Daytrip: A Go West Outing to Brookfield Zoo

Here is likely the most important thing I can tell you about a visit to Brookfield Zoo: You are not going to see everything. Not in just one day.

A grizzly bear in the "Great Bear Wilderness" at Brookfield Zoo. Photo courtesy of Brookfield Zoo.But that’s OK. With a bit of advance planning – and the zoo’s website has lots of great tips  – you can make sure to see all the animals, exhibits and attractions that are most important to your family. Plus, it’s such a fun spot and less than an hour away from the far western Chicago suburbs, so you can just plan a follow-up visit.

My daughter and I visited the zoo on a gorgeous warm Friday about a month ago.  We were able to go with a good girlfriend of mine and her two toddler sons. They live near the zoo and are members, so she was very sweet to use some guest passes to get us in free. All I had to pay was the $9 parking fee.

Otherwise, there are a number of ticket options you can pick from. For those who are ages 12 to 65, the general entry to the zoo is $13.50. Children ages 3-11 pay $9.50. (Kids under 3 are free.)

There are a couple other ticket packages if you want to include special attractions that cost extra, including the dolphin show, stingray bay, the children’s zoo, the family play zoo, the motor safari and carousel. This is the kind of spot where it is at least worth considering a membership: The “family plus membership” costs $108 and includes free entry for two adults and their children under age 18, a free guest on every visit, free parking, free tickets to some of the above special attractions and six guest passes.

Finally, Tuesdays and Thursdays are free days at the zoo from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31. While you won’t pay any general admission on those days, you will need to pay for special attractions.

A polar bear in the "Great Bear Wilderness" at Brookfield Zoo. Photo courtesy of Brookfield Zoo.My last visit to Brookfield Zoo was likely close to 15 years ago, and it was much bigger and somewhat more majestic than I remembered. (The zoo is 216 acres and opened  in the early 1930s.) Whether you park at the North Gate (the main parking lot) or the South Gate (near the Metra station), you’ll arrive at a huge round plaza with a fountain in the middle.

From there, you can head in a number of different directions. The zoo is mostly broken up into habitats such as “Habitat Africa: The Savannah,” “Habitat Africa: The Forest,” “Australia,” “Desert,” “Rain Forest,” and “The Swamp.” Many of the exhibits –- in addition to being beautifully landscaped – have conservation and educational components as well.

The newest exhibit is called “Great Bear Wilderness,” and it’s the largest exhibit ever built at Brookfield Zoo. It’s home to grizzly bears, polar bears, bison, Mexican gray wolves and eagles, and features a special focus on conservation efforts. The landscape is designed with hills, prairie, rocks and pools – my friend remarked she always feels like she’s on a vacation when she walks through it! I would definitely spend more time here on my next visit.

Other favorites for us included “Habitat Africa” with the easy to see giraffes, and the “Hoofed Animals,” where my daughter liked the camels and zebras.  But we also spent a decent amount of time at a kids’ playground – there are two, on both the west and east sides of the zoo. Hey, when you take three toddlers to a zoo, you have to know when you’re outnumbered!

Next time we'll make sure to see the dolphin presentation. Photo courtesy of Brookfield Zoo.Here are a few other suggestions to consider before your trip:

• There are, of course, plenty of places on the grounds to buy food, including food courts, snack stands and cafeteria-style spots. Many have a kids menu, often with fruit or veggies as a side choice along with your expected french fries, and there are even some organic sandwiches offered as well. My daughter and I ate at the Bison Prairie Grill in the Great Bear Wilderness, and the food was actually tasty, if on the pricy side, which I’d expect at a zoo. But waiting for the food was quite lengthy and chaotic – the staff actually lost a few orders, ours included – and that’s never pretty with a 2-year-old. So next time I’d strongly consider packing a lunch – coolers are allowed and there are plenty of picnic tables around.
• If you can work your schedule around to visit on a weekday in the fall or winter, I think you’d really enjoy it. Despite the warm weather and it being a Friday, we had some exhibits nearly to ourselves to enjoy. Plus, the zoo says that animals are more likely to be more active when the crowds are smaller.
• You can rent strollers, wagons and wheelchairs at the zoo. Next time I plan on renting a wagon for my 2-year-old; the cost is $8 plus a $10 deposit. A wagon would allow me to take her out more easily to show her animals than scrambling to get her out of, and then back in, the stroller’s harness each time. Plus, you are asked not to take strollers inside many of the indoor structures.

After our friends headed home, Johanna and I headed over to the “Seven Seas” section, which is where the Dolphin Presentations are given everyday at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. I know this was a highlight of my friend Laura’s trip to Brookfield for her site chambanamoms.com. Unfortunately, we got there after the last presentation of the day, so it’s another thing to add to my list for our next trip.

But we were still able to spend quality time with the dolphins, walking to the underwater viewing area to watch them swim and twirl around their home. The classical music playing in the underground area inspired my toddler to do some dancing and twirling of her own. She was so happy –- and made the other people around us so happy -- that it reminded me that the best way to measure the success of a trip to the zoo is not how many acres you cover but the quality of the memories and experiences you leave with.