Since I was a small child, at least three or four summer days have been spent enjoying a long, leisurely tour of some zoo or another. The current zoo of choice is Chicago’s fabulous Brookfield Zoo, of which the hubby and I have recently become members. Brookfield is an example of a clean, well-maintained zoo which, despite room for improvement in some areas, is steadily moving forward in the areas of animal habitats and diversity. Brookfield Zoo, therefore, is worthy of serving as my entry into BeastieGirl’s How I Spend My Summer Vacation write-off.

Know Before You Go
Brookfield Zoo is located fourteen miles west of downtown Chicago. Visitors can take mass transit or drive and pay $9.00 for parking. The zoo, wonderfully enough, is open every single day of the year. Hours vary seasonally, but not by much. For the most part the zoo opens at 9:30 or 10:00 a.m. and closes at 5:00 or 6:00 p.m.

Admission options at Brookfield Zoo dazzle the mind. One can purchase the basic $10.00 per person zoo-only admission to an “all-in-one” ticket that includes the Dolphin Show, Safari tram, and various seasonal attractions. The hubby and I have the “Family Plus” membership program which means unlimited free admission for ourselves and another adult, free parking, and various other perks in the form of tickets to shows, guest passes, and food/merchandise discounts at a rate of $94 per year. Basically, if you plan to visit the zoo more than once a year in a family group that consists of more than two adults, you’re probably better off purchasing an annual admission.

Exhibit Highlights
To name all the attractions and animals available for viewing at Brookfield Zoo would require pages. I’ll summarize by saying that, in general, animal facilities are spacious and well-kept with plenty of enrichment opportunities for animals. This is a very clean zoo and I’m impressed that guest areas as well as animal ones all look recently painted even at the end of a very busy summer season. You’ll see few or no bars at this zoo as exhibit designers struggle to recreate each animal’s natural habitat. Sometimes this can lead to frustration for visitors, as animals take refuge in specially created hiding places out of sight. Personally, I prefer it, as I can rest easier knowing that animals on display aren’t just pacing aimlessly and craving a moment of silence or distance from the public.

Brookfield Zoo is very large, and it would take days to see every inch of it. My advice? Don’t try to do everything in two hours, or you’ll end up tired and frustrated. The following attractions top my list of “don’t miss” spots to be sure to hit no matter how rushed your visit.

1. The Brookfield Zoo’s Bear Grottos are top-notch, and provide some of the most interesting bear-viewing I’ve seen at any zoo. Currently, baby Hudson the polar bear and his mama are the star of the show. This guy was born in December, and boy is he active! Also on display are a larger male polar bear, two massive teddy bear-like brown bears, and a black spectacled bear. All tend to be active, playing in water and with toys, and generally seem very happy in their grotto.

2. The Fragile Kingdom is a unique indoor/outdoor area that houses big cats along with dessert and rainforest dwelling animals. My husband picked the giant African porcupines as his favorite Brookfield Zoo animal. They share an environment with some meerkats and are much cuter than anything spiked has a right to be.

3. Dolphins put on a good show at The Seven Seas. I tend to get annoyed when dolphin shows cost extra, but a look at the elaborate indoor Seven Seas showcase helps to understand why this particular one maybe isn’t built into the cost of the zoo. Tickets cost $3.00 for nonmembers and are for specific times. The show features eight male and female bottlenose dolphins who jump, play, and splash to a delighted crowd. It isn’t a particularly long show, but it covers the basics of cool dolphin behaviors and tricks and has a nifty underwater viewing area that can be enjoyed before or after the show.

4. Tropic World houses many different species of primates from around the world, along with the odd hippo. I am impressed with the spacious enclosures and variety of apes showcased in this facility. Visitors can see blonde and black gibbons, orangutans of all different ages, and a huge family of gorillas, along with a diverse smattering of monkeys. The animals are mingled in large spaces that represent different contents instead of being walled up separately in many smaller enclosures.

5. Aardvark House - Brookfield Zoo’s most random exhibit award goes to this little hut near the African savannah which houses nothing but a couple of aardvark’s. Most views don’t really focus on aardvarks, so I appreciate the novelty of this well-designed environment that includes an indoor area that mimics night-time, a burrow guests can see into, and an outdoor play yard. Mostly, the aardvarks are down in their burrow, snuggling in a warm embrace. They’re just such goofy-looking animals!

6. The Living Coast features a variety of animals from the west coast of Chili and Peru. This modern, attractive facility is home to everything from peacefully floating black-lit jellyfish to active, excitable Humboldt penguins. The tanks of fish here don’t rival the Shedd Aquarium’s, but they do include some attractive environments.

The Lowlights
At the Brookfield Zoo, there fortunately aren’t many. In a few places, the layout becomes confusing, and a seemingly promising path leads to a dead end. Some backtracking is required, and signage could be better. As with any popular zoo, crowds can of course be a problem on weekends and holidays. The zoo’s spacious layout does do a respectable job of spreading them out and the food and beverage stands tend to run efficiently and get people through fast.

With respect to exhibits, my only gripe is with the indoor pachyderm house. As so often happens at older zoos, the elephants, hippos, and rhinos have a wonderful outdoor environment which has undoubtedly been expanded over time but a craptastic indoor one. I feel sad seeing these giant animals in what amount to tiny indoor cells, even if these particular ones have at least been freshly painted and don’t have bars. I just don’t understand why elephants can’t ever be given indoor facilities as elaborate as those given to gorillas or big cats.

Shopping and Dining
Options for both are plentiful at the Brookfield Zoo. The food, as you would expect, is never gourmet but it is plentiful and reasonably affordable. Safari House provides a very quick bite, with a menu of traditional zoo-fare such as pizza, hot dogs, onion rings, and fries. More variety (and more chaos) can be found at La Gran Cocina Food Court, which sells everything from burritos to organic salads. The seasonal Leinie Lodge, sponsored by Leinenkugel Beer, is the best place to go to enjoy an alcoholic beverage. During the busy summer season, the zoo actually operates nearly a dozen temporary dining facilities housed in structures of varying degrees of permanence. Of course, a lot of folks opt to avoid the whole thing and just bring in a picnic lunch, which is also fine.

We don’t typically buy merchandise at this or any other zoo, but if we did we’d have seven or eight places to do it. Each shop is themed like the exhibit it is nearest – for example, the Seven Seas Shop sells primarily stuffed toys of the dolphin/penguin/killer whale variety. What I can’t resist at the Brookfield Zoo are the old school Mold-A-Rama machines located throughout. I’ve currently collected two of the six available wax figures and the rest will certainly be purchased on subsequent visits.

Overall…
I feel proud of my membership of Brookfield Zoo. This zoo has historically been a frontrunner in zoo improvement and continues to be an important player in breeding programs and conservation efforts. The grounds always look great and most of the animals have great environments. I look forward to spending many more summers at Brookfield Zoo in the years to come.

*Heading to the Windy City? Check out my Best of Chicago guide!

Recommended: Yes