Milwaukee County Zoo

Fantastic experience: A great city zoo. Love the food options but bringing your own lunch is great too. Plenty of places to sit and have a picnic. Especially by the pond. The train is a must. Winter the indoor exhibits maybe a chilly Milwaulkee day worth going out in. I love to walk the zoo “counter clockwise” starting to the left of the penguin exhibit. Then meander round through primates, then bears, next African animals. When you can get inside for the giraffes and elephants it’s a bonus! Otherwise the outdoor exhibits are great. Feeding the giraffe was a highlight of our last trip. So for a great family day the zoo has it covered.

Fantastic experience: Always something to do here. We ask for a Zoo Pass every Christmas because this is always a good place to go when you need to get out of the house. Rain? Bring spare clothes and go splash in the epic puddle that appears near the Snow Leopard enclosure (or stay sheltered in the Big Cats building). Hot? Walk through the misters by the Summer Exhibit area. Or watch the reptiles. Snow? Hang out with the apes. No matter the weather, we always find something to do here. Summer is especially fun because of the zoo camps and the Dino exhibit. I highly recommend.

Fantastic experience: Highly recommend this zoo, the environment was excellent, and they had a wide variety of animals and exhibits. Gift shop is cute and the slushies at the stands are amazing!!

Fantastic experience: Great zoo.. lots of animals grandson absolutely loved it.

Fantastic experience: We love coming here with family. Love to see that there is more under construction to add more, better enclosures. What a great zoo!!

Fantastic experience: This is a nice escape out of Illinois. In the summer months, it’s a great time to walk around and see different animals and look at different attractions.. The elephant and monkey displays were great for the kids. Signage was clear and most things were easy to find using the map or the signage The zoo is adding more features this year, which is nice to see. One room for improvement is some of the food places were not open on a Friday during summer. Online ticket purchase is easy and saves you time when you park.

Negative experience: I'm so disappointed. Had family here from out of state. There are hardly any animals out, and a lot of exhibits are closed. The zoo has become a good courtyard and playlands. I used to love going there and to bring family here to show our zoo was so disappointed. We left without finish going through.

Negative experience: My family and I have been zoo pass members for years, but sadly we will no longer be extending our pass so many things have changed for the bad. There are seating area's poping up everywhere! Why not animal exhibits? People come to the zoo to learn about conservation and nature. Now I hear the small mammals building will be closing, for what? To sit vacant like the Dall sheep, Australian, and sea lion show area's we don't want to pay $6 for a virtual tour! We want to see and learn about happy vibrant animals. We have been to zoos all across the US and this is starting to give off road side attraction vibes

Positive experience: It was a GREAT Family day at the zoo! Happy Father’s Day to all the exceptional fathers/ men who truly make a positive impact! We will definitely visit again! I gave four stars because three huge staff members displayed ugly behavior/attitude which is not suitable for the zoo!

Negative experience: Such poor habitats for the orangutans and especially the hippo. It’s like sticking him in a bathtub. He can barely turn around. Who’s ever in charge should take at trip to San Diego, Busch Gardens or the Columbus Zoo. You should not keep wild animals in concrete enclosures, how is that supposed to keep them healthy and happy? They must be so depressed.

Negative experience: Cons that are not the parks fault: kids waiting atop the playground platform kicking kids down, overcrowding in indoor exhibits where you’re forced to either wait 30 minutes to catch a glimpse of a sleeping animal or move on, and the absolute inconsideration of grown adults pushing and overstepping kids to see animals at every exhibit. Cons that are the parks fault: having to pay for tickets twice because “the QR code only shows parking” and staff disregarding a clear receipt showing what was paid for with 3 different QR codes, completely unjustifiable prices on everything ($20 for two chicken strips, $50 for a small stuffed toy, $10 for a 8oz kids drink, I could go on), and maybe double dipping on cons but everything costing something. I’m surprised I wasn’t charged to use the single stall bathrooms with urine soaked floors and toilets. Pros: Great variety of animals if you ignore the clear zoochosis, availability of gift shops and food, ample shaded areas for hot days with natural foliage, and great connection with local community on display throughout the zoo. Maybe I just had a one off experience but I’ll give it a year or two to come back. Mostly cause that’s how long I’ll have to save up to do anything other than walk or breathe there.

Fantastic experience: Only things didn't like was waiting in line to get into the park to park and safari train ride besides that Zookeepers were awesome and saw most animals. The walk thru dinosaur exhibit was awesome also. Now u want to see the biggest hippo I've ever seen come to this zoo it's huge. He or she was so big I couldn't get a picture in one frame.

Fantastic experience: Beautiful zoo! Majority of the animals were very easy to spot! I visited with my family! My grandmother uses a wheelchair and we were highly impressed with the wheelchair accessibility! It was super crowded, but we visited on a weekend so that was to be expected. Friendly staff, great exhibits, an overall awesome experience!!! :)

Fantastic experience: Arrr, the Milwaukee County Zoo be a grand kingdom of creatures from every corner o’ the globe! From mighty elephants to mischievous monkeys, and even fearsome big cats that’d give any pirate pause, this place be packed with animal wonders. The paths be wide and clean, the enclosures well-kept, and the staff be friendly as a tavern wench on pay day. There be shows, talks, and even a train to ride if yer sea legs be needin’ a break. A perfect place for young deckhands and old salts alike to learn, explore, and marvel. Five parrots out of five! — From a beast-lovin’ buccaneer who tips his hat to this fine landlubber zoo!

Fantastic experience: I haven't been to this zoo since high school. The whole family had a great time. Can't wait to go back.

Fantastic experience: This is a nice zoo! We had a good time. There are benches to sit when you need a break from walking. We went during the week when they 1st opened and there was a line of cars and school buses waiting to get in. But I noticed when we left, there was no line. So when you go, try going a little after they open to avoid the wait to get in.

Fantastic experience: Great exhibits, awesome animals. One of our fav parts of the trip!

Positive experience: First time at this zoo and absolutely loved it. Only two things kept me from giving 5 stars. 1) We bought the souvenir icee cup near the otter exhibit, but when we tried to get a refill at other parts of the zoo every single stand was closed or didn't sell them. It was strange. Lots of carts/stands, but they were all closed. Not a huge deal, but kind of annoying. 2) The rhino exhibit is being worked on, but trying to navigate around it was confusing. A lot of the maps (we later realized) were hidden by garbage cans. We didnt want to take out our phones because it was raining. Aside from that though, this is a great zoo. Even in the rain, we had a great time and the peacock screaming from atop the building next to the sea lions made us laugh. Along with seeing the female in the prairie dog enclosure. Lol. We'll definitely be back.

Fantastic experience: What a great zoo! We typically frequent Brookfield but after visiting Milwaukee zoo it's worth the longer drive! Parking is incredibly easy, wide variety of animals which are actually visible, immaculately clean and well maintained. The lift is a great experience, which in my opinion should be expanded to cover a larger portion of the zoo. This would be a great way to experience a zoo in totality. Enjoy it before degenerates find out about it.

Fantastic experience: Amazing experience for zoo member night. Awesome food options. Nice going in the evening and seeing the animals active.

Fantastic experience: Buying tickets online with a parking pass made getting in easy. The zoo is amazing, being from Chicago and we go to the zoos often but this was an amazing zoo. So many animals! The kids loved the tigers and elephants. We went on the skyline safari which is a chairlift style ride and you get a very unique view above most of the animals. They had a dino exhibit that cost extra $4 per person but my son loved it! Then we ended the day with the high ropes course. The kids had fun getting in the harness and walking high above. Over it was wonderful!

Negative experience: I wasn’t impressed at all. Most of the animals are not out and all of the food establishments and food trucks are closed so you have one option for dining and basically no snacks. This is the last time we’ll come back here. It’s sad to see how downhill this zoo has gone. Not to mention, you pay for entrance and then every single “attraction” costs more. By the time you’re done seeing the zoo, you’ve spent $50 per person before the $28 meal you’ll enjoy.

Fantastic experience: Very fun and friendly…. You can tell they care about their animals and giving knowledge about them as well. Kids always enjoy going there

Negative experience: Normally, I’ve had great experiences here however when my family and I went to feed the giraffes we were very abruptly told to be quiet and not make any sudden moves, which was all the direction give before feeding. When my brother and I went to take a picture with the giraffes we turned our backs and the attendant very rudely begin to belittle us about it and said, “Ope don’t turn your back see that’s why we tell you not to turn your back, oh great and now we’ve lost the giraffes see that’s why we never say to turn your backs”, and continued to go on about how we shouldn’t have turned our backs. Overall, incredibly unprofessional on their end for not clearly stating and posting such important rules and when a mistake was made, that could’ve been easily avoided if we were properly instructed, it was handled with rudeness and a lack of professionalism.

Fantastic experience: Milwaukee you surprised me! This is a great zoo. It’s a lot larger than I expected. It’s very well kept and the bathrooms are clean! I love the zoo guides/helpers they made the experience fun when talking about the animals and or demonstrations. The kiddo play area is a must if you have little ones. The grizzly bear was my favorite as he had his own personality. Thank you for a great trip! If you are in town stop by and see this zoo. It’s far better than you would expect. I’ll be returning soon!

Positive experience: We had a little issue getting in. The Credit Union offers discounted tickets, but you get one slip. I purchased 14 Tickets and 4 Parking Passes, except the first person in got their QR Code scanned, and everyone was else was told "This was already used". I had emailed prior to find out the route to take to get in based on how they were sent. We were told to print out 4 copies, yet the folks in the front tried to charge us again! It was frustrating. The zoo itself is amazing! You can rent these fun scooters to get around and they still have their Mold-A-Rama machines!! I hope they keep those forever, such a nostalgic thing to see! The map is easily readable, the signs are easy to follow, and the animals are close enough to see yet far enough way to be safe I will say that I expected higher prices, it's a give in when you're somewhere like this, what I did not expect was higher than Disney prices for food and drinks!

Fantastic experience: I've been coming to this zoo since I was a child whether with school or my parents and its always a great place to spend the day. The amount of open space among other things at this zoo is something I've always appreciated which makes it perfect for children to stretch their legs. We took out daughter to see the dinosaur exhibit they had and $4 was absolutely worth seeing her as happy as she was. It's awesome to see the constant improvements this zoo makes including the addition of the giraffe feeding which is such an amazing experience for both kids and adults. Zoo A La Carte and Wild Lights are both amazing special events if you get a chance to go. The vendors and performers at Zoo A La Carte and the lights displays at Wild Lights are always top notch. The miniature train ride is a must for all ages!

Fantastic experience: This zoo is great! It has a wide variety of animals, and the exhibits are beautifully done. The enclosures feel large enough for all the animals (compared to the Madison zoo), and they all look to be well taken care of. This zoo has so many features for people of all ages. They even have free roaming peacocks that put on quite the show for guests. The zoo keepers are happy to answer any questions you have too! There are many bathrooms scattered around the property, and it is handicap accessible. I love that the zoo has a train that will take you around the property and an option to view it from above! The animals are usually pretty active every time I've gone here, which has been countless! If you're in the area, I would highly recommend seeing this zoo. You won't be disappointed!

Fantastic experience: Good experience! Note that because of the bird flu, the aviary closes at 3:30 PM for the time being.

Fantastic experience: Great zoo! The parking was convenient, the admission price wasn't extraordinary. It was a great visit!

Negative experience: I’m only putting a one star because of the cheetah I’ll be attaching. The rest was fun & exciting for any age! Please help this poor baby out. Poor thing looks malnourished.

Positive experience: Very clean zoo. Plenty of parking, but get there early on weekends. I rented a mobility scooter, had some issues with it not moving without restarting but, it worked all day. Some of the areas were closed due to construction and/or other reasons. Plenty of animals to see to fill your day.

Positive experience: Need more instruction during arrival. And signs are slightly confusing when walking through. But clean, and animals seemed in pretty good health. Very congested though, should have a cap on persons in building attractions at a time.

Negative experience: All of the animals we did see were very lonely and docile, with very small and unkempt display areas. At least 1/3 of the cages were empty and you could tell the animals were not happy campers. Also there were thousands of people there, yet the main washroom at the entrance had ONE urinal and a HUGE line. Food and beverages were average at best and of course WAY overpriced. Not the best Zoo trip we have taken. Definitely going to Brookfield in Chicago next time.

Fantastic experience: My first time at the zoo in Milwaukee. There was a large variety of animals to see, lots of places to sit and relax, reasonably priced, food vendors throughout the zoo and rides to enjoy. Definitely will want to see the zoo again. Amazing

Fantastic experience: Very nice zoo! Has many inside viewing areas. A train that you can get tickets for a ride around the park. A sky lift for overviews of the park. A nice inside restaurant with limited food. People do bring in coolers and wagons for personal use. Doing improvements right now so some animals are not present.

Fantastic experience: I wanted to share with you an amazing experience my family and I had recently at the Milwaukee Zoo. It truly is a great place to take the family and enjoy a fun day out. My wife and son absolutely loved seeing all the different animals and exhibits. The variety of wildlife and engaging exhibits made our visit both educational and entertaining. It was the perfect way to spend quality time together while creating lasting memories. I highly recommend a visit to the Milwaukee Zoo for anyone looking for a family-friendly outing filled with adventure and learning.

Fantastic experience: The Milwaukee County Zoo is always a good call! Found discount tickets from my bank that also had discount parking. Still a bit cold but the inside exhibits were lovely.

Fantastic experience: All the animals came out to enjoy the beautiful spring weather.

Positive experience: Trying to visit zoos in every city I go to. I love how close you can get to some of the animals here. Like most zoos it's pretty hit and miss for which animals you'll be able to see on any given day. I assume given the time of year there's still a lot of upkeep happening to get ready for the busier months. I believe the zoo was 100% worth the ticket price, I was just very thrown off by the parking fee. It costs nearly as much to park ($15) as it does for the ticket ($16). I'd like to see changes to that system to provide options like a tiered system for priority parking, etc .

Positive experience: Lovely scenic zoo with park-like setting. We arrived on a rainy day so not a lot of vendors or rides were open, but still plenty of animals to meet. The Keepers were especially friendly and likely to share stories if they were nearby. I look forward to returning during peak season in summer.

Positive experience: Went for egg day at the zoo today and was quite let down. I've always enjoyed our zoo and I always donate to the zoo but we were charged summer prices and got winter vibes today which is April 19th 2025. We paid $56 for just my son and I to come to the zoo and have the full summer experience since we were charged the summer prices and everything was pretty much closed up throughout the zoo such as vending and zip lines and many other summertime activities? Not sure why the website says one price and then you get charged another at the gate and why you get charged summer prices when it is only april? As far as I know summer doesn't start till June Metrologically. And to top off our day we stopped at Cedar Crest for some ice cream at about 3:30 as we are about to take our leave and we were turned away saying that they were shut down for the day. Since we spent well over $100 today and we're not told of the closing of the Aviary house and all the other closings we are not sure if we're going to be visiting our local Zoo again for a while and perhaps we will start visiting zoos to our neighbors and start doing some price comparing and see if you actually get what you pay for somewhere else.

Fantastic experience: The Milwaukee County Zoo did, right for the family's on Saturday, before Easter Sunday. Between great weather, the animals, and the attractions, it was a great outdoor activity for the outdoors! The train ride had special effects.

Positive experience: Really great variety of animals especially considering the reasonable price. Fennec foxes and hippopotamus were our favorites. The train was a fun activity mid-visit. Only complaint was that the only food that was opened was at the main entrance, but we didn’t know that so found ourselves fairly far away by the time lunch came around.

Fantastic experience: Awesome Zoo I go every once and a while because I live a couple hours away last time I was there one of the peacocks was trying to get a girl

Fantastic experience: My niece and I enjoy the stroller classes geared towards infants/toddlers and their caregivers. We have been going since she was a few months old. The instructors use songs, sign language, stuffies and stories as tools to teach about the animals in a way that is engaging & fun! Also, after the class is over, we are free to enjoy the rest of the Zoo for as long as we want. We like to stop in the gift shop and try to find a stuffy or book related to the topic as a keepsake to help remember what we learned and remind us of our special times together! Visit the Zoo’s website to view upcoming course & events.

Fantastic experience: My first time at the Milwaukee Zoo was a fun experience. It's early April so there are some animals that just aren't out in their larger habitats. The primate area is much bigger than I expected and I loved the African wildlife area. I will have to come back in the summer because the Rhinos will be here in 2025.

Fantastic experience: The Milwaukee County Zoo is a fantastic place for all ages! With a wide variety of animals, well-maintained exhibits, and plenty of interactive experiences, it’s the perfect spot for a day of exploration. The zoo is spacious, easy to navigate, and offers great viewing areas to see everything from big cats to primates. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and there are plenty of food options and shaded spots to rest. Whether you’re visiting with family or just love animals, this zoo is a must-visit

Fantastic experience: Wonderful zoo! Many exhibits, the train is so fun! And ice cream is delicious!

Positive experience: I can only review this from what I saw. I feel like if we went in the spring it summer, this place would be a 5 star for me. This place is absolutely huge and has a lot of animals to see. A lot. However, when we went many of the animals weren't there due to it being the end of March. It would have been nice if the website listed what animals would be available. Because of this, the rating for me is a 3. I would recommend going but maybe in the summer. If we were in the area that time of year we would give it another go.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely loved the zoo experience. The guides and trainers and even the construction workers were informative, kind and friendly. At the end of our great experience we we to the Zoo Store. While checking out I was informed of the "bag free" policy and asked if it would be a problem. I responded no and paid for my items. I asked the employee what would have happened if I had responded yes to his question about being able to carry items. His response, "I would have told you to take your business elsewhere. " This response seems totally inappropriate to a grandmother making purchases for her grandchildren. At the Zoo Store?! Wow.

Fantastic experience: It was a nice day, lots of indoor spaces, and many exhibits.Bought the family pass +2 with parking, great value, in advance. We will visit several times this year.

Fantastic experience: We had a great time at the Milwaukee County Zoo. We have a zoo pass and try to go often. Weekdays are a great time to visit. Despite it being 50° and a beautiful day, there were minimal crowds even though there were a decent amount of cars in the lots. No wait to get in. Went around 2pm. Very friendly workers and volunteers.

Fantastic experience: The zoo is an absolutely perfect place to spend quality time with family, friends or even by myself when I want to walk among the animals. The animals are a bonus and make the zoo an educational experience when I take my grandchildren. Zoo membership pays for itself.

Fantastic experience: We have been zoo members for 7 years and we still love coming every single time! highly recommend booking the behind the scenes options, very fun and informative!

Positive experience: My husband and I really enjoyed this zoo. Lots of animals, staff were friendly and willing to talk to you about the different animals. Took us about 4 hours to see it all. Just fyi there is a lot of walking in between exhibits. Only reason for 4 and not 5 stars is because many exhibits were closed for cold weather but there were no signs until you got all the way to the door or enclosure that it was closed and had to turn around and walk farther back or to next one. And between 11-1:30 we were hungry and had planned to eat at the park according to the website listing food options and we found nothing selling food open. Only a cafe that had drinks only, not food.

Fantastic experience: The Milwaukee Zoo in the off season truly is a great place to take your kids if you have the time. Fresh air walks outside between each indoor exhibit make it an enjoyable experience. I recently discovered our local library has Zoo passes available for checkout. Bring your own food and snacks to make it a great way to spend time and not break the bank!

Positive experience: Nice animal displays and habitats, and nice layout overall. But, a lot of attractions are extra in cost and the price of food is completely ridiculously expensive. For the money, I am sure there would be better places to take your kids. That said, I enjoyed a corporate event here recently other than what I listed above.

Fantastic experience: A cold day it was but this did not dump our spirits ,we soldiered on and enjoyed the zoo.

Fantastic experience: The Milwaukee County Zoo is always a great place to visit. But have you seen their Wild Lights for the holidays?? Total and complete amazement. Everyone will have a great time here, from the youngest to the oldest. From Spring to Winter.

Fantastic experience: What a sweet zoo! We’ve now been a couple of times and are never disappointed! During the day, make sure you check out the petting zoos and cow barn. Take the train ride - such a throwback old fashioned fun thing to do. Don’t miss the night time zoo lights during the holidays - posting photos here. Totally worth bundling up - stop by one of the booths and get something hot to drink (spiked or regular hot cocoa and other great options!) And the Santa and Mrs Claus are phenomenal! So sweet! You can get a zoo membership and then all those tickets are offered at a member rate. Really worth it!

Fantastic experience: Enjoy my membership where I can see the zoo at different times throughout the year without the crowds.

Fantastic experience: Went to the Christmas lights at the zoo. They are fantastic. The amount of work that must go into setting up the lights is astounding. They only have one of the animal buildings open a night, so check the schedule before you buy tickets if there is a specific animal you want to see. Elephants were very active when we went.

Fantastic experience: It was the first time I saw an elephant!!! It was so exciting to me. Fall season is the best one to visit this zoo because it’s colorful. Unfortunately I just spend 2 hours I think you need to spend 3 or 4 hours in the zoo it totally worth! You need to pay for the parking lot. One of the details that I liked most is that you can enter to a place where the birds are free to flight it’s like a small jungle! Great experience

Fantastic experience: They're always upgrading and adding more areas for the animals but it doesn't get in the way of a great visit. Their gorilla trek vr is awesome all year round, but especially awesome when you're outside and can feel the breeze/etc. The barnyard is great for kids, the goats are super friendly. The aviation center is absolutely amazing you have birds and ducks flying right by your or walking right over your feet!!! They have different events throughout the year. We just went and saw the Dinosaur one! It was fantastic and my kid got a kick out of the spraying Dinosaurs. I'd recommend buying the zoo pass. Two visits covers the cost and it gives you access to free parking and parking in the west lot, which is much easier to get in and out. Pack a cooler, have some fun and let your kids get those faces painted!

Fantastic experience: Beautiful zoo. Well planned layout. Animals were great. Didn't realize just how big a tiger really is!! The cats were amazing! So big!!

Fantastic experience: Had a wonderful time at the Milwaukee County Zoo, the animals were out and about at ~11:30AM and the grounds were clean and the staff was very friendly.

Positive experience: Went on a fall Tuesday morning and it was not very busy, which was good. Until someone started bussing in a bunch of teenagers from some school, runnning around with their speakers playing videos and cussing like a bunch of sailors. But, that’s expected in a city zoo. The zoo is a nice size. A nice 2-3 hour walk about. Most of the primates weren’t in their exhibits. And the construction in the middle kind of makes the path around unnavigable. But all in all a nice place. Parking fee is a little extreme, the same price as tickets, please.

Fantastic experience: A fantastic experience every visit has made this one of our favorite yearly traditions as a family. There are continuous improvements being made and the grounds are always clean and well-maintained. We love the new aviary and look forward to the remodeled penguin exhibit. We aren't crazy about the food so we always pack a picnic and take a break to eat lunch. This saves money for things like riding the train and the ski lift which our kiddo loves. We live in Illinois and don't mind the drive because Milwaukee Zoo is amazing!

Positive experience: Our local zoo is near and dear to my heart. We had a membership for several years. The variety of species here is fantastic and the zoo keepers are always great interacting with kids. The zoo train is always a highlight for my kids and the snakes. The hippos are my favorite. The only thing holding back that fifth star is that the zoo is in need of updates, especially the arcade.

Positive experience: Very nice zoo. Not as big as San Diego zoo, but they had pretty much all the main animals that you would like to see. All the big cats and all the primates were on scene. The elephants and giraffes. It was a cool zoo, and they had these plastic animal makers around the zoo for $5. Plus the weather was very good.

Fantastic experience: We love the animals at this zoo. They were very active today and we were lucky enough to come right as they were letting some of the larger animals outside to eat.

Fantastic experience: Had a great time here while visiting family! The only bummer was the giraffe experience was closed while we were there (oh and the penguins are under construction but that just means we’ll have to go back when we visit again). Lots of animals to see. It was nice to actually see the animals instead of them hiding inside. Beautiful day to walk around the zoo! All the staff we encountered were very friendly and helpful. We had a good time talking to one of the zoo staff about Tommy the orangutan.

Positive experience: I wish there were more places to sit in front of the exhibits and just watch the animals. We walked a lot and it would have been nice to sit on a bench and watch the red panda play. There are plenty of benches, just not placed properly for casual animal watching. Otherwise this zoo is great! We saw many beautiful animals and had a great time.

Fantastic experience: First time here and I was impressed with this zoo. So many great habitats for the animals. I wasn't sad for any of them. Some zoos just suck. Kids loved it. It wasn't so big that they got tired and wanted to quit

Positive experience: Had a really nice time and enjoyed the day and all the Animals. The Attractions were reasonable at $4 train, Dinosaur encounter, carousel and sky glide.

Positive experience: The animals they look so sad, but it's a great experience to learn about it and seeing it in real life, the Aquarius and the reptiles and the day i went to the zoo they are making a lot of upgrades but i want to back again and see the king lion of the jungle and the prices of the little stores have to be more gentle i understand everything all maintenance but with comfortable price more people can enjoy the zoo but by the way it is awesome

Fantastic experience: I had a great time here. Got to see tons of animals and even on Labor Day weekend I didn't have to wait very long to see anything. Plenty of parking and the gates were fairly easy to get through even though it was fairly busy. Tons of bathrooms, places to eat, and a cute little gift shop. Did the Sky Safari and the train ride and loved both, fairly cheap for both too! Loved seeing the elephants, giraffes, big cats, bats, and flamingos!

Positive experience: Milwaukee County Zoo: I can't begin to count how many times I've been to this zoo in my life. As a kid I visited at least once a year for school and again with my family. For all those numerous trips though, I haven't had the chance to visit for various reasons since maybe 2018. The zoo still offers a wide range of exhibits, and the small mammals, reptiles, aviary, and apes are relatively unchanged. There was a fair amount of construction going on as the rhino exhibit is closed until 2025 and I was disappointed that the Humboldt penguins were also not viewable due to an update. The elephant exhibit is now much larger, but sadly at the expense of the Australian building/exhibit being removed (permanently?). I've been to a number of zoos around the country (including San Diego) and while the Milwaukee Zoo is not the most impressive, it is still a respectable and enjoyable place. There are also plenty of food options as well as picnic areas for those wishing to bring their own snacks.

Positive experience: Haven't been to the zoo in like 20 yrs. It was very nice. I enjoyed taking my son for the 1st time. He enjoyed the small things there.....like running through the mist sprinklers they have and running after his cousin around some stairs and ramps for him were like a maze. One thing I can not get over is there prices. Food for children is ridiculously priced but still worse is the toys. My son wanted a dr set which cost $28 and when you saw it, it was $1 store stuff. They should be ashamed of themselves. If they are gonna charge so much, you would think putting some quality items may help them sleep a little better at night.

Fantastic experience: This was the best zoo I've been too. It's huge and has a wide selection of animals to look at. It's also one of six zoos that have the rare Bonobo monkey. I got to see my all time favorite animal - a cheetah! You don't see them at many zoos either. They had different times for animal feedings and informational learning. We walked around the entire zoo and stopped to see all the animals, did the sky glider and rode the trail. We were there for 5 hours! You can bring snacks and drinks in so that was a benefit. I'll definitely be back.

Fantastic experience: We absolutely love the Zoo. The employees are always super friendly and the animals obviously are amazing. Even with construction going on there is so so much to see.

Negative experience: If you’re an animal lover, this might not be the zoo for you. Animals are very distressed and have enclosures way too small for them to inhabit. Especially the Tiger exhibit. Tiger was pacing back and forward clearly looked really stressed. I think the worst thing was them playing live bands right next to the animals exhibits, extremely loud for those poor animals and the music sucked either way, completely unnecessary. The zoo has these beautiful pass ways through plants and forest, it would be so much better to just leave off with the countless bands playing round every corner, not a second of peace and quiet to just listen to the ambience… If you also don’t like drunks, especially if you’re bringing your kids to this zoo, do not go. Alcohol is served and people are getting wasted. Even the singers and musicians are getting drunk and can be seen stumbling around the place. I’m a drinker too, and I get this is Wisconsin… but I know damn well if I had kids, I would not be bringing my children to a zoo full of drunk people at 12 in the afternoon it’s a joke. “I need my space” on the tiger exhibit yet the tiger is pacing and attacking the door it’s so annoyed being left in these conditions

Positive experience: Good zoo with lots of space but there are a lot of exhibits empty or like with the monkeys their outdoor exhibits are difficult or impossible to see which makes it difficult to enjoy the large park. This needs remedied. $15 parking also steep.

Fantastic experience: Love our Zoo! Lots to do and see. They rent strollers, animal scooters, wheelchairs, and adult scooters. You are able to feed the giraffes and they also have a dinosaur exhibit, both of which require a fee. Would highly recommend purchasing a Zoo pass. It pays for itself in just a few visits. Food vendors are on site but can be pricey. We love bringing our picnic lunch to eat at one of the many picnic tables provided.

Positive experience: Terrible entry process, this is the only Zoo I’ve been to that you have to pay for admission and parking as you drive onto the property. There was a lot of construction going on so a number of animals were off exhibit. It might be better in the fall of 2025 when most of the construction is scheduled to be complete.

Fantastic experience: This has been our favorite regional zoo for decades (and we live just outside of Chicago). The recent updates to the African habitats are outstanding! The elephants alone are worth the price of admission!!! I've never seen anything like it! They're updating the penguins and pachyderms habitats, so it's a sort of truncated experience. Still fun, though. Of course you have the houses (which are showing their age), which features an aquarium that highlights regional waters, as well as areas around the world. I've been coming here for more than 40 years. To me, the Milwaukee Zoo is a rare combination of nostalgia and innovation. Every visit, we encounter something awesome. This week it was the A la carte in the zoo food and music festival. We definitely took advantage of our zoo pass and the extended hours! It is amazing to see the animals after closing time, especially the nocturnal ones. The music is as abundant as the food and drink! An amazing time for everyone!! I highly recommend getting a zoo membership. Ours has already paid for itself this summer.

Fantastic experience: I love the Milwaukee County Zoo. This our first time here in a few years and our nine year old granddaughter's first time. As usual, every staff person we interacted with was a great experience. We enjoyed the animals, train, food, giraffe feeding and the ropes course. It was our granddaughter's first time feeding the giraffe, doing the ropes course and riding the train. She enjoyed her day. That being said, it appears some exhibits are not being maintained as well as I remember. One example is the caribou exhibit. It looked like it was weedy and not taken care of. Our overall experience was fantastic!

Fantastic experience: Amazing! This was my first time visiting & I have nothing but great things to say about my visit! It was definitely worth checking out & the staff was awesome! A+ experience!

Positive experience: This was our first time visiting and we enjoyed the zoo. There were a lot of animals to see and looks like more to come because there was construction going on a couple places. We got turned around a handful of times even with a map, but we eventually figured our way around.

Fantastic experience: We spent about 4.5 hours here and still didn't see everything! My kid had a blast learning about different animals and they have a few different experiences and shows that we didn't know about but will have to plan for next time. Definitely worth a visit!

Fantastic experience: Alot of nice animals . Most of the places were open. Some under construction. Food was a little over priced. Almost $5 for a can of water. Face painting and air brush tattoos was a nice treat. Took 4.5 hours to walk and see most of the zoo. Rental of a stroller for our 2 young ones a nice and affordable option. The penny squish machines and mold machine were nice but the penny machines are not 50 cents anymore. So no more 51 cents needed. All done by cards now.

Fantastic experience: Visited on a Tuesday, it was not very busy- lots of options to visit animals, displays, interact with the exhibits. Kiddos enjoyed the zipline and climbing adventure (costs additional$$). We enjoyed the park chair lift tour (costs a little extra).

Positive experience: The Milwaukee County Zoo is a staple of the wider Milwaukee area known largely for its open enclosures, plethora of unique animals, and many attractions (Toot! Tooot! ) Admission without a Milwaukee Zoo Member card is $20 for parking and another $25 per adult attending. Children get a discount! Feed the giraffes, ride the carousel, catch a ride on the train, or watch the keepers feed the animals. The Zoo is a perfect place to bring family and friends together.

Fantastic experience: The zoo here in Milwaukee County is a pure gem and one of the most pleasant walks in Milwaukee County; my favorite attractions are the big cats, the elephants, and the monkeys. The spider monkeys always seem to be causing trouble, and they love the attention from the visitors; one of the zoo's prized attractions is two steam locomotives, which sadly will be leaving for the Wisconsin Dells in October 2024. More modern diesel engines will replace them, but I like the old coal-burning engines they have used for decades. They leave, it'll be a sad day for Milwaukee county

Negative experience: We visited from out of state and I saw this zoo on TikTok so I decided to take my family. We had a member with us and I paid over $100 just being nickel and dimed throughout the entire zoo. The food and drink prices were insane and every little thing in the park cost extra. The lines were incredibly long for just about everything, including being able to see the animals. The enclosures were small and the animals I did see, seemed pretty lethargic. For the price of EVERYTHING, I was disgusted by the enclosures. They were small and lacked enrichment. The majority of the animals weren't visible the day we went, one of the trains was down, the sky lift wasn't working, bathrooms were dirty and the penguins were picking off some kind of rubber substance off their "rocks" and eating it. The zoo itself was not well kept, even the Carousel was missing pieces and chipped paint. The dinosaur exhibit was okay but not all were working and a staff member incorrectly identified one of the dinosaurs to my son. The owl had nowhere to spread wings, the monkeys had 2 swings and nowhere else to go, several enclosures were under construction or just empty and worst of all was the reptile house. Enclosures in the reptile house were not up to par and dispite the signs about not tapping, there were tons of people disrespecting animals at every turn and not a staff member in sight to protect them. Not one thing was reasonably priced and nothing but entry was included in the admission price, yet it didn't seem like the animals were profitting from the expense. Furthermore, they pretend to care about the conservation of these animals but instead of investing in land conservation for the animals natural habits, they have zoo breeding programs to cash in on the display of these animals being bred in captivity. I wouldn't give this zoo a single dime ever again. Major seaworld vibes from this place. Just gross. If you're traveling and looking for a good place to go, visit the Reptile Gardens in South Dakota. The entire facility was immaculate, everything from shows to hands on interactions with the animals is free. Staff is present to protect the animals from disrespectful guests and the keepers are friendly and knowledgeable. Even their gift shop is reasonable and you can get season passes to come back for free just by taking a selfie with a sign. Its clear the money goes back to the animals.

Fantastic experience: Came from out of state for a week so decided to spend a little time here. We definitely enjoyed it. Lots of people at opening time but really didn't take all that long to get through the gate and park. It's huge! We enjoyed every aspect of it. The giraffes are adorable and definitely check out the cats while there. Gorgeous! Would definitely recommend to anyone. My group was all over 18 and we all loved it.

Positive experience: Overall we had a pretty good time, although everything was severely overpriced. $35+ for a sticker, a geode, and a keychain, and over 10 bucks for mediocre Milwaukee tap water. Also, I wanted to get souvenir pennies for my collection but the penny press put all the designs completely off center and deformed the pennies. Only 2 of them came out alright (we spent $8+ trying to get those pennies). The habitats for animals were alright but not very impressive and a lot of the animals looked hot and slightly depressed. I did enjoy seeing the elephants and lions, and the primate section was very quiet and not crowded which was nice. Also, the giraffe feeding was quite fun (but also was a bit expensive).

Positive experience: Not a bad zoo, I've been to a decent amount. Some exhibits didn't have animals, or they weren't out. Some bigger closures only had 1 animal in it. Disappointment in the summer dinosaur exhibit wasn't included in the entrance cost. Also the first zoo I've been to that charged to park.

Fantastic experience: I'm from the Chicago burbs, so I know Brookfield and Lincoln Park Zoos, and the Milwaukee Zoo is at least as good as either. Lots of great attractions which balance getting close to the animals with giving them space to play, a reasonable layout with easy to access restrooms and food. We've made several trips up to this zoo and probably will again.