This Missouri Zoo Was Named Best In The Nation And Here's Why
By Liz Oliver|Published May 06, 2018
×
Liz Oliver
Author
Liz is a Missouri native with a B.A. in English from Mizzou and a M.A. in Non-Profit Administration from Lindenwood University. She works for a STL metro-area community college and enjoys writing, traveling, and indoor cycling. Her true passion is forcing her encyclopedic knowledge of Missouri facts on uninterested strangers from across the globe!
Year after year, the St. Louis Zoo has been declared as the best zoo in the nation. Most recently the St. Louis Zoo has won the Best Zoo category in the 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards sponsored by USA Today. In the past, the zoo has also picked up awards for being the best free attraction in the nation. If you’ve been to the St. Louis Zoo you’ll understand why it’s oh so special. If you haven’t had the chance to visit the St. Louis Zoo, keep reading to find out what you’ve been missing.
Located in the large and beautiful Forest Park is the St. Louis Zoo. It is one of many spectacular attractions inside this large urban park. In November 1910, the Zoological Society of St. Louis was established and the St. Louis Zoo has continued to grow ever since.
It's amazing what you can learn when you spend a day at the zoo. You can spend an entire day exploring the 90 acres of animal exhibits and attractions.
In addition to being named best zoo, the Sea Lion Sound exhibit was also named best in the nation. At Sea Lion Sound you can walk through a tunnel where the sea lions swim right above your head! Don't forget to watch one of their awesome shows. Tickets for the sea lion shows are $4 but children 2 and under are free.
There are lots of new things to see at the zoo this year. The eight cheetah cubs who were born at the St. Louis Zoo this winter are now out at their River's Edge enclosure.
Another new addition to the zoo is the Centene Grizzly Ridge exhibit. The new grizzly bear enclosure opened in September of 2017, and the bears now have double the space to play, swim, and snooze.
Huck and Finley love their new space. The old bear grottoes were constructed in the 1920's and were some of the first zoo exhibits in the world that no longer kept the animals in barred cages.
Interacting with the animals is another great reason to visit the St. Louis Zoo. At Caribbean Cove visitors can watch, touch, and sometimes even feed the stingrays at this exhibit. This exhibit does have an admission, its $4 to enter Stingray Cove and it's $1 to feed the rays.
Penguin and Puffin Coast is another fan favorite exhibit at the zoo. The exhibit houses many different kids of penguins. Visitors can get so close to penguins, you'll feel like you're on an arctic island and not at the zoo!
No trip to the zoo is complete without a visit to River's Edge to see Raja. Raja was the first elephant to be born at the zoo in over 20 years. This past December Raja turned 25! He is the only male elephant at the St. Louis Zoo and is the father to four daughters - Maliha, Jade, Kenzi and Priya.
There is so much more to see and do at the St. Louis Zoo. Stroll through Historic Hill, where many of the buildings date back to 1920s. View the 1904 World's Fair Bird Cage. Take a trip on the railroad and eat in one of the many cafes. Explore all this and more at the St. Louis Zoo!
Find the St. Louis Zoo at 1 Government Dr.,
St. Louis. The zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Want to know what's new at the zoo? Keep up with them through Facebook!
Check out this awesome video that highlights everything truly great about the St. Louis Zoo!
Have you been to the St. Louis Zoo? What is your favorite zoo attraction? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
