Have a Wild Time at the KC Zoo

The Kansas City Zoo

6800 Zoo Drive in Swope Park, Kansas City

816.513.5800

www.kansascityzoo.org

Spring is the favorite time of year for most animals. They shake off the winter’s frost, lumber out of their caves, sniff the love in the air. Life returns. And the best place to find the animals is at the Kansas City Zoo.

If it’s been awhile since you visited our local zoo, now is the time to come back. This year the zoo celebrates its 100^th anniversary (“Zootennial”) with special events and several improvements to the park, including a brand-new Tropics area and a renovated Africa exhibit.

The zoo is laid out according to the animals’ natural habitats. Just inside the front entry plaza, North American animals are on display; straight ahead, past the Gazebo, is the KidZone; Australian and Asian animals are found at the eastern end of the zoo; and the sprawling Africa exhibit lies across the river at the southern end of the park.

New This Year

Cross the train tracks and walk just west of the sea lion pool to the original 1909 zoo building. Housed here is the brand-new Tropics exhibit, where visitors experience exotic animals and lush plants in a jungle atmosphere. Or take a break from the heat in Africa, where the new air-conditioned lion viewing area allows access to the zoo’s very own lion pride of three males and three females.

Highlights Near the Entrance

Plenty of sites will catch kids' eyes as soon as they enter the zoo. The entry plaza and the KidZone offer an ideal mini-zoo experience for younger kids. The river otter exhibit features a tank at eye level to watch the rubbery animals frolic over rocks and underwater. Across the train tracks you'll find the colorful lorikeets, the new Endangered Species Carousel and the popular sea lion pool. Check at the info desk for feeding times. Smaller children enjoy the KidZone’s playgrounds and smaller viewing area at the Discovery Barn, where meerkats, frogs and lemurs live.

For Strong Walkers

Walk through Australia to see exotic animals up close. The kangaroos enjoy lounging very near the trail, occasionally even approaching visitors, so be sure to stay on the walking path. The Australian aviary gives an open-air but contained view of ibis, as well as cockatoos and eclectus parrots.

In Africa, besides the new lion-viewing area, visitors can get quite close to the elephants as well as watch zebra, antelope, and giraffes roam in a simulation of their natural habitat. The mile-long trail can be a hot walk, so cool off in the Rafiki Restaurant for some refreshment if needed, or take a boat ride across the lake.

The Details

Zoo hours are 9:30-4:00 daily; admission is $10.50 for visitors 12 and up, $7.00 for kids 3-11 and $9.50 for seniors. Discounts are available on Tuesdays. Wheelchairs, strollers and wagons are all available for an additional fee. Check out the website for program details and special events.

Shawnee writer Claire M. Caterer visits the zoo several times a year with her family.