Henry Vilas Zoo

I was absolutely impressed by the animals, their health, how cleanly the exhibits were, and the option the zoo gives their larger animals to be on exhibit or off. The different vantage points on larger exhibits is very much appreciated. It took us around 2hrs to walk through and see all the animals (with no little ones). The staff was very good at putting up notices when an animal was specifically not in an exhibit, so you did not spend time looking for something that wasn't there. This is a FREE zoo to visit! Please donate to help keep the zoo free for everyone to enjoy! Every bit counts. The parking and street parking is also free! This is a wonderful place to visit with your family & little ones! There is even a goat 'petting zoo' that your little ones (and you!) can feed, again - for free! Truly a fantastic experience! 👏

Absolutely wonderful experience! Animals were really well cared for and enclosures were appropriate and clean. The orangutan enclosure was the only one I though was a little small as they need a ridiculous amount of open space, but it was cold when when I came so they may have access to an outdoor enclosure. Zookeepers were awesome and friendly. I'm very impressed, especially considering admission was free. They are AZA accredited as well so you can trust that hold themselves to a good standard of care. I would probably recommend coming in the later spring as some exhibits were closed when I came, but plenty animals were still out and about, I also love the fact that the animals had backstage areas for when they were tired. This probably one of the best zoos I've been to!

This was such a fun zoo! I can’t believe it’s free with how much there is to see and learn. Even early morning on a Thursday while some animals were still sleeping it was nice to see them and learn about them. They seem well taken care of, with a focus on conservation and high quality care, and even some were at their “winter home” for the season which I’ve never seen before! The gift shop was priced well, especially since entry of the zoo was free!

This is an awesome free zoo that takes donations and has a nice variety of animals including some lions and a tiger. The animals look well treated and the mom and baby orangutan are awesome. Definitely a place to go.

We went on Sunday morning approximately 11am. People were there but it was not crowded by any means. With all the lights around d the trees etc I would bet it has a very nice vibe at night. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the zoo and things have been moved around a little bit with newer areas for the bears (“new to me”). It’s a very nice smaller zoo. 😎