Mesker Park Zoo And Botanical Garden

This was our first time to this Zoo. Drove 2 hours, just to see it. It is an A-​Okay Zoo. The price is a little high for being such a small zoo. The price of the food was very expensive, so we opt out not eating there. The only thing the kids really enjoyed was getting to feed the giraffe and getting to pet them and walking through the Amazonia they have.

We had our wedding reception at Mesker Zoo in September. It was incredible. Stephanie and the rest of the Visitor Services staff bent over backwards to help make sure our wedding was exactly how we wanted it. They removed the strollers from the entrance area, moved all of the zoo’s small tables out of the way to make room for bigger tables for just a small additional fee, and they were even willing to leave the capybaras & tapir in Amazonia later than normal for our guests to be able to see them. Stephanie herself, the Visitor Services Curator, drove us away in our «getaway car,» which was the zoo tram.
The price for having a reception here is SO reasonable compared to most other places, and you are allowed to do virtually anything you want. Since there are no animals in the immediate entry area, there aren’t rules about fire, lighting, music, etc. I love that the fee paid for our reception site goes not to a for-​profit business, but to a nonprofit agency that contributes so much to wildlife conservation right here in our hometown.
We have been zoo members for several years, and plan on keeping it that way for the rest of our lives as long as finances permit. Thank you, Stephanie, Mesker, and team for a BEAUTIFUL, perfect wedding reception!

A very nice little zoo, not too big to cover in a couple of hours if you’re not committed to reading everything. Enjoyed the Amazonia exhibit, and there was plenty of opportunity to get very close to a couple of animals, like the rhinoceros and the coyotes. It IS hilly terrain, so invest in the tokens for the tram if you have little kids with you.

Not too bad. I mean, we have been to larger zoos (Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, & Louisville) but this actually isn’t bad for a smaller zoo. Admission is only $ 8.50 for adults and $ 7.50 for children and 2 & under free. The Amazonia exhibit was very unique but be careful! It’s raining! It IS the rainforest, after all. They have toucans if you’ve never seen any.
We also enjoyed the hyacinth macaws with their juvenile baby playing and preening each other. They had a couple of exhibits closed for renovations, with one being one we had come for.
There are points that there aren’t any exhibits and some are spread out. I wish they had something in between to keep things lively.
Before we left we stopped at their Rainforest Grill to see the prices. They actually aren’t bad considering the restaurant is located inside of a zoo. Three of us ate with drinks for $ 20. The drinks come with free refills, too! Remember they aren’t allowed to give out straws or lids with your drink for the safety of the animals. All zoo do this. We are used to spending more while visiting places so we were honestly more than happy to pay.

Me and my boyfriend went here one day. It was fun, but a little pricey for what it is. The zoo is quite hilly so a lot of up and down walking kinda. The animals didn’t really seem to want to come out too much which is always a bummer. But they have this inside forest thing that was really neat!!! It was nice and cool and shaded and they had birds like ducks and different stuff free to walk about inside and they had different animals in there. That was my favorite part. But you should go, why not?

The zoo has really improved in the past 10 or so years. And they’re constantly adding new editions and making improvements. You could go to a bigger city and even their zoo wouldn’t be the quality of Mesker Park.

What a fun, little zoo! It’s hidden away behind trees and a small neighborhood and we wouldn’t have found it if not for looking up for things to do here.
The botanical garden/​rainforest buildings are pretty neat!
Pros today: In 92 degree F weather with 40% humidity, the TREES provided tons of shade and benches were always available for resting. Not crowded with people. Trolley ride for the whole day is only $ 2.
Cons today: Seemed like every other animal in a cage was either sick, getting a vet check up, or was moved because their area was being cleaned — so we didn’t get to see them.
Overall, we all had fun and my daughter enjoyed everything!