we assembled a panel of experts and asked them to consider some essentials: Are there lots of fun things for kids to do? Can kids get up close to the animals? Are barriers placed low enough for a stroller-eye view? Are the signs easy to read? Selecting the finalists was no easy decision, but all those chosen offer an unmatched opportunity for your little cubs to cozy up to Mother Nature at her finest. If your family is looking for variety, the St. Louis Zoo, one of the finest urban zoos in the country, offers free admission, a world-class menagerie, and a top-notch Children's Zoo.
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
The St. Louis Zoo has an incredible knack for letting kids act like animals (in a good way). In the Children's Zoo, for example, a play area called "Just Like Me" features such energy-burning activities as a slide that lands kids smack in the middle of an otter exhibit, an oversize spiderweb made of rope for kids to climb on, a "mountain" that kids can scramble up like a mountain goat and a sandbox that encourages kids to burrow like an aardvark.But this kid-friendly approach extends beyond the Children's Zoo. The brand-new Insectarium is loaded with more than 20 major exhibit areas that teach kids all about insects, from trying to match a firefly's flash pattern with a potential mate to "Am I An Insect?," an interactive area that teaches the difference between insects and their look-alike cousins, the arthropods. Another new exhibit, "River's Edge," turns the tables on visitors: with a minimum of visible barriers, it provides a thoroughly absorbing experience wherein humans feel as if they've stepped right into the habitats of elephants, spotted hyenas and cheetahs.
SIZE: 90 acres, 15 major exhibit areas, 700 species and 6,600 animals (not counting the 100,000 leaf-cutter ants!)
ADMISSION: Free ($2 for the Insectarium).
DON'T MISS: The reptile and amphibian house, which is among the largest in the world.
KID THRILLS: The daily 4 o'clock feeding of the polar bears and getting up close to the lorikeets, which fly freely in an aviary built for the 1904 World's Fair and will sip nectar right from kids' hands.
INSIDER TIP: Kids should bring their swimsuits in the summer so they can frolic in the randomly spouting geysers in the Children's Zoo.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 314-781-0900 or click here.
Lisa Stiepock is a FAMILYFUN contributing editor and Gregory Lauzon is a FAMILYFUN staff writer.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated August 2005.
