Assiniboine Park Zoo

The zoo itself has come along way. There’s more attractions and between the Polar Bear Exhibit and the Dinosaurs there’s much more to see than in past years. That said, good luck if you go with a grandparent or someone with a disability. It’s $ 30 to rent a scooter. Not to put down a deposit, $ 30 flat. It’s less expensive to get into the actual zoo. Given wheelchair rentals and stroller rentals are only $ 5 and there were a number of electric scooters available (probably due to the price gouging) it’s hard to see how they justify such a cost. As it is, certain exhibits are pretty much off limits to those with mobility issues. The South American exhibit for instance is narrow and strollers (and presumably wheelchairs etc) aren’t allowed inside.
As far as the actual animals, if you really think about it, there isn’t a lot of actual variety. With the lions gone, there’s really nothing to fill the void. Most of the other big cats tend to be inactive during the day. The zoo is very nice, but when you’re paying on par the same prices that you would expect at bigger zoos, there is an expectation that you would be more value for your dollar.
As cool as the dinosaurs are, the zoo needs more actual animal attractions and they really need to stop gouging the people that have the most limitations.

Some of the animals seemed to not be cared for properly. I addressed this issue with the ticket booth staff.
The price has sky rocketed.
The polar bear exhibit is on the opposite end from the entrance now. I have yet to see the polar bear in the water. There are other things to see. Some exhibits like this one are probably best visited in winter.
There are seals and wolves at one point. There is a room where they show a video about aboriginal land and values or something like that.
There is a skeleton of a bowhead whale inside the polar bear exhibit building. It’s a large area with lot’s of different things to explore.
The conservation building next to the polar bear exhibit, I thought, was boring and squished. I thought they could have made it more interactive and interesting.
The Australian exhibit lost it’s charm. It used to be interesting and a larger area where they had all sorts of Australian animals, even koala bears. Now it’s a large pen you walk into with wallabies and emus together. At first, when they opened, you could go up the animals and pet them. But now they have the lesser tame ones and you have to keep your distance.
The butterfly exhibit is neat. At first I thought it was a greenhouse. There are 2 butterfly areas with a souvenir store in the middle. They have a glass case that holds cocoons and chrysalises. Some of the butterflies are pretty big. Not for those who have a fear of butterflies. They land on you and fly very close past you.
The other exhibits were the same as usual. Elks, bison, gazelles. mountain goats, big cats. There’s hardly any monkeys, anymore. Some areas seem desolate.
The Kinsman Discovery Centre used to be a very popular, fun attraction. It’s falling apart and some things are not working, like the light buttons in the swampy area. There used to be a geode crystal and a huge amethyst but it was stolen or something happened to it in the ‘90s and it was never replaced.
There are no meerkats anymore. There used to be a small tunnel with peepdomes for kids to crawl in. But a kid broke one of the domes and that made the tunnel permanently closed off.
There’s still the snake put area. The eggs that kids would crawl into are gone.
The petting zoo area is closed off so all you can do is look into the barn.
At least the tower is still open.
The Tropical House is still open. I think they did some renos, but kept it rather the same. They have increased the animals for that exhibit. Unfortunately, the smoking area is right next to the Tropical house the smoke is blowing right into the cages. I feel bad for those animals.
There is no more corn kernel dispenser to feed the ducks.
The zoo layout is rather odd and confusing to navigate to ensure you see all the sights in a nice flow. You always need a map to track your course and there is some back tracking that you need to do.
The fresh lemonade is delicious.
The restaurant is neat. There is a window wall that looks into the polar bear exhibit and bears walk right up to the glass. There is sometimes a long line. The food is as good as always. There is some premade food that you find at most grocers but they still have their old fashioned fresh made stuff. Some stuff is affordable. Other stuff id pricey.
They still have peacocks and gophers wandering around freely.

Great place to take the whole family. Great view while eating at the Grill. Kids get a treat after their trip at the gift shop as well.

I have been going to this Zoo since I was a wee lass. It was amazing how long free admission lasted in an urban centre!
I don’t mind paying now, as the site has been greatly changed and it makes for an entertaining experience.
I enjoyed the different habitats and how they are not cramped, and attempt to replicate natural creature dwellings. The Polar Bears and Penguins are a particular treat. The volunteers in the Penguin area were very helpful and knowledgable.
The butterfly enclosure is well thought out and contains a wealth of species. I was disappointed to see parents letting their children chase the butterflies attempting to touch them (I feared for the butterfly when one boy succeeded), and picking flowers and plants from the display.
The children in my group fed the very tame groundhogs but we were later told that they carry diseases communicable to humans and should not be fed.
I loved the 360 degree theatre. The show was informative and enjoyable.
It is at this Zoo that I first saw Kangaroo’s walking. I was shocked, having thought they always hopped for transportation. These kind of experiences make the Zoo a privilege to attend; learning more about the Animal Kingdom.
I’ll be back.

I visited this zoo and I can tell you there is still a lot to see. Sometimes you need a little patience to wait for the polar bears (they aren’t diving in their pool all the time) but it’s worth it to see them wrestling from the nice viewing areas. There are also great indoor areas like a tropical rainforest biosphere and meerkats in another area. They are fun to watch. Overall a pleasant walk on a nice day and a highlight of visiting Winnipeg.

I’ve been twice with the daycamp I’m working with. Finally, the construction on the zoo is done and it’s a pretty great way to spend a day. My favorites are the butterfly garden which has way more butterflies than ever– and the journey to Churchill where polar bears swim over your head in an impressively large tank that’s only part of their very nice habitat.
There is a schedule available for a lot of interactive exhibits where zookeepers feed/​talk about the animals. They are all very knowledgeable and friendly.
I’d honestly say it isn’t worth cheaper admission on a Tuesday. The place gets way too packed and I didn’t really see anything. It’s expensive, but worth a visit. Take your own drinks and snacks to save money– and don’t feed the Prairie dogs!!!

Ive been to a lot of Zoos and while the Winnipeg Zoo is lacking in some aspects the newly added Journey to Churchill section is awesome!
We visited the day after the new section of the zoo opened so much of the zoo was still under renovations which is why this review is 4 stars instead of 5. The Polar Bear Exhibit is one of the best I have ever seen in a zoo and the walk through tunnel allowing you to sea the polar bears playing under water is great.
The animals all seem healthy and happy! Lots of animals running around are free roam which is also a nice addition to the zoo.

We visited the zoo for Memorial Day weekend and at first was wary. After entering, we found that there was construction for the polar bear gigantic exhibit. To the left, there was a open range kangaroo and emu sanctuary. Afterwards, we took a look at the other exhibits and found several empty areas with Canadian geese taking home. The polar bear exhibit at least opened part of it to the public. We finished the zoo by noonish so it was about 2 – 3 hours tops. There are alot of renovations so better to come back after zoo has finished at least the polar bear exhibit in July.

Okay, I know it’s not the best zoo in Canada, but… it is decent, and they are doing a reno to make it better. My kids love it and have a blast and don’t care that it is not top in Canada. There is open space for them to run, places to picnic, the new playgrounds are pretty good, the kids do love the new indoor play area and have tons of fun there! We have a yearly family pass which is perfect so we can drop in anytime and aren’t committed to a whole day. Great place to go for some quick dropin summertime fun.

Oh geez. I was expecting much more than this. My friends and I still had a really good time, but mostly because we were being complete jackasses.
It was pretty empty because we went on a Tuesday afternoon. I don’t just mean people. There were almost zero animals in any of the habitats. We saw a variety of big cats, deer and birds. That was pretty much it, and there were a minimal amount of those to begin with.
On a bizarre note, they seemed to have started decorating for Halloween. So half the park had really random shitty Halloween decorations placed along the walking paths. That, and a lot of those face-​in-​a-​hole things that you take lame photos of your friends in… and we sure did! Because there were more of those in the park than any actual animals!
I liked the peacocks that were roaming the park, the fake alligator (no real ones?) and the hilarious male lion that tried to attack an offensively ugly baby stroller through the glass barrier.
I wouldn’t say NEVER come here, but. don’t expect too much.