We sneak away to MIcke Grove every chance we get. The zoo is SMALL but the kids love it. The admission is affordable for any family (I think it is $2 per person). Parking is cheap and the park is beautiful. One of my favorite places to escape to.
A great place to spend an afternoon. The zoo houses a nice variety of wild animals, plus tropical birds and an endangered species exhibit. You can picnic under the oaks, try out the playground equipment, go swimming in the public pool, or take a turn on the merry-go-round at the Funderwoods amusement park, which is designed for kids ages 2 to 10. A large museum complex in the park has historic exhibits and nearly one hundred tractors displayed outdoors. In the fall, maples and ginkgo trees are aflame in the Japanese Garden, a peaceful place with a waterfall and a stone pagoda.