Potter Park Zoo

I would have given it a 5 except for the bird enclosure. Didn’t like it at all. Those birds were terrified. Cockatiels are very sweet birds and very friendly… when cared for properly. I know I have one. They are stuck in a very hot uncomfortable enclosure. The thing I really disliked was the fact that the keeper kept chasing them around with a broom! Every couple of minutes she did that. I’m not sure why. I guess for the visitors. This visitor couldn’t get out fast enough. It would be interesting to know where they are kept in the winter. Keeping all these birds in that enclosure is extremely cruel. The only food I saw was the 3 pieces of seed stuck to a stick that you paid a dollar for to feed them with. There was no water in there either!!! I it was very hot in there they needed lots of clean water.

Potter Park Zoo is the best zoo I have ever been to. They have a good selection of animals and the park is small enough to easily see everything it has to offer. I have been obsessed with rhinos since I was a little girl, and this park boasts a habitat for not one but TWO rhinos! Unfortunately, the male rhino, Jello, passed away not too long ago so the female, Doppsee, is alone right now. But the habitat is there and I am hopeful they’ll get another male soon and maybe we’ll see some baby rhinos in a few years!
I was also lucky enough to be the recipient of a rhino encounter from my sister. My sister spoke with the staff and gave me a half hour in the rhino hut, petting Doppsee and feeding her apple slices. It was the best moment of my life. And we were all dressed to the nines because it also happened to be the day my sister got married! Best Maid of Honor gift ever! After I spent time petting and feeding Doppsee, we wandered around the zoo taking wedding photos near the different animals. It was a seriously magical day. I can’t imagine larger zoos giving a better opportunity.
I love this zoo.

Great little zoo. Perfect place for the grandparents to introduce their little angels to an interesting assortment of nature’s finest.
We especially enjoyed the big cats!

Went here with a friend, and it only took us about 45 minutes to get through the whole park. Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek Michigan is much better. Most of the animals were not out, and I felt bad for the animals due to the lack of space that was provided for even larger sized animals. Not to mention Potter Park Zoo is located right next to train tracks, which trains ran on multiple time while we were there. Definitely check out Binder park zoo in BC if you can. They are SO much better.

My wife and I have always enjoyed visiting a variety of zoos and aquariums. After coming across and article on the Internet that raved about this zoo, we decided to make a day trip from the Detroit area.
Although significantly smaller than the Detroit Zoo, the layout and quality of the exhibits are nice. The cathouse was a highlight, with beautiful tigers and lions. My wife got a really nice close up shot that the Detroit Tigers may want to use for promotional material.
We were most impressed with the amount of activities for children at the zoo. They have pony rides, a petting area, a small train, trampoline (overpriced), and a bird house. The bird house was really cool, because you can purchase a stick with seed on it for a dollar. Once you hold the stick out, several birds will land on your hand and the stick. You really can’t get more up close and personal with an animal.
Overall, we were thoroughly impressed with Potter Park Zoo. In fact, we were talking about how much fun it would be to bring back my nieces and parents. There is a great area outside of the zoo for little ones to play on swings and slides, picnic tables to eat, and bathrooms. It really is a great zoo for families with small children. We will definitely be returning with the rest of the family.

Although the zoo is quite small, I loved how close I was able to get to the animals! They also had a fair variety of different animals such as amphibians, birds, typical zoo animals like tigers, farm animals, and etc! This zoo also offers camel rides! Unfortunately I wasn’t able to try it out because this event doesn’t start until later in the summer, but I’d definitely come back just to get the experience!
Ps: if you are afraid of birds, beware of roaming peacocks! They’re everywhere!

This is a nice little zoo situated in a nice big park next to the Lansing River Trail.
Another reviewer (Latisha T.) has done an excellent job of reporting the prices and hours, but it is important to note that there is a pretty steep price differential between resident and non-​resident admission and parking.
Additional amenities and attractions include:
–Wings Down Under a bird feeding area ($ 1 per bird food stick)
–a garden themed around the senses
–a goat petting area
–camel and pony rides
–a train ride for little ones
–2 snack bars (though I have never seen the one towards the front of the zoo open)
–a gift shop
–cartoony animal cut-​outs for people to stick their heads through for photos
A wide variety of animals live at this zoo, and most of them seem to have nice enclosures. My biggest zoo dislike is when the animals seem unhappy, and for the most part Potter Park Zoo does a really nice job of prioritizing animal comfort over human viewing, while still providing many viewing opportunities. The only animal that seems a little unhappy (based on only 4 visits and a total NON-​expert opinion) is the tiger. He or she has been pacing every time that I have visited– though it seems like there are well loved entertainment objects in the enclosure.
The animal staff that I have interacted with during my visits have all been friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to educate. A highlight was watching the penguins get fed– the fellow who did it was funny and informative. I have only been in the gift shop once, but it seems to sell standard «zoo gift shop» things and the cashier was very nice and helpful. The concession staff folks are young and seem generally confused, but well-​meaning.
Give it a shot, especially if you live in the area. I think the otters and the Wings Down Under alone are well worth the resident admission!

This is not a giant zoo with million dollar rain forests. But it is a wonderful 3 or 4 hours with some impressive animals. Yes they do have the barnyard petting zoo and smaller exhibits but they are kind of nestled in a park with plenty of shade n benches. They have black rhinos and meerkats and cavies. River otters and penquins. They have a bird enclosure where you go in with the birds and feed them seed sticks. They land on your hands and arms. Its a casual fun family time without a day long commitment in the hot burning sun.

Drove from Fenton with the family. Had a great day at Potter Park Zoo. even if you don’t live in Ingham co… it’s a great value!

ZOO HRS.: April-​October 9am-​6pm; Nov.-March 10am-​4pm.
PARKING: Resident $ 3, Non-​Resident $ 5.
ADMISSION: April-​Oct. Adult Res. $ 4/​NR $ 10, Senior Res.$ 3/​NR $ 8; Children 3 – 12 $ 2/​Under 3 y/​o FREE.
ADMISSION NOV.-MARCH:
All Adults– $ 2; Children ages 3−12− $ 1; Children under 3-​FREE
The zoo has restrooms, food vending, wheelchair and stroller rentals and a gift shop. It is a smoke-​free facilty which is absolutely fantastic for those who don’t smoke, allergic or sensitve to first or second hand smoke. (Heeey think about the kids and Yes I’m not a smoker!!!)
This is my second visit at this zoo. The 1^st time was a family trip which was fun and interesting. This time around it was my child’s end of the year class trip. The nice part was having parent chaperones to help with the kids. So we split up in groups of 3 or 4 and went on our own litle adventure throughout the zoo.
I suggest bringing a sack lunch with you because things at the zoo could be a little costly, especially with a group of kids. There is a area, on the left before entering the zoo, set up with picnic tables and a kids playground to eat and give the kids another (different) chance to burn some more energy before leaving the zoo.
The day was about 78degrees F out with a slight breeze. It was not too hot, which made it the perfect temperature to walk around with the kids without them getting agitated quickly. The teachers gave the children a two page paper with pics and names of animals, classiifed by groups that they had to check/​mark off after learning/​collecting info on that particular animal. And after finding/​seeing all the animals on the pages they (we) was treated with our choice of vanilla, chocolate, or vanilla/​chocolate swirl ice cream cone that was delightful treat in the heat.
This time around, a lot of the exibits were closed for some reason or another but enough aninmals were seen to occupy and educate Pre-​K class. It was disturbing to have a train ride for $ 3 per kid. The disturbing part was that the train ride was only a small circled path, nothing exciting! The kids was excited to get on but the really sad part was that they wer even more excited to GET OFF! Can you say BORING… the charge should’ve been $ 1!
So overall, I’d say «it’s an experience of a life time», «you live and you learn»…at least the kids got out of the classroom setting and had some fun. *Sigh*…Next time I’ll try another zoo.

A small zoo, but a good collection of animals. The dry erase boards with real notes from the zookeepers is a nice touch you don’t get with a lot of major zoos. We were able to get in free with our Nashville Zoo membership. It was a good time, and we would go again.

I have a membership to John Ball Zoo in GR and noticed with that membership you can get into Potter Park Zoo for free so we decided to check it out!
I have to say I really enjoyed it! They have a wide variety of animals and you even feel like you are pretty close to them — closer than the Zoo’s in GR or Detroit!
We spent almost 3 hours there walking around and saw everything. They have a lot of fun interactive things for the kids — like the animal cut outs for pictures & the giraffe’s you can climb on were a big hit.
Will most definitely go back to this zoo!!!

I really love this zoo; it’s an unexpected gem in the middle of Lansing. I never expected a medium-​sized town like Lansing to have a zoo that compares to, say, the Detroit zoo, but Potter Park was a lovely surprise. There are a lot of exotic and not-​so-​exotic animals in the zoo, including a variety of big cats and the obligatory farm animal petting area for kids. They just rebuilt the rhinoceros exhibit and brought in 2 rhinos, and the bird/​reptile house has a good variety as well. This zoo is the perfect spot for an afternoon visit; it’s not so big that you’ll be exhausted after walking around, but there’s still plenty to see.
I highly recommend visiting, especially on reduced-​fare days like Be A Tourist In Your Own Town, or during many of the other specials that happen throughout the year. Winter visits are also super inexpensive if you want to brave the cold!

This zoo is ok. That’s it. It has a pretty decent assortment of animals, but they seemed cramped. The lion and tiger enclosures seemed too small for them. My family had a pretty good time, but we are from out of town, so it really cost quite a fortune. My wife and I were 20 bucks… plus 5 for parking. I guess they don’t really want tourists. We were in town for something else, so it’s not likely that we’ll be back anytime soon, but even if a trip to Lansing were on the agenda, I’d skip the zoo. Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t bad… just ok. Certainly overpriced.

My family just had an amazing day here! I love this place. Is it as big as Detroit or Toledo? No. But they have a great collection of animals, a nice little snack area and plenty of fun activities for the kids.
Here is what we saw… tigers, lions, penguins, otters, eagles, foxes, fish, ostriches, peacocks, tortoises, frogs, birds, snakes, kangaroos, rhinoceros, monkeys, lemurs, mandrills, owls, leopard, wolves, and a bunch more whose names escape me. Sound like a tiny crappy zoo? I didn’t think so…
We also got to ride a pony and a camel, feed llamas, pet goats and they have an aviary where you can buy seed sticks and feed parakeets. I know, that doesn’t sound too exciting but, it is a room full of about 100 parakeets and they fly out and land on you and your seed stick and eat. My daughter was freaking out excited, buy a couple seed sticks cause they eat em’ up fast!
Bottom line, this zoo is smaller than others but they pack so much into that small space. It makes it so you can stroll leisurely with the little ones and not bring the stroller. We saw the whole zoo in about 3 – 4 hours and we didn’t feel like we wanted to pass out from exhaustion afterwards. Granted, if I didn’t have a child, I might not have enjoyed it so much but aren’t zoos for the kids anyways?
As for the review that claimed that the animals looked abused. The only animals that looked sick were the ones being rehabilitated, they do a lot of that here. In other words, the zoo is caring for these abused/​sick animals to help them!
It’s a great time and really inexpensive. Pony rides $ 3, camel ride $ 4, seed sticks $ 1 (bring cash!). Parking $ 5 (also cash only). Admission would have been $ 22 (non-​resident) for my husband, daughter and I but we had a free pass (won at an auction for my daughters preschool). Not too shabby for and afternoon packed with fun!

I *heart* Potter Park Zoo. I’ve kicked it here for practically my entire life. From feeding the ducks and geese stale bread at age in preschool, to «Zoo School» in middle school, to the zoo lights at Christmas time with my friends in high school. I remember one time bonding with a camel, only later to find out his was using my jacket as a tissue for his runny nose… not just nuzzling my shoulder… that was a bit gross, but what a memory! I really love Potter Park Zoo. It’s worth a membership and numerous trips to see what’s new at the zoo. They are always making improvements and holding educational events. It’s well worth stopping by for a picnic and a stroll through the exhibits.

I like to call this «the Little Zoo that Could».
The Potter Park Zoo is a delightful place to go on a warm afternoon. This isn’t just your ordinary zoo, it’s a collection of zoo animals in a park. It’s tree covered and very nice for just strolling around. Your basic animals are here, nothing exotic. No fighting large crowds, no walking miles to see all of the animals, no overpriced snacks.
Sure this place isn’t for everyone; the hardcore zoo goers will have lots to complain about here. But when it comes to zoos, I’m a casual user and this fits my style perfectly.

When you think «ZOO», you would think Lions, Tigers, and Bears… OH MY!
WRONG! This is the saddest zoo ever! It shouldn’t just be called the Potter Park Barn. They have such a sad assortment of zoo animals there.
I had gone a while back with a girlfriend of mine and her boyfriend and it wasn’t fun as we had imagined. Yes, we saw chickens, sheep, cows, ducks… ask me if we saw a bear. Wait, ask me if we saw an ostrich! What we did witness was a sign that said «Pile of Rocks» and «Pile of Sticks». Yes, this is what zoo’s carry all the time. I think they ran out of animals, therefore they have to make up there things (rocks!!!)
Yes, we were robbed of our money!

I hadn’t been to Potter Park Zoo in awhile, but a friend and I decided to take our kids the other day. I think it’s improved since the county started chipping in. The big cats could use more room, in my opinion, but most of the exhibits seem to have adequate space for the animals. (Potter Park doesn’t have a lot of large animals.)
The animals we saw included the lion, the tiger, the leopard, camels, burros, goats (a big hit with the little ones), bald eagles and numerous other birds, tamarins and mandrills (love the baby!). We weren’t able to see the tortoise or the wolves. I felt like it was a nice selection of animals for a zoo of this size.
The kids particularly liked the fish area. The aquariums were beautiful, and the clownfish were a hit with both of our kids and the other ones we saw in there.
I was a little disappointed that the farmyard petting zoo isn’t open during the week — maybe we were too late in the year? At any rate, we were still able to see the goats and burros, who were adorable.

A nice mid-​sized zoo in the heart of Lansing. It is located on the banks of the Grand River. My favorite attractions are the new otter exhibit, the tigers, snow leopards, ring-​tailed lemurs and the Magellenic penguins. The zoo’s management has changed from the City of Lansing to Ingham County and there have been a number of improvements since the change in 2007. Landscaping is much better, as is signage. Animal enclosures are getting a facelift or a complete renovation.
The zoo also brings education animals on the road for presentations. They will be at a lot of the Sunday Lansing Lugnuts games during the 2008 season. Be sure to check them out!
In the interest of full disclosure, I should say that I am a docent for the zoo. If you are looking for a great volunteer opportunity, look into becoming a docent or a regular volunteer. Docents must complete a 40 hour class (held nights and weekends). Once you graduate, you will be able to conduct educational tours or take the zoo’s education animals on the road for school and community presentations. A general volunteer does not have to take the classes but will not be able to handle animals. General volunteers help with special events, gardening and other vital behind-​the-​scenes work.