Actually, we have two zoo memberships!
Because we have a family run business, my kids get to suggest topics of interest for our blog, and this week they wanted to share about one of our favorite local(ish) zoos. We found this zoo by accident about a decade ago, after I was helping shoot a wedding. We were up near Michigan and decided to explore Michigan City, Indiana the next day. I love animals so when we found the Washington Park Zoo on an app, we decided to check it out! It’s a very small zoo, but the animals were clearly well loved & we enjoyed our visit!
This life sized lion figure at the Washington Park Zoo is always a big hit with our kids!
A couple years ago, when we couldn’t leave the state (without paperwork & prior permission) because we were a foster family, we decided to take a trip up to get as close to Michigan as we could… and remembered this zoo, which then quickly became a family favorite destination! It also is right along the shore line of Lake Michigan, so we can usually squeeze in a beach trip too.
One fun part of the zoo is the tower you can climb, on top of the hill. It gives a wonderful view of Lake Michigan, if you are up for the 3 flights of stairs, that is!
The zoo was actually created to help house rescued exotic animals, and offers a variety of animals, from an armadillo to a pair of zebra. While they do have lions and tigers and bears, a few of my favorites are the capybaras, the tamandua anteater, and the (absolutely adorable) fennec foxes! My kids especially love the river otter exhibit because it has an acrylic tunnel through the water, and you can watch the otters swim above & around you!
Because the zoo prioritizes enrichment of their inhabitants, we’ve often found the animals to be interested in interaction with their visitors. It’s like we are welcomed friends!
Another thing we love about the Washington Park zoo is the zoo staff clearly cares for their animal charges, and even though the zoo is smaller, they offer the animals a lot of varied enrichment opportunities and the animals definitely enjoy it. Smaller zoos sometimes get some negative press for smaller exhibits or less variety of animals, but I think this place balances it all very well. It’s always clean, the staff are very friendly & happy to talk, and everyone loves kids!
This spring the farm had a baby miniature zebu born, and it was just the cutest & softest baby calf!
Another reason we’ve learned to love this zoo is our membership to the zoo gives us both free parking at the city park, and is a reciprocal zoo in the ZAA program, so we can use our membership to visit other accredited zoos around the states! (Our membership to the Fort Wayne Children‘s Zoo gives us the same system, except through the larger AZA organization!) So we can get a discount to the best of both worlds- large & small zoos with common goals.
On our most recent trip I asked the kids to pose with the wishing well, because they all are our wish come true!
Another advantage of this (and most zoos) is the majority of it is located outdoors, so it counts toward our 1000 hours outside! If you are ever near Michigan City or heading up to the dunes to hike (we’ve done both the state and National dune shorelines & they are gorgeous) I definitely recommend reserving an hour or two to visit this little zoo. It’s a gem! ~ Naomi
PS- here are some of my favorite zoo related affiliate links through the Amazon Affiliate program. (Using my link to purchase gives our family a little side income!) Skip the zoo gift shop and find unique stuffed animals like this sting ray. We love these gorgeous nature themed books, and if you need a companion for a restless child during car rides, this weighted lap puppy is just the ticket!
