We went Wednesday. According to the weather we had tracked all week, it was was supposed to be in the mid-60s. Unfortunately, TWC was showing us mid-50s, which marred our enjoyment somewhat (not much but it was a little colder than I would have liked). I-64 is totally under construction and simply gone for a large stretch, which made actually getting to the zoo a little difficult. However, because of the detour, we found a section of the zoo we had never seen, called "Turtle Park". It has huge statues of different kinds of turtles for the kids to climb on and play around. We didn't stop to play (see the previous mention of cold) but did make a note of it for future trips. The zoo being all about conservation and saving the earth has installed fancy toilet flushers where you lift it up for liquid waste and push down for solid. MT thought this was the coolest thing ever and took to announcing, loudly, which way she was pushing the handle.
The zoo itself is free. Parking costs $11, unless you get there early (or are willing to hike in). We got there about 8:50 (the zoo opens at 9) and were able to get the second free space so I was happy with that. They also not allow but encourage people to bring in their own food and drinks. There are several outdoor eating spots throughout the zoo and people can take their food into the cafes to get inside for awhile. I would suggest taking your food if at all possible. The food at the zoo is marginal at best and pricey. It was $8.50 for a single cheeseburger, an order of fries and a small drink. The kid meals are also lacking in variety. It was a hot dog or chicken fingers. They do have some healthy side options but my kids, being my kids, opted for the fries.
Some of the attractions, including the "Endangered Species" Carousel, the Children's Zoo, the 3-D movie, the motion ride and the train do cost extra. You can get a "Safari Pass" that is $10/person and includes admission to the Children's Zoo, Zooline Railroad, Sea Lion Show (while in season), Conservation Carousel, Motion Simulator and 3-D Movie (while in season).
The Children's Zoo and the Carousel are free for the first hour. My suggestion would be to hoof it back to the carousel, ride it first and then go to the Children's Zoo and spend as much time as your kids would like. There are a bunch of climbing things, the otters, some animals the kids can touch, and in the summer, there are water sprayers to help kids cool off.
Because of my mom's broken foot, I encouraged her to rent a motorized wheel chair and it came in very handy. The process to rent one was a little tedious, including leaving a driver's license and doing an inspection of the cart before being allowed to leave with it but it was an absolute blessing to have it. Being our second straight day of going full tilt, there is no way she could have managed all the hills and stuff without it. I do need to mention that many areas of the zoo simply aren't set up for scooters or large strollers. Both the gift shops had aisle too narrow, the seating in the cafe was too crowded, and the exit to Peguin and Puffin Cove was hard to navigate, thanks to sharp turns and close quarters. Other than that, she got around remarkably well with it.
Since we were there in the off season, there was quite a bit of construction going on. they are building a new exhibit in the center with sting rays and the like and they have most of the reptile house (including the alligators, TB was devistated) roped off and inaccesable. Most of the stands weren't open as well. This was both a blessing and a curse. It meant I didn't have to keep saying no to junky toys and candy but it also meant we had to hike halfway across the zoo for a drink. Personally, I prefer the off-season because it is less crowded and the animals are more active. It was 11 before it felt like there were more than a handful of people there. We were able to get right up the exhibits and see the animals without anyone being in our way or us being in anyone's way.
The 3-D movie was LAME and so not worth the $4 per person we paid for it, but it was a new one that we hadn't seen and now we can say we've done it and don't have to mess with it the future. We didn't do the motion ride but I have in the past and they aren't for people prone to motion sickness or younger children. It is often violent motion, combined with scary scenes and generally best suited for the late tween/teen crowd.
The only con is that this zoo is BIG. If you have young children or children who aren't used to vacationing at full throttle, this is not a one day zoo. We have been many, many, many time and we have only once or twice hit every exhibit in one day. And those were the days we dropped into bed at the end of the day, wanting to die from exhaustion. Not fun for anyone.
My recommendation would be to pick up a zoo map on your way in (or check out the one on the website before you go)and spend a few minutes figuring out the must see exhibits for your family and making a point of seeing them. Our must sees were the alligators, the monkeys (we saw ONE monkey habitat out of 3 different ones), the elephants, the penguins and Bear Row (they have several different types of bears all along one pathway).
Of course, we saw the animals around those animals as well but we completely skipped the big cats, most of the primates and several other areas.
This zoo is clean, the exhibits are well cared for, the people are friendly and helpful and the price is right. Other than the 3 hour drive to get there (and STL has TONS of other things to see and do, much of it free as well), there is no reason not to make this trip at least annually.
I give St Louis Zoo 5 full stars and highly suggest you check it out.
I went for the first time last fall with catmiller and I loved it! I felt guilty for not bringing the kids, but we might try it this fall when they're a little older and the weather isn't ridiculously hot. We figure we'll combine it with the Science Center and a visit with our STL friends and make a long weekend out of it.
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