Peoria Glen Oak Zoo
add photosOur GRAND 7,000-square-foot entrance complex: Will reflect the architecture of Glen Oak Park's historic pavilion and contain a central plaza with new spaces for ticketing, food services and gift shop.
Last admission is at 4:30 pm.
5 Reviews for Peoria Glen Oak Zoo
56
601 family found this helpful
"A very nice small zoo"
This is a very nice small zoo. They have completely redone the african animals section-it is absolutely great. The rest of the zoo needs an update, but has a nice variety of animals, petting zoo and sea lion show. Lots of shaded areas and a small education center with pretend vet area, aquariums, books and other toys to give kids a break. The zoo is located in a large park so it is a great way to spend an afternoon.
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0 families found this helpful
"Small Zoo big fun "
This is a small town Zoo but the new African exhibit is truly amazing the nice thing about this zoo is its a small zoo so you can let children walk and its not overcrowded to the point you get a upclose and personal view of the animals its worth having a season pass if you live in the area!
0 families found this helpful
"WoW So Impressive!"
We were SO impressed when we made the 40 minute drive to Peoria to visit the zoo. It is a magnificent zoo. The new Africa exhibit is breathtaking--we felt like we were really in Africa (it helped that it was in July and HOT!!!). So many great exhibits and such a wide variety of animals. We will definitely be visiting this zoo many times in the future!
0 families found this helpful
"A very nice small zoo"
This is a very nice small zoo. They have completely redone the african animals section-it is absolutely great. The rest of the zoo needs an update, but has a nice variety of animals, petting zoo and sea lion show. Lots of shaded areas and a small education center with pretend vet area, aquariums, books and other toys to give kids a break. The zoo is located in a large park so it is a great way to spend an afternoon.
0 families found this helpful
"The perfect size!"
South off War Memorial Drive on Prospect Road is the tiny Glen Oak Zoo—watch carefully, because the small wooden signs blend in a bit too well with the park surroundings. You could easily see everything at a leisurely pace within an hour. However, that may change. At press time, the zoo was in the midst of a major expansion project. The following description was written before the renovation began.
The zoo layout cleverly forces visitors to pass through an indoor curving walkway lined with glass-walled cases containing reptiles, birds, and small mammals—displays you might otherwise skip—in order to reach the outdoor areas.
The meerkats are especially cute, even if you haven’t seen The Lion King, and it’s worthwhile to be able to show your kids the real thing upon which the Disney movie character Timon was based.
Reasonable-size monkey cages are at the end of the walkway just inside the doors leading outside; both the primates and the cages are clean and well maintained. There is a larger monkey pen outdoors, too.
Perhaps the nicest outdoor exhibit at the zoo is the lion enclosure, which has tall prairie grass resembling that of the African veld. Vines trail along the high fence, softening the effect of confinement. A glass wall along one section of the enclosure allows visitors to safely observe the felines close-up; on a hot day you may even find a lion lying right up against the cool glass.
There is a “Contact Area,” a barnlike structure with goats and assorted other critters, but the animals are behind fences, and kids can pet them through the wooden slats but are not allowed in with them.
Kids of all ages enjoy the timber playground area; as they run and climb, they bear an eerie resemblance to the monkeys.
The outdoor Safari Cafe has a limited but reasonably priced menu, including soda, popcorn, ice cream, hot dogs, and chicken sandwiches.
There is a changing table in the women’s restroom, which is located inside near a few educational displays.
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