What a zoo! Life can get pretty chaotic, especially if you are juggling kids, a house, pets and a paying job. But with summer just around the corner, why not consider taking a break from your personal zoo to visit some of the best animal facilities in the country.
A number of top-rated zoos are featuring special exhibits this summer—-everything from Mammoths to Micronesian kingfishers. If you are looking for super summer fun without having to travel abroad, then check out what’s new at the following zoos:
MINNESOTA
The Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley is debuting a $1 million, nature-based playground on July 11th. The Woodland Adventure features hollow trees, suspension bridges and a giant largemouth bass, that kids can climb over, under and in between.
CALIFORNIA
The nation’s most popular zoo recently opened a new $44 million, 7.5-acre facility exhibit called Elephant Odyssey. In addition to seven pachyderms, the San Diego Zoo’s newest feature also spotlights prehistoric creatures, such as mammoths and lions that once roamed Southern California. Kids will love getting up close and personal with life-size replicas of extinct animals, along with 30 or so other species.
PENNSYLVANIA
The National Aviary in Pittsburgh just unveiled a new exhibit featuring 11 African penguins. The $1.8 million Penguin Point includes underwater and close-up views of the birds’ nesting grounds. In addition, the aviary also boasts about 800 other birds.
Meanwhile, Philly is going to the birds as well. The Philadelphia Zoo’s McNeil Avian Center recently replaced its original 1916 birdhouse, with a new walk-through aviary. The facility is home to 120 birds, including the Micronesian kingfisher, which is extinct in the wild.
INDIANA
The Indianapolis Zoo’s Dragons of Komodo summer exhibit features two of the world’s largest members of the species, on loan from the Denver Zoo. However, they are only there temporarily. The lizards head back home to Denver in September.
Parents with young children won’t want to miss the latest offering from the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo. The zoo’s new African Journey exhibit opens this weekend and features lions, hyenas and vultures. In addition, guests will be able to tour a renovated giraffe exhibit, which allows kids to hand-feed five giraffes from a 14-foot platform.
Related Articles:
More Must-Have Items to Pack When Traveling with Children