Fun little free zoo in a nice park. Simple execution, just animals(no rides, dining hall, etc.) Probably can’t spend more than an hour in the zoo itself, but if you are in Baraboo and looking for a place for the kids to blow off steam, it is worth stopping by.
Adam C.
Place rating: 4 Milwaukee, WI
It’s a free zoo/park, and for its size they’ve got a respectable operation going. It’s got a bear. It seems like a lot of the other animals are inconsistent. There’s usually a swan and some other birds. The bear is nice. He has a swing and smiles. And sleeps sometimes. I like the bear.
Angela R.
Place rating: 4 Pekin, IL
Enjoyed this zoo so much! It’s free. It’s small. It’s nestled into a beautiful little area of town. This is an easy walk with cute animals. I loved that they had the animals names and alittle about them. You rarely get that at any zoo.
Bob H.
Place rating: 4 Baraboo, WI
It’s a free zoo in a small town so it isn’t that fancy. But it’s a nice place to take the kids for a couple of hours. It’s connected to a park so the kids have a place to play before or after seeing the animals.
Nessie V.
Place rating: 4 Oak Park, IL
I’m always torn on zoos, as they are essentially jails for animals convicted of no crimes. But I love seeing animals and if I don’t pay for it than I feel somewhat absolved of any moral culpability. The animals seemed to be in good shape. The zoo is tiny, and thus the cages could be bigger, but you can see they are working on that. The animals seem adapted to these conditions, like how the deer and wolves come right up and follow you around. Course maybe I was visiting around feeding time. The only animals that aren’t adapted to Wisconsin winters are the monkeys, but they were either inside or offsite when I visited. They have a machine that will sell you some food for the goats and such, so you can get some farm animal petting action too. There is a parking lot and street parking available. I think I’ll return on my next Dells trip, and visit my homies on the inside.
Brady M.
Place rating: 4 Portland, OR
Come on, a free zoo? That’s awesome. If you are passing through, it is worth stopping by. The zoo is a municipal service, so don’t expect a ton of high-tech or ultramodern facilities. Nuff said!
Sean W.
Place rating: 3 Cedar Rapids, IA
As previous poster put it. a tiny free zoo. Always stopped here while hitting the Lake and on the way to the Dells. Seen it up & down. Sometimes full of animals, sometimes, ½ vacant. Prairie Dogs and deer are always fun to watch/feed. Last I was there the monkeys were gone. Bears and wolves and oh my… Kids like it though, and hey, its a Free stop for a break in the day.
Booda B.
Place rating: 3 Lombard, IL
This is a tiny, free zoo that sometimes has more animals on display than others. The animals include a goat, timber wolves, capuchin monkeys, a couple of llamas, a black bear, some birds, and a bunch of deer. The prairie dogs, of which there are many, are a highlight — check out the bad boy in the picture. As you might guess from that image, there are grain dispensers throughout the zoo that accept quarters. The bear seems like a nice guy, but the goat wasn’t accepting visitors when I tried to stop by. There’s a little snack bar on one side of the zoo. The habitats are OK — unlike many, these don’t make me overly sad. It’s a nice place to visit, but you don’t need to spend more than 15 – 20 minutes here because there’s really not all that much to see.
