Midwest winters are cold. It’s a fact. Because of this, the zoo can be pretty empty for a stretch of three-to-four months. But when you have a zoo membership, you look for those random nice days (i.e. 30s and sunny) in the winter to get your kids out of the house and take them to the zoo. Brookfield Zoo, just outside of Chicago, gives parents a reason to trek to the zoo even in cold temperatures. Brookfield’s Hamill Play Zoo has both indoor and outdoor areas that can literally keep kids entertained for hours.
While this building normally requires an additional fee or pass (accept for unlimited members who can get in free), this budding is currently free for all zoo guests from Nov 1, 2019, through Feb 29, 2020.
Recently I took our three-year-old to the Hamill Play Zoo on a 28-degree December weekday morning. The result, for me, was an overwhelmingly positive affirmation of the quality of the indoor facility. We spent two hours inside, and that had us skipping the craft area, and also included me coaxing her out of multiple rooms to go try something new. For her, this rivaled some of the best children’s museums Chicagoland has to offer. Here’s a section-by-section breakdown of what’s included.
**Disclaimer** As with any indoor facility, there is the potential for over-crowding. On the 28-degree midweek morning that we visited, we pretty much had the facility to ourselves. So keep zoo traffic patterns in mind as you consider visiting.
Entrance
First off, let me share that the Hamill Family Zoo is on the South Side of the zoo. I would recommend parking at the South entrance, by the high school. This is $14 for non-members, $3 for members, and Free for unlimited membership holders. Once you enter the zoo, the Hamill Family Zoo is just up on your right about 40 yards. Upon entering the building, you have coat rooms to your right and left. This is great, because they ask you to park your stroller outside, so the coat rooms prevent you from having to carry your belongings all over the building. From there you look straight ahead at ZooScape Mountain, with the Herpetarium to your left, and Lemur Leap to your right. Let’s walk through each section, starting by going to your right upon entering.
Lemur Leap
This is probably my favorite area of the Children’s Zoo. For kids, there are multiple stations for them to play. They can dress like a zookeeper or a lemur, feed the animals, play kitchen, or just jump around and get energy out. There’s also a lemur exhibit with indoor and outdoor viewing. Parents have plenty of room to sit and watch, and there’s even a “Tot Corner” where you can lay down your little ones!
ZooScape Mountain
Upon entrance, you look straight in and see ZooScape Mountain. We usually go to the right first to see the lemurs, but you could go straight in here if desired. The mountain has everything kids could want! Straight ahead is an animal exhibit – the Genet. Around to the left is an animal puppet station.
Around to the right is a tunnel the kids can walk through into the middle of the mountain. Watch your step, as the ceiling is a bit low here. To keep you looking down, follow the animal prints that lead forward into the mountain! The middle of the mountain (also accessible by door) has some small animal exhibits (spiders, cockroaches, armadillo), as well as dress up supplies to be a zoo custodian. I don’t know the schedule, but during the summer they’ll bring some of these animals out to be pet. Our kids love when they bring out the cockroaches!
Face Paint
Around the right side of ZooScape Mountain is a big mirror. In front of the mirror are several dishes with wet sponges inside, and plenty of colors for the kids to paint their faces. I really like the bench that is included, as it makes it easy for parents to assist, or sit back and watch them have fun. Our kids really love coming over and painting their face. The bathrooms and drinking fountains are located directly behind the face painting area, making it easy to clean up any unwanted messes.
*BONUS MOM TIP*
If your kids always want their face painted by the stations in the zoo that cost money, take them to Brookfield’s Hamill Play Zoo and they can do it here for free!
Zoo Director
Prior to this December visit, I don’t think I’d ever taken my kids into this room. My three-year-old absolutely loved it! I have an office at home, so having the opportunity to play in her own office was amazing. The desk has a phone, computer, and a mock itinerary for the day for the Director. Also in this room are a play landscape table where kids can build their own zoo, a fish tank where kids can be the fish, and a reading corner, filled with animal and zoo books.
Animal Hospital
This is another room that we seldom visit. While my favorite area was Lemur Leap, I think this was my daughter’s favorite. We probably spent 35 minutes in here, and that was with me pulling her out. This is possibly the largest room in the building, and can accommodate a lot of kids. There are microscopes, x-rays, doctor jackets, animal crates, doctor tools, exam tables, and even curtains that can separate the exam rooms for privacy! Your child’s imagination can run wild. And if you’re looking for the educational side, there’s a TV mounted in the corner, with footage of zoo staff taking care of zoo animals.
Zoo Greenhouse
The Greenhouse is usually our go-to spot after Lemur Leap. This is in the back of the building. While all the rooms are set up for the kids to be self-sufficient, this one is probably the most accident-free zone. It’s a large greenhouse where the kids can grab a spray bottle and water the plants. Our kids love this area, and on a hot day might even welcome a spray from their sisters. The Greenhouse also has a sand table where kids can dig and play.
*Navigation Tip*
The Greenhouse and Tot Spot are in the back of Brookfield’s Hamill Play Zoo building. There is a door next to these areas that exits the building, and points you toward the new Hamill Family Encounters section of the zoo, with wallabies, parakeets, goats, and other animals. Cutting through here saves you some walking if you exit back through the front of the building
Tot Spot
After exiting the Greenhouse, you find yourself in the Tot Spot. This is the main area in the building designed for children three and under. It’s a save spot with cushions, so your infants can lay down or get some wiggles out.
Zoo at Home
I feel like the Zoo at Home section gets a bad rap for not being very zoo-like. This section is set up like a house, with a living room and an animal area. The living room section has toy animals for the kids to play with. Dividing the room into the smaller sections are crates for several animals, including rabbits and birds. The other side of the animal crates is an area where typically a zoo staff member will have an animal out for the kids to pet. There is also a fish tank for the kids to look at. The entrance of Zoo At Home is where you’re find a family bathroom, as well as a Nursing room.
**Bonus Area**
Outside Zoo at Home is where you’ll find a sensory friendly room. We haven’t gone in there, but it’s a nice inclusion in this area of the building.
Zoo Workshop
I’m going to be honest with you here: I avoid the Zoo Workshop almost every time we’re in this building. I’m not really a crafty guy. Glitter, glue, small scraps of paper – yeah all of that stuff drives me crazy. So for people like me…this isn’t your favorite part. However, this is a room that has staff members in it at all times, and it also includes a pre-prepared craft for the kids to work on. On our two-hour visit, we did not visit the craft room. So there’s potential for this to be quite the outing if you utilize every room.
Herpetarium
The last stop on our tour around Brookfield’s Hamill Play Zoo is the Herpetarium section. This section has been redone multiple times. It currently is home to salamanders, turtles, snakes, and a tamandua (lesser anteater). There is also room here for your kids to run around and play like a bird. It’s a nice change of pace back to unstructured play time, especially if you’ve just come from the crafting area.
We hope you enjoyed our journey through Brookfield’s Hamill Play Zoo. For more articles, pictures, and insights on Brookfield Zoo, click here.
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