceful part of nature.
Tiger exhibit – The tiger exhibit wasn’t open yet, but it looks like a very nice exhibit! It wraps around the red pandas, and includes a large viewing window.

Cons:

The walking – It was a distracting that it took a long time to walk from the front to the back. There were a few exhibits to look at, but for the most part it was just a long, animal-less walk.
Primates – The apes and gorillas have a lot of space. A volunteer told us they have 2 acres each! However, they also told us that they frequently hang out right by the building. Because of this, it turned into a long walk around the exhibit.

For more on the Detroit Zoo, click here!