Reviews of Minnesota Zoo (Zoo)

Corey Flath

Probably worst experience if the week. It took about 1 1/2 hours to see everything. Used an electric cart and had kids and their parents going around me as I was waiting for the family in front of me to move. Definitely not staying 6 ft away. Don't feel it was worth the $20 a person to go. As of Saturday they are requiring masks again for anyone planning on visiting any time soon

Caroleka Sumner

Wait time

King Pookie

Visited on

Melanie Vasquez

Visited on

K J

The pumpkin spectacular was absolutely amazing!!!! I would even go a second time!!!!

Jan Harbaugh

Reservation recommended

Luke Wiley

I loved it very much, an unbeatable experience.

AnnaLisa Hamann

The zoo was informative and the enclosure were sparkling clean. The animals seemed content and very well acted for! There wasn’t quite as many exhibits as other zoos I have been to. The underground area was gorgeous and very cool on a hot day. The aquarium was my favorite, we were able to see the sharks and the rays feed.

Caro

Price for adult entry

selina dehn

We did the light drive through for Christmas. We loved it. The displays and information of the animals was great. We will certainly go back.

Ryan Pangle

Visited the pumpkin trail. Can't express how amazing the trip was. Highly recommend!

Ru Be

No wait

Ru Be

No wait

Lindsey Schreiner

Love this zoo. With COVID they are letting fewer people in, which makes the experience so much better. Make plans in advance! Don't expect to get same day tickets during weekends.

Bert Sletten

Wait time

Kirsten C

$11–15

Rebecca Warchol

Visited the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at the MN Zoo. Amazing display of over 5000 pumpkins. On sides of walkways, on platforms, hanging in trees, all very artfully arranged. The path wanders through the alphabet with each letter becoming a theme, complete with music! Multiple places to buy food & drink as well as souvenirs along the way. We had a 9:00 reservation but it was still quite busy. You walk (5-10 min) through a portion of the zoo to get to the display. A line formed outside the entrance, we waited about 15-20 min to enter. We were blessed with a beautiful evening 40°-50° with clear sky & no wind. Suggest layers, hats, scarves, mittens & boots if cooler temps or you chill easily. We spent 2 hours total on our visit. Paid $22 per person for tickets. A slight discount for attending at a later time.

Allison Kurtz

Had a great time at Jack o lantern event. Lots of beautiful pumpkins.

Maria Davy

we went to mn zoo after hours, it was super fun with no kids there. i would recommend that but it did feel like some animals were missing. I haven't been here in years but its still cool to see all the cute animals.

Denyce Gonzalez

First time here and it was amazing. We had a few hours between things today. We were able to kill two hours walking around the park. Some spots are closed for the season but still worth the money. The exhibit are well designed and have great viewing stops. The park is upkept well. We can't wait to come back during the summer months to see everything.

Scott C

Price for adult entry

Jacie Marchetti

Visited on

Chrissi Prom

Visited on

Benjamin Vogel

Had a great time was good to get out see everything I could

Mike Mamula

I haven't been to the Minnesota Zoo in 30 years and it's still a great place to visit. The camel wasn't the smoothest ride,not like a horse anyway ???????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????‍❄️???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? all these and more

I_am_a_dogg0

I love this zoo! All of my experiences here are positive, great place for kids and adults alike.

Maureen McLaughlin

Yes

April Heardt

No wait

Cailin Simpson

Reservation recommended

Ryan Endres

Visited on

S Stewart

Reservation recommended

Bri Scott

Reservation recommended

brinda soundar

$21–30

Average Joe

The jack-o-lanterns were amazing!

Mark Christman

Up to 10 min

Doun Mongkone

Had a great experience at the Minnesota Zoo! Parking was a breeze and staff was very friendly! I would recommend going later in the day or in the middle of the afternoon if you want to see the animals in action. A couple of the exhibits were closed which was a bit disappointing but overal had a great day!

Ethan Grove

Visited on

Kerry Ann

While a few exhibits were closed, we were extremely happy with our experience. One of the tigers was very active at around 3:30, running, roaring, and rolling in the grass. The bears seemed to enjoy being close to the viewing area.

Jesse hudson

Cool! But you need reservations to get in. Just an FYI.

Wesley Friberg

The Minnesota Zoo is a wonderful place to visit, whether or not you're into animals. A vast collection of animals from all over the world keeps every trip interesting. The Tropics Trail and Grizzly Coast both immerse you in a different world than what we are used to, in opposite climates. There's plenty to learn and lots to do. Also a great place for little ones! Just make sure they know how to respect the animals.????

Bill Dennis

Weekday

Becky Estrada

No wait

PeachyPeaches62

My favorite zoo in MN, You can tell the animals are well taken care of.

Gail Jones

Visited on

Dawn Ritter

The zoo was fun but there were a lot of roped off areas outside.. which didn't make sense because the buildings were open. But my kids had fun & enjoyed seeing the animals.

Adrienne Burns

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the MN Zoo. We are members. We've been about 7 times this summer. It's a fantastic zoo with knowledgeable keepers and volunteers. It is well laid out. It's a large zoo with both indoor and outdoor exhibits. My favorite animal exhibits are the tapirs, fruit bats, moose, and the sea turtle in the large reef tank.

Yvonne Peters

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the MN Zoo. We are members. We've been about 7 times this summer. It's a fantastic zoo with knowledgeable keepers and volunteers. It is well laid out. It's a large zoo with both indoor and outdoor exhibits. My favorite animal exhibits are the tapirs, fruit bats, moose, and the sea turtle in the large reef tank.

NicholasLaura Bentley

We had lots of fun at the zoo today #Happy4thOfJuly. This is our second visit. There aren’t much animals and shows because of the COVID-19 but we can get to see some wild animals and also discovery bay where we can see sharks, fishes, sea horses. Kids will be excited and have lots of fun. Small shops to have some snack and ice creams here and there. Neat restrooms. Overall it was pleasant and fun experience.

Sydney Nelson

Had a great time here with family! Would definitely go again for the Halloween display!

mytruebliss

Awesome zoo with a lot of territory to walk around and things to see as well as a very large aquarium section that may even rival the aquarium at the mall of America, on the flip side though, right now there requiring online tickets only and charge $7 on the bill automatically for parking so if you're going with multiple people make sure to plan ahead and have one person make the order for everyone as it will help streamline the process as well as you will only get charged for one vehicle

Manuel Gonzalez

Yes

Kris Duryea

Pumpkin Spectacular was awesome. A must see! So many pumpkins. Lots of walking so wear comfortable shoes.

Yvonne Peters

Had a great family experience while there my son and I rode a camel that was something we will never forget. Well worth the 3 hour trip to Minnesota.

Tim kenning

No wait

Julius Niskey

Weekday

Michael Amico

Reservation recommended

Jill Anway

Wide variety of animals. Great place for families, and they have vegetarian options at the food court.

Jacob Vander Weit

Not a happy place to visit anymore. Kids were disappointed. Less animals and place is not clean and looks depressing. Everywhere empty cages or something is covered. We do enjoy camelback rides.

lilGypsy Firefly

Reservation recommended

Sheldon Hille

This is an especially nice zoo to visit in the winter time. Amazingly rare animals that you do not see in other places. Clean with great natural habitats.

Laila A

Yes

Jess Renderos

We enjoyed seeing species commonly found in Minnesota and northern climates. Disappointed by the absence of other zoo animals like giraffes, elephants, hippos, rhinos, zebras, etc. The aquarium area was fantastic, though. Overall, quite enjoyable.

David Vande Vyver

Price for adult entry

Kayleigh Ramer

This zoo is awesome! They don't have a huge animal diversity, but the animals that are there have the most amazing and HUGE exhibits! Also, beer and seltzer stands strategically placed everywhere! What's not to love?!

Faly Fal

My grandkids and I had a great time exploring the zoo! It was a rare treat, great weather day for the end of November, so getting out to see the big cats was a hit!

shanna Whitman

Fun! The Jack-o'-lantern spectacular was all as promised. Incredibly amazing carved pumpkins from the ground through the trees. It will get you in the mood.

Brandon Rosenberg

Great trip with lots of close up looks at animals! The kids loved the playground area too! I loved that it has one entrance/ exit so I could position myself there and not worry about losing them.

Julie Brown

$16–20

Oma Mansaray

The zoo was fun but there were a lot of roped off areas outside.. which didn't make sense because the buildings were open. But my kids had fun & enjoyed seeing the animals.

GRAMS

I highly recommend going to this zoo they have a wide variety of different types of animals and if your looking to eat something there there’s an indoor and outdoor dining area with more then one food store, and if your looking to just walk around the Minnesota zoo provides a vast amount of place to go. ????

Nikki O'Neill

Everything was clean, things laid out nicely. It was nice to see the animals again.

Paige Mutchler

Visited on

Clint Priest

$21–30

Susan Price

Still one of the best zoos I've been to.

Anna Hall

We had fun at the pumpkin event here. I don't think any two pumpkins were alike! And I loved looking at the sharks and stingrays in the bldg.! I didn't give 5 stars because of the long walk before you get to the pumpkin path. The lighting could be improved too when you first drive in including up to the place.

Maxine Totoe

Yes

Joe Matson

Loved how big the habitats are! The animals have so much room to get around. Would have given 5 stars but, a little disappointed that they don't have an African section, no elephants, gorillas, giraffe etc. But, otherwise a very nice and well done zoo. We enjoyed it.

Reynaldo Robles Junior

Wait time

Rachel Iverson

Yes

J Schupeffer

Price for adult entry

Haley

10–30 min

Tommy G

Wait time

Megan Connel

Awesome zoo with a lot of territory to walk around and things to see as well as a very large aquarium section that may even rival the aquarium at the mall of America, on the flip side though, right now there requiring online tickets only and charge $7 on the bill automatically for parking so if you're going with multiple people make sure to plan ahead and have one person make the order for everyone as it will help streamline the process as well as you will only get charged for one vehicle

Michelle Livingston

We had a great time but didn't get to see some of the animals. Mostly because they were hiding and sleeping. The bears were awesome.

Jack Chambless

If your looking for a Bomb Halloween activity to do with friends or family this is a Must See!!!! Truly Amazing!! Go online to buy tickets & pick a time slot to go. Weekends are PACKED so I'd advise goin on a week night.

Dean and Lance Adventure

The Jack-o-lantern Speculator was so awesome!!! Big hit with the family and will definitely be coming back!

Amber H

Our first gourmet meal of our vacation was $100 for a bunch of hotdogs... ???? other then that, it was absolutely fantastic. Everything was clean, and the animals looked well taken care of. And the animals were very active! It was a great first experience at this zoo!

Kelzer21

$31+

Darren Kennedy

Price for adult entry

Garret Jeddeloh

Yes

Dale O'Kray

Wait time

Maggie Anderson

It’s a moderately sized zoo with well maintained exhibits. Like many zoos there is a lot of family traffic and the animals are not always happiest or lively in the Summer. There are good options for zoo members including a members only hour and special features like the zoo after dark

Wes Sipper

They did a good job with the nature illuminated show

Rea O

The Minnesota zoo pumpkins were awesome! We all had a great time! Affordable, fun and creative pumpkins!

Cass D Lo

Visited on

Melanated rich Convo

The 5000 pumpkins were awesome! The one in the picture is nothing compared to what we saw there. It was such a treat for the eyes! Totally recommend!

Sharma Knight

A first-rate, world-class Zoo. Some areas are still going through covid restrictions and are closed, but still plenty of area get out, stretch your legs and see some wildlife.

Laketa Buice

Up to 10 min

Charles Bowman

This place is awesome. The indoor trails makes it so you can go to the zoo year round. We had so much fun. They even have a farm here. What I liked the most is the Minnesota Trail. So much to learn about the local animals. Never knew some of the animals existed in the region. We actually spent 5 hours here and laughed and had so much fun. The grounds are so open for the big animals to move around. It's awesome how much room they have to roam. Some of the exhibits were closed. We can't wait to get back there.

Kelley French

Really wished it was completely open little-ones still had a good time

Coleman Elliott

My girlfriend got us surprise tickets to the “Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular” that is put on by the MN Zoo around Halloween. The event was well planned and organized. It was great to see the hard work that everyone was putting in on their pumpkin carving. We will be going again next year!

Normal Person

Yes

Arianna Dabu

Ended up getting the membership because my son really enjoyed it. Loved how well informed the zoo keepers were and how they took the time to explain facts to us. Lots of parking and very easy to get around even with a stroller.

Kimberly Grossmann

Wait time

Tina Huang

Weekend

Paula H

The zoo was informative and the enclosure were sparkling clean. The animals seemed content and very well acted for! There wasn’t quite as many exhibits as other zoos I have been to. The underground area was gorgeous and very cool on a hot day. The aquarium was my favorite, we were able to see the sharks and the rays feed.

Cynthia Bowers

We went here for the pumpkin show. Great artwork a little long of a wait in the cold but worth it. Also they have some drinks and food for purchase. This is great for family's or date nights. They do however ask for a donation on top of the admission cost which was 25 bucks so we were confused by that.

Claudia

Weekend

Sheldon Smith

We always love going to the MN Zoo. We're members and we try to go atleast once a month. Clean and always looks like the animals are well cared for.

Nicole Christine

Great place to bring the family!

Roshan Venugopal

Great see...animals were all active.

Jody Clutter

Weekday

Jeff Auge

A lot of walking and most exhibits are far away but it's a beautiful zoo

Michelle H

Wait time

Flyin R

Beautiful zoo with lots of walking! Animals are in more natural settings than most zoos. I've been going since it was the "new zoo" so I'm not used to paying for parking! Not a fan of that! Otherwise very nice, good educational shows. The only reason it's 4 stars is the cost, it's an expensive day!

Barbara Bothum

Very knowledgeable and amazing experience VERY accommodating of my disability

Emma Rosonke

Best experience our family has had in months. The trails were very open and people were very kind and respectful. Great animal views. We also had the sour patch kids ice cream and it was incredible. Worth a smile from my 4 y/o daughter.

Kevin Anderson

Great place to take the kids for the day . They even have a cool custom splash pad area for the kids near the middle.

Michael Ed

$21–30

Liana Richardson

This was an incredible experience! It was our first time going, and we will definitely be back next year! We bundled up, for the chilly night, and there was a stand that sold hot chocolate and hot apple cider. We each bought some to keep our hands warm as we walked the trail. I have no words to describe the beauty of 5,000 hand carved, lit, pumpkins that greeted us throughout the hour walk. There were different themes, music, and lights. When you looked ahead, it was as if the pumpkins were falling from the sky! This is a must see and a must see again and again! ????

Mel Boon

A great zoo to visit with your family. It's deceptive in size: I don't think you can see the whole zoo in one visit. The brown bears are always a hit, as are the penguins. Be sure to visit the farm animals, especially in the spring when the babies are born. Hopefully next year you'll be able to get closer again.

Lakshmi Narayanankutty

Weekday

Mary Williams

This zoo is large and the animals appear to be well taken care of. The snapshot pads are wonderful on a hot sunny day for the kids. There are plenty of live shows that are really cool and informative. There are plenty of picnic areas if you choose to bring food. There are also fast food places, but they tend to have long lines and the food is severely overpriced. Other than that though this place is a real gem and I really enjoy going there.

Ryan Miller

I went with friends to Zoo Boo, I think that what they call it when it's Halloween decorated. It was unfortunately cool/cold and damp, but the decorations were also cool. Kids liked the the mass of carved pumpkins (zoo said there were 5,000, but I didn't count them). We liked the "artistic" pumpkins, which were unbelievable. Some people know how to carve them into art works.

charles maresh

Visited on

Tiffani Koschitzki

I have only been here for the Halloween Jack o Lantern Spectacular, but that was absolutely phenomenal. And from what I could tell, the zoo itself seems to be quite large and the animal enclosures themselves seem to have substantial area. Looking forward to a regular visit during daylight hours!

Angeles Juarez

The aminals were so active. The zoo Staffan animals needs our support after COVID.

David Lee

This place is really fun and educational, they have all sorts of animals and even a farm with farm animals to look at, you used to be able to pet the farm animals before covid, but that will come back sometime in the future I'm sure

Shelley Sandmaier

Zoo is always a great place for a family day trip, and Minnesota Zoo is not an exception! ☺ We particularly enjoyed Tropics Trail and Medtronic MN Trail. Awesome indoor displays and great varieties of animals. When being outdoor we were lucky to see the tigers (they live in a big open area and it is not very easy to spot them). Seeing the brown bears face to face (over a glass) is very impressive, too! We had a great time there! The only regret was that the family animal area was closed. Not sure when it will become available again.

Hanh Nguyen

$21–30

Chay S

Weekday

Amy Hertel

Really wished it was completely open little-ones still had a good time

Tawny Blaylock

Diligent staff whose love for wildlife shows in their conversation with guests. Great themed exhibits ensures no two visits are the same.

GunMetalGrey009

Weekday

Chang-Tsan Lu

Reservation recommended

James Dishon

Place was nice. Came for the first time ever to the zoo & the jack-o-lantern spooktacular. SUPER PACKED. Food was over priced & hardly no options. Small hotdogs,chips,canned soda and vitamin water for kids. Saw a sign of funnel cakes but they ran out and they legit had just opened. They need to add more food options and or get a bit more organized with crowds. I did see 2-3 kids almost get trampled on during out walk through.

Bobbi Jo Richard

Love this zoo. With COVID they are letting fewer people in, which makes the experience so much better. Make plans in advance! Don't expect to get same day tickets during weekends.

Chris Nelson

Definitely a fun day for us and the kids. I wish the interactive exhibits were open, the kids would've loved them.

Ann Tork

Enjoyed the day as crowds were low due to Covid and the weather! Many up close animals too see and camel rides were so fun!

Kseniya Pererva

I try to get to this zoo when I visit Minnesota about every 5 years or so. Love the tropical and the Minnesota trail.

Jayson Treloar

No wait

Melly Grutt

The Jack-o-lantern Spectacular was alot of fun! We had a blast and was an awesome experience. We got there 40 minutes early and worked out just great. Best time for us was 7PM.

aimjam

It’s not often I enjoy zoos these days! There was plenty of space for the animals. They seemed healthy, well taken care of and well fed. You can see several animals thriving that would otherwise not survive in the wild- the few that were noticeable were 2 turtles and an eagle with a broken wing. I’ve already decided to come back to Apple Valley/St. Paul around Halloween next year so I can experience their event in the evening.

Sue Colby

Probably one of the best Zoo's we've been to. Definitely in the top 3!

Robin Williams

Weekend

Jorg Lueke

Wait time

Shay Weinschreider

I went to the pumpkin carving showing at the Minnesota zoo. It was pretty crazy and awesome. The zoo is always a fun place to bring kids for sure young adults and even adults that are kids still at heart. The carved pumpkins that we saw were pretty amazing. It was a long walk for what little we saw, and what little they actually had. Compared to previous years. Still fun to get out and see some outdoor Halloween fun. I would definitely recommend going and checking this out if you have time before it ends. Probably better to do it on a weekday as to opposed to the weekend. It was a little disappointing to see the fact that some of the pumpkins that were carved, were actually not entirely carved completely they were carved with an outline or something very little was carved some of them that were just an outline or carved with something other than an outline were actually painted on. It still was fun I just wish that they would be a little bit more upfront about some of the carving pumpkins that were carved are not entirely carved completely but most of them were I think a lot of the big display ones that they that people were looking at were not 100% carved out.

Mariah Cordero

Wait time

Fritz Barlage

Minnesota Zoo is a very nice and friendly place to have your family visit I recommend this place if you have relative from out of state coming in there’s a lot of tree and nature a Minnesota Zoo

Jeremy Pflugradt

We went to the annual pumpkin display last night. It was wonderful!

Gregory Auberger

Yes

Angie Richardson

Price for adult entry

Natalia Dzyuba

My wife and I took our 6 month old here. It wasn't too bad but alot of exhibits still had plastic up from covid. No one was maintaining 6ft from each other. However, there was some cool exhibits. Really enjoyed the aquatic ones. They need to get a lion, elephant, hippo and rhino but overall it was pretty enjoyable

Shawn Van Erdewyk

Yes

judy aragon

Yes

joe kroehler

10–30 min

Chris Olsen

Reservation recommended

Carol Pagel

Reservation recommended

J Kyzaheer

Went to see the pumpkin display. Very fun even for old people. Kids loved it.

Debra Kay

Reservation recommended

Miriam Elizabeth

We hadn't been to Minnesota Zoo yet, we knew we needed to get to the Nature Illuminated (aka Zoo Lights), at the least. We were not disappointed. It was delightful and fun, informative, colorful and well worth the time. We would highly recommend it.