We are resharing this St. Louis Zoo post just in time for National Zoo Lover’s Day!
Of all the amazing things St. Louis has to offer, the St. Louis Zoo is probably my favorite. April 8th is National Zoo Lovers Day, so it’s the perfect time to talk about our wonderful zoo.
Admission to the Zoo
The St. Louis Zoo has free admission. Spring hours are from 9 am – 5 pm. Summer hours will start Memorial Day weekend, when the zoo will open at 8:00 am each day and close at 5:00 during the week and 6:30 on Fridays and Saturdays. (Some days it closes early for special events, so be sure to double-check.)
Parking
Parking in one of the zoo lots is $15. Parking on the street or other parking lots in Forest Park is free. If you choose to park on the street, be sure to pay attention to the No Parking signs (even if there are other cars parked there). Parking tickets are readily given. On weekdays and early on weekends, the best parking spot is the lot next to the art museum. If you come in from the west side off of Skinker onto Wells Drive, you can find parking near the South entrance of the zoo. Veer left onto Government Dr. and find parking near the North entrance. In the spring, during field trip season, there is bus parking on Government Dr.
Planning Your Visit
If you are attempting to do everything at the zoo in one day, you will need to get there as soon as it opens and plan on staying until close. Even then, I’m not sure it’s possible to do everything. This makes for a really long day, and I don’t personally recommend it. I recommend choosing a handful of things to start with and then adding on as you have time and energy.
Check the zoo website for times and closures. Some exhibits get closed for routine maintenance and care. The closures are posted on the website.
Look at the zoo map to plan your route. There are foldable paper maps at the entrance, and there are giant map stands throughout the zoo. You can also look on their website.
My Zoo Route
Here is a sample zoo route full of my favorite things at the zoo. This route starts at the North entrance and turns right.
Dinoroarus
Located in what used to be the Children’s Zoo area is the new animatronic dinosaur exhibit. The Children’s Zoo will one day return even better than it was previously. In the meantime, enjoy a prehistoric look into the past.
Insectarium
The insectarium is full of insects, spiders, and other invertebrates. Be sure to check out the geodesic dome full of butterflies at the end.
River’s Edge
Follow the elephant footprints to the entrance of River’s Edge. You’ll enjoy the walk through the forest, seeing the sun bears, painted dogs, black rhino, capybara, hippos, anteaters, cheetahs, hyenas, mongoose, and Asian elephants. I like to visit River’s Edge in the morning to see more of the animals. They like to hide during the heat of the day.
Zooline Railroad
Next to River’s Edge is one of four stops on the Zooline Railroad. Look for the railroad station near the entrance to River’s Edge. Ride the train around the zoo. The train has the best view of the tiger. You can get on and off the train as many times as you’d like during the day. When it is busy, you will spend more time waiting in line than you will walking to the next exhibit, so I recommend going all the way around once. Then, you can choose to get off at the stop you’d like. Strollers are not allowed on the train. (Although I used to take our tiny umbrella stroller. It fit under our feet.)
Primate Canopy Trails
This exhibit opens at 10:00. If you get there right around 10, you’ll see the keepers let the primates out into the outdoor habitats. They also begin to feed them. There are climbing structures for kids right next to the animals.
Penguin and Puffin Coast
My favorite zoo animal is the penguin. (My son and I did a behind-the-scenes tour that was amazing.) The St. Louis Zoo’s penguin and puffin habitat is unique in that you are walking through it. It is chilly and feels great after being in the hot sun all day. We have to visit the penguins every time we come. Kali, the polar bear, is right next door so we always visit him, too.
Gift Shop
There are several gift shop kiosks around the zoo. You can find most of the gifts in The Living World gift shop next to the North Entrance. The penguin and puffin gift shop does have extra things that are not in the main gift shop. The gift shop next to the stingrays also has unique items not found in the big gift shop.
Other Highlights
Every exhibit in the zoo is worth seeing at least once. Then, you can plan to visit your favorites. Red Rocks is my least favorite when it is super hot outside. I would recommend visiting earlier in the day if you’d like to see the zebras, giraffes, and other animals there. Or choose a cool day to visit.
The Sea Lion show is super fun. We don’t do it often because you have to choose a set time and plan to be in a certain area around that time. We do try to catch the sea lion’s feeding time or simply check out their habitat.
The Bird House is another favorite of ours, but it’s not always open. When it is, it’s a great quiet place to cool off.
The Herpatarium is usually pretty crowded, so we don’t stop by on busy days. It has so many cool frogs, lizards, snakes, and other herps.
Food
I find the food at the zoo kind of hit or miss. Some things are good, and some things are not. Each food place has a different menu. Check out the website for details. Ray’s Snack Shack next to the stingrays has an allergy-friendly menu. It is only open seasonally. I enjoy the pulled pork nachos from the River Camp Cafe in River’s Edge.
Feel free to pack your own food and bring it into the zoo. I used to do that a lot when my three kids were younger, and I couldn’t predict what they would eat from a restaurant.
Adventure Pass
Some of the zoo attractions have a fee. These include Zooline Railroad, Sea Lion Show, Dinoroarus, Conservation Carousel, 4D Theater, Wild Wonder Outpost, and Stingrays at Caribbean Cove. Check the calendar to see what’s open. Some things are seasonal. The one-day Adventure Pass includes all of these attractions (except the Wild Wonder Outpost) for $14.95 per person. Children under 2 are free. You can also purchase tickets for each attraction separately.
Membership
If you are local, I recommend the zoo membership. There are several levels, so you can choose the one that best works for your family. It may be more cost-effective than buying everyone Adventure Passes.
For the Patron Level, you get free parking for 6 visits and 36 member tickets for the Zooline Railroad and other attractions. They change out what you can use the member tickets for, and it varies for each membership level so take a look at what they have to offer. Our family of 5 has the Family/Grandparent Level. We get 48 member tickets to be used for the Zooline Railroad, Sea Lion Show, Dinoroarus, Conservation Carousel, and Stingrays at Caribbean Cove.
What is your favorite part of the St. Louis Zoo?
