Activities

An Array of Animal Activities

Every day at the Zoo, there’s a special activity that gets you even more up close and personal than our habitats can. Check them out!

Gorilla Trek Virtual Reality Experience

Visitors are transported to the forests of Rwanda to meet mountain gorillas face to magnificent face! This unique 4D experience features platform seating to take your adventure to the next level of virtual reality! A pre-show area with interactive kiosks lets visitors discover what type of “gorilla personality” they are and what the similarities and differences are between gorillas and humans! Located in the Otto Borchert Family Special Exhibits Building behind Macaque Island.

 

Operating Season

Year-round

Operating Times

Daily, open to close

Admission

$6, with a $1 discount for Zoo Pass members

Wild Connections: Animal Encounter Tours

Your very own secret safari! Our up-close encounters with a variety of furry, feathered and finned animals let you go nose to whisker with some of our most popular residents. Get the secrets on animal care, adaptations, behaviors and even their favorite foods.

Operating Season

Year-round

Operating Times

Times vary

Admission

Tour fees vary

Ocean Connections Seal & Sea Lion Show

Ocean Connections offers a variety of daily seal and sea lion experiences for visitors of all ages. A wide array of interactive programs are also offered, giving participants the opportunity to connect with Ocean Connections’ animals personally.

 

Ocean Connections logo

Operating Season

Year-round (weather permitting)

Operating Times

Times vary

Admission

Program fees vary

Giraffe Experience presented by Miller Lite

Feeding time is a tall task! This unique experience allows you to get eye-to-eye with the tallest animals at the Zoo.

Opportunities are subject to animals’ appetites, weather, and special events. 

 

Operating Season

Memorial Day through Labor Day

Operating Times

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

No public feedings between 1-2 p.m.

Admission

Visit the ticket booth near the Giraffe Deck for further details and costs.

Zoo Expeditions sponsored by Meijer

Enjoy a guided audio tour on an open-air tram and learn fascinating facts about the Zoo. Visit the Meijer Zoo Expeditions headquarters for costs and times.

Operating Season

Daily, Memorial Day through Labor Day

Goat Yard

Kids with kids! Get up close with the friendliest and furriest animals on the Zoo farm. All of our more than 30 Nigerian dwarf goats are even-tempered and wonderful with children.

Please remember to wash your hands after petting any Farm animals.

 

Operating Season

Memorial Day through Labor Day

Operating Times

Daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Admission

Free to enter; $0.50 to feed

Kohl’s Wild Theater

It’s showtime! Professional performers use drama, songs and puppetry to inspire the audience, big and old, to learn about our natural world.

 

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Operating Season

Memorial Day through Labor Day (closed on Tuesdays)

Operating Times

Daily at:

10:15 a.m.

12 p.m.

1:45 p.m.

3:30 p.m.

Admission

Free

Animals in Action Talks

Learn about some of our most popular animals through these special presentations. Full details in spring 2023.

 

Operating Season

Memorial Day through Labor Day

Admission

Free

Zoo Playground sponsored by UnitedHealthcare

A real jungle gym! One of the more popular destinations we have, the Zoo Playground is divided into two age-appropriate sections (2-5 years & 6-12 years).

Operating Season

Year-round

Operating Times

Daily, open to close

Admission

Free