Emerson Children's Zoo

See naked mole rats up-close and personal, pet bunnies and goats, and meet brilliantly colored frogs that may try to kiss you! There are always friendly animals to meet, a variety of animal shows and programs, educational play activities and fun for the whole family in the Emerson Children's Zoo.

A hands-on environment, you can first stroll through Hip Hop Swamp exhibit filled with slippery amphibians, warty toads and the FrogSurround^® dome where kids can get within kissing distance of brilliantly colored frogs. Other attractions include a large colony of meerkats of "Lion King" fame. These industrious little animals have a termite mound and an elaborate system of PVC burrows. An active family of Fennec Foxes, the small foxes with the huge ears, is always fun to watch. Plus, a kangaroo that lives in trees? That's right! The Matschie's Tree Kangaroo from the mountainous forests of Papua New Guinea is well adapted to life in the trees. These marsupials can climb trees like a cat and are good jumpers just like other kangaroos.

Another part of the fun at the Children's Zoo is a "Just Like Me" play area, where children can imitate their animal friends. Here children can hop through water geysers, as jets of water spurt randomly so they can cool off in summer months. Kids can climb on a giant spider web or dig like an aardvark in a sandbox. They can try to measure up to a llama, grizzly bear, boa constrictor or red-tailed hawk.

Our docents frequently bring out animals like snakes, owls and other birds. They help us learn about these animals by allowing us to see them up-close and to gently feel their skin or feathers.

A unique feature of the Children's Zoo is the thrill of zooming down a slide through the otter pool with river otters swimming all about. An acrylic see-through chute passes from the lookout above the pool, through the water, to the viewing area below, allowing you to slide past some of the most playful animals in the world. (Children should be under 54").

Learn more about Fennec Fox, Blue Poison Dart Frog, Short-beaked Echidna, Indian Flying Fox, North American River Otter, Naked Mole Rat.

Children's Zoo Admission

$4.00 per person. Children under two are free. Admission is free the first hour the Zoo is open.

Hours

The Zoo is open every day, except December 25 (Christmas Day) and January 1 (New Year's Day), from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Summer hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, May 23-September 1, 2008 (Memorial Weekend through Labor Day).

Holiday Hours and Early Closings:

• June 20, 2008 (A Zoo Ado fundraiser) -- Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• July 23, 2008 (Jammin' at the Zoo) -- Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• August 27, 2008 (Jammin' at the Zoo) -- Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• December 24, 2008 (Christmas Eve) -- Open 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
• December 25, 2008 (Christmas Day) -- Zoo closed
• December 31, 2008 (New Year's Eve) -- Open 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
• January 1, 2008 (New Year's Day) -- Zoo closed