The Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley is a top family destination, featuring a wide range of animal exhibits and immersive habitats from around the world. With interactive experiences like Discovery Bay and Tropics Trail, visitors can get up close with wildlife while learning about conservation. Open year-round, the Minnesota Zoo offers fun and educational adventures for animal lovers of all ages.
Zoo
Minnesota Zoo
It’s a large zoo with lots of walking and nomore train rides. Bring your strollers.
Animals and exhibits were great!
FYI you NEED to buy tickets online in advance
The restaurants inside are way overpriced ($17 for one sandwich) so plan on packing your own lunch.
My significant other and I landed in the South Entrance Gibbon Lot and parked there. We walked towards the Lower South Entrance and we had to halt everything. There was a sign that stated Welcome! Online tickets required and available at MNZoo.org Scan QR code for tickets. This was a rather odd obstacle in our path. There was complimentary Wi-Fi here under the network Minnesota Zoo Free Wireless. Online, I checked out the Admission and Parking section. General Admission for Non-Members that were Adults ages 13-64 was $23.95. Additional Charges was Parking: Car or Van $10.00. I clicked Zoo Timed Admission and for the Times Available, I chose 1:30 PM.
The sign before the building entrance stated Online Tickets Only. This seemed to be a serious thing here and I thought it was a poor business practice. Fortunately, it was fast to scan my e-Ticket.
Our first stop was Discovery Bay. I got to see the Spotted garden eel and the Splendid garden eel in a display there. They were unique and interesting to watch. Not too far from them was the Shrimp display. They looked vibrant and it was worth the stop.
Northern Trail was an awesome section of Minnesota Zoo. I almost had to stop to see the Bison display. There were quite a few of these beautiful animals. Right past them was the Black-tailed Prairie Dog display. They were small and adorable. Seeing the Moose was the best part of the day. It appeared rare and I felt honored to see it. The Reindeer or Caribou display was exciting. They seemed active and it was nice to admire them from afar.
Our last stop was Minnesota Trail. I got to see the Coyote display. They were beautiful. After that, I saw the Gray Wolf. It was large and gorgeous. Not too far away was the Puma (AKA cougar, mountain lion, panther) display. They were active.
We headed towards the South Entrance/Exit. Going through the Zoo Exit door was the worst part of the day.
The service was good. Everyone I encountered was friendly. I didn’t have any issues in that category.
Overall, I had a decent time here and I enjoyed seeing every animal I encountered. I might go back someday.
Date of visit: January 29, 2025
Also got to see a sea lion show, witch was cool to watch but seemed short, hoping it was longer.
Nice zoo, not sure if I’ll be back but was nice.