The Kansas City Zoo features both exotic and familiar animals. America's Best Zoos 2008 ranked it the best zoo in the nation for chimpanzees and kangaroos and the best place to see African animals. The zoo also made the Top Ten for Australian animals and elephants, rhinos and hippos. It also has a special Kid Zone.
Best and worst times to go to Kansas City Zoo
The zoo is open in inclement weather, but some rides may not operate. The best times to visit are September and October as the temperature cools and fewer field trips are scheduled and colder weather hasn't yet hit the area.
Must see/do at Kansas City Zoo
The chimpanzee exhibit in the Africa section is the farthest from the entrance, but worth the journey. According to Jane Goodall, well-known authority on apes, the Kansas City Zoo has "one of the finest chimpanzee exhibits in North America." Don't miss the new Bornean orangutan in the Tiger Trail section of the zoo, between the red panda and the rhinoceros hornbill. The Helzberg Penguin Plaza near the Kid Zone Pavilion is another popular exhibit.
Admission to Kansas City Zoo
General admission to the zoo is around $14 for adults ages 12 and up, with a senior discount for visitors ages 55 and up. Tickets for children ages 3 to 11 are around $12. Children ages 2 and under are free. Packages are available that also include train, tram, endangered species carousel, boat and Sky Safari rides. Individual rides are in the $2 to $3 range. You can rent strollers, wagons and wheelchairs in the $8 to $10, on a first-come, first served basis. Electric convenience vehicles (ECVs) are in the $22 to $25 range. You can reserve an ECV at (816) 595-1137, but no same-day reservations are accepted.
Parking at Kansas City Zoo
Park free in the Mane, Zebra and Cheetah parking lots. All lots include handicap spaces. A designated drop-off zone is located at the entrance to the zoo, between the Zebra and Cheetah lots.
Public Transportation to Kansas City Zoo
Take the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCTA) bus #108 Indiana to the front zoo entrance throughout the day when the zoo is open. For more information call (816) 285-3689.
Food at Kansas City Zoo
Restaurants, snack shops and vending machines are available throughout the zoo. Snacks are around $4 and meals are around $10. The newest restaurant is the Tuxedo Grill near the penguin exhibit. It offers flat bread pizzas, steak burgers, black bean burgers, grilled chicken club sandwiches and salads. Other venues feature such choices as hamburgers, hot dogs, ice cream and other favorites. Visitors are allowed to bring in their own food and nonalcoholic beverages to picnic areas scattered throughout the zoo. (No glass containers.)
Insider tip for visitors to Kansas City Zoo
Touring the Australia/Tiger Trail section of the zoo takes about one and one-half hours. Plan on about two hours for the Africa section.
Author's bio: Mary-Lane Kamberg is a lifelong Kansas City resident. As a child she rode the streetcar with her mother to visit the zoo. She spend her second date with her husband visiting the giraffes. She took her own children and ater her grandchildren to see the animals.
