Minnesota Zoo http://www.mnzoo.com/ 13000 Zoo Boulevard, Apple Valley, MN 55124 952-431-9200 Hours: Open 9am daily, closing times vary. Closed Thanksgiving Day and December 25. See website for detailed hours.

Experience dolphins, tigers, monkeys and more at the Minnesota Zoo 363 days a year. The Zoo features a tropical rain forest, marine center, northern tundra, woodland forest and a family farm. Don’t miss the new Minnesota Trail, and opening summer 2008 is Russia’s Grizzly Coast. With more than 2,000 spectacular animals from around the world, you’re bound for a new adventure on every visit.

Passes are limited to general exhibit admission only. Passes may not be applied towards educational and group tours. Special exhibitions and other attractions may not be covered, and other restrictions may apply.

Please visit http://www.mnzoo.com/ for specific exhibition information.

Learn more about it at your metro public library

All Ages

Animal Talk: Breaking the Codes of Animal Language

Tim Friend, Free Press, 2004

In the Shadow of Man

Jane Goodall, Mariner Books, 2000

Conservation International, Biodiversity Hotspots

website: www.biodiversityhotspots.org

Natural Wonders of Minnesota: Exploring Wild and Scenic Places

Martin Hintz, NTC/Contemporary, 2000

Life of Mammals Series

David Attenborough, BBC Warner, 2003 (DVD or VHS sets)

Critters of Minnesota Pocket Guide

Ann E. McCarthy, Adventure Publications, 2000

Venomous Snakes of the World

Mark O'Shea, Princeton University Press, 2005 yes

Mammals of Minnesota Field Guide

Stan Tekiela, Adventure Publications, 2005

Reptiles and Amphibians of Minnesota Field Guide

Stan Tekiela, Adventure Publications, 2003

A Naturalist and Other Beasts: Tales from a Life in the Field

George B. Schaller, Sierra Club Books/University of California Press, 2007

Life at the Zoo: Behind the Scenes with the Animal Doctors

Phillip T. Robinson, Columbia University Press, c2004

Babylon's Ark: The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo

Lawrence Anthony with Graham Spence, Thomas Dunne Books, c2007

Zoo Tracks Online Newsletter

(needs PDF reader) website: http://www.mnzoo.com/zootracks

Birds of Minnesota: Field Guide

Stan Tekiela, Adventure Publications, Inc., 2004, 1998

Minnesota: A History of the Land

DVD, University of Minnesota, College of Natural Resources: Twin Cities Public Television, c2005

Natural Wonders of Minnesota: Exploring Wild and Scenic Places

Martin Hintz, Country Roads Press, 2000

Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior

Temple Grandin, Scribner, 2005

Wild Minds: What Animals Really Think

Marc D. Hauser, Henry Holt, 2000

The Encyclopedia of Animals: A Complete Visual Guide

F. Cooke and Jenni Bruce, et al, University of California Press, 2004

Kids

Ocean Babies

Deborah Lee Rose, National Geographic Children's, 2005 yes

Baby Noah: Animal Expedition

Walt Disney Home Entertainment, Walt Disney Video, 2004 (DVD)

Let's Find It!: My First Nature Guide

Katya Arnold, Holiday House, 2002

Out and About at the Zoo

Kathleen W. Deady, Picture Window, 2003

I Love Animals (Little Bill videocassette)

Nick Jr., Bill Cosby, Paramount, 2002

At the Zoo!: Explore the Animal World with Craft Fun

Judy Press, Williamson, 2002

Snakes!: Strange and Wonderful

Laurence P. Pringle, Boyds Mills, 2005

Shark Life: True Stories About Sharks and the Sea

Peter Benchley, Delacorte, 2005

Everything Horse: What Kids Really Want to Know About Horses

Marty Crisp, NorthWord, 2005

Ocean

Miranda MacQuitty, Gardners, 2004

Outside and Inside Big Cats

Sandra Markle, Atheneum, 2002

Oh, Yuck!: The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty

Joy Masoff, Workman, 2000

Bats, Blue Whales, and Other Mammals

Steve Parker, Compass Point, 2005

Snakes

Susan Schafer, Benchmark, 2003

Zoobooks Magazine (Juvenile periodical)

Wildlife Education Ltd, Current

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Bill Martin Jr., Mantra, 2003 (Found in various formats and languages)

Lunch at the Zoo: What Zoo Animals Eat and Why

Joyce Altman, Henry Holt and Co., 2001

A Trip to the Zoo

Karen Wallace, Dorling Kindersley Pub., 2003

My Life as a Chicken

Ellen A. Kelley, Harcourt, Inc., 2007

The Zoo

Suzy Lee, Kane/Miller, 2007

Dear Zoo

Rod Campbell, Holiday House, 2003

Grizzly Bears

Gail Gibbons, Holiday House, 2003

A Room with a Zoo

Jules Feiffer, Michael de Capua Books/Hyperion Books for Children, 2005

Zoo's Who: Poems and Paintings

Douglas Florian, Harcourt, 2005

Zany Zoo

William Wise, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006

Animal Strike at the Zoo, It's True!

Karma Wilson, HarperCollins, 2006

A Pair of Polar Bears: Twin Cubs find a Home at the San Diego Zoo

Joanne Ryder, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2006

Signing time Vol. 9, The Zoo Train

DVD, Two Little Hands Productions, 2005

A Bear Named Trouble

Marion Dane Bauer, Yearling, 2005

A Walk Through the Minnesota Zoo

Jeanne Melich Gangelhoff and Gene Gangelhoff, G J & B Pub., 1993

Tell Us About Your Adventure

If you visited Minnesota Zoo, we'd love to hear about your experience.

Tell Us About Your Adventure!

Aug 15

I got a pass for the zoo and my daughter and my three grandchildren went. We rode the monorail and we all enjoyed that. It was very informative learning about the animals along the ride. It was the first time for my grandchildren to ride on a monorail. We really enjoyed the birds and took many pictures of them. We plan on going back many times so we can see and learn more about the animals.

May 31

The zoo is always one of my children's favorite places to visit. They love to see all the animals. The touching tanks are their favorite.

Jul 4

We loved the MN Zoo, my favorite was the bears and the best part was watching the sea otters-they are so funny! I am only 1 1/2 but my brothers can tell you how much I loved it. I screamed "SEE" at every animal for every zoo visitor to see-everyone thought I was funny!

Jul 23

We went with the families of two of our kids, including our 3 grandkids. The day started with excitement at the monkey tree, and stayed upbeat from there. It was wonderful to see these animals through the eyes of our grandchildren. Their sense of amazement, joy and excitement made for a memorable visit, from the zoo animals, dolphins, to the farm.

Jan 1

Nice day at the Zoo. I'm moving to the Boston area in two weeks; I'll miss the Tropics Trail on a day that it's single digits for a high with a nasty wind chill. (Even the pumas on the Minnesota Trail were behaving as per the weather - they were dug deep in leaves and trying to rest.) I saw the Dolphin show (first time I did that even though my wife and I visited the zoo many times); it was 15 minutes long and they had two dolphins on display.

Apr 1

My adventure was great my family came up here for out of town and we han so much fun we rode the train around the park the food was good too. We had fun

Apr 19

The zoo was busy and well worth it. We went during the Earth day celebration. Crafts and posters filled the zoo on how to handle the earth with care. We are looking forward to the bear exhibit when it opens. So we will be back again and again.

Jun 19

I went to the MN Zoo with my 3 year old daughter, my Mom and my 5 year old niece. My niece had never been to a zoo so it was exciting to see her reaction to all the animals. It was also a great bonding experience for all of us. I now have a 4 month old and can't wait to go back to the zoo again this summer!

Mar 28

Myself my two boys and girl (8,6, and 4) went. We truley enjoyed seeing the baby farm animals and all of the usual sights. The boys always love watching the sharks. My daughter loves the dolphins. The farm animals were very fun. My kids never saw a cow so close up or the other farm animals. It was a true joy!

Jun 24

My son and I enjoyed the new Russian Grizzly Coase exhibit along with our first time on the zoo's monorail. We had a great time and are thankful for being able to use the Museum Adventure Pass.

Jun 14

I was staying with my pregnant daughter and my 2 1/2 year old grandson while my son-in-law was on a business trip. My daughter and grandson enjoy going to the Ramsey County Library in Roseville. Leah thought it would be fun to go to the Minnesota Zoo and she was able to get a pass from the library. None of us had ever been to the Minnesota Zoo before. We had a great time watching the bird show. I had just read the book "Rabbit And The Moon" by Douglas Wood to Isaiah, so he was thrilled to see "sister" eagle in the show. His real favorite that day though, were the goats at the farm. Thank you to Macy's, the Ramsey County Library and the Minnesota Zoo for helping us have a grand adventure and many happy memories.

Oct 6

My children and I had a blast!! We visit the zoo frequently and always find something new to do there. A few of the girls' favorite things to do is walk through the new Minnesota Trail, watch the dolphin show and walk throught the Tropics Trail.

Mar 30

It was truly an adventure! Grandparents of a one and a two year old who loved every minute. We were fortunate to have the added bonus of the Easter Farm Animals which they are still talking about. Thank you MELSA -MACY'S for giving us this wonderful oppurtunity.

Apr 10

I went with my 1yr old daughter and cousin and her boyfriend, It was raining that day, but we went anyway cuz pretty much everthing is inside which is nice cuz we didn't get wet, We also went on the train ride, We did miss the dolphin show but thats ok, We went on a day that area schools were there also so it was busy, It was very exiting to watch my daughter enjoy the animals at a young age, I can't wait to take her back when she is alittle older. Thank you for this program to be able to visit places, I hope to visit more soon

Apr 6

Thank you so much for this program! We had a great time seeing all of the animals. It was so much fun to see my 3 year olds face light up and hear my mother reading animal facts from the walls. Even my 9 month baby was able to enjoy it. It was neat to see how he loved observing the fish and dolphins. There truly was something for all ages. Great experience.

Aug 7

My granddaughter from Indiana visited us--her Gram and Gramp--for a week without her parents and siblings. Of course she wanted to see the Science Museum of MN--which we did. then we spent an entire day at the Minnesota Zoo. We didn't leave until the doors were closing. She loved every part of it.

Jul 12

After the big storm on Fri. The visit to the MN Zoo the next day was perfect. It was a great family affair along with Grandma. This was my two year old sons first time to the zoo. He had a blast. Great exercise walking the trails. The boys loved the new grizzly bear exhibit. My oldest son caught the bears playing around with each other and in the water. The big black bear was swimming very close to the glass panel. He was totally amazed at seeing it so close. We had to go back before we left to get one more look at them. The boys even had a chance to get their feet wet at the center spray fountain and take a memorable snapshot--with blue cotton candy smile and tongue. What a great day with nature--not only with the animals, but to also see how much the trees and foilage have grown since I was a young girl walking these very same trails as my little ones are now.

Jul 1

My seven year old and five year old wanted to go see the new Grizzley Bear exhibit. We were very impressed. Not only did we see the amazing bears, but we were entertained with the sea otters and wild board. We also got a glimpse of the elusive leopard. It was exciting to see the new animals as well as visit some of our favorite. The day was quite warm, but the children enjoyed cooling off in the new fountain area. As a parent, I liked the change. The sand box moved to a smaller area in the Russian Coast exhibit and was replaced with a child friendly fountain. The Minnesota Zoo is a favorite destination, and we are frequent visitors. I love the changes that have been made. For the kids. It gives them something new to become excited about.

Dec 10

We took our son to the Minnesota Zoo to celebrate his first birthday. Though he found the dolphins somewhat intimidating, he laughed out loud when one of the "big kitties" came right up to the glass. Thank you for making this an affordable adventure to enjoy as a family.

Nov 21

We don't go to the MN Zoo a lot because it is expensive but, with these passes, we spent a day there and had a blast.

Mar 11

I am very thankful for the pass we recieved for the Minnesota Zoo. My two year old had a great time and without the pass we would not have paid the admission price for the couple hours we were there in the morning. Thanks again.

Sep 26

It turned out to be a very summer-like fall day. It was beautiful. My mom and sister were in town visiting from Arizona. When my sister lived here in town, we would frequent the Minnesota zoo. We brought our camaras to capture memories as well as the wonderful array of animals. She had not seen the Minnesota trail since it had been re-vamped and thought they had done a superb job!! Having the bald eagle at eye level created breathtaking photos. We were also very excited to see all the animals on the trek still up close and very active. The bactrian camels were singing, the siberian tiger came down to the water and the takin were very frisky. We very much love the floor to ceiling tanks of aquatics as well. It's so relaxing to just take time out and watch the sea turtle and the sting rays, not to mention the extreme beauty in the coral reef area. We had a marvelous day. I encourage others to visit there frequently.

Jul 12

We took our granddaughter Lola to see the bears. She loved them. She thinks they are like Pooh-Bear not the Russian Grizzles that they are. We enjoyed the other families there and the awesome snacks avaiable.

Nov 17

We took our time enjoying each exhibit and ended up not completing the whole zoo. It was fun seeing some new animal behaviors we hadnt witnessed before. The kids really liked having the tiger just feet from them with only the glass between them! The kids and I also spent alot of time relaxing while watching the fish aquarium in the Tropics building.

Apr 5

I took my two grandchildren [ages three and six] to see the Zoo Babies exhibit. They loved seeing all the baby animals and feeding the goats. The aquarium was also a big hit. We all had a LOT of fun!

Aug 18

ME AND MY 2 DAUGHTERS FIRST STARTED OFF LOOKING AT THE BIRDS AND THE FISH. THEN WE WENT TO LOOK AT THE MONKEYS AND THE ZEBRAS. WENT WALKING AROUND THE WHOLE ZOO.THEN WE WENT AND GOT SOMETHING TO EAT AND THEN WE LEFT.WE ALL HAD ALOT OF FUN.

Sep 14

it was amazing, my kids were excited and didnt want to leave. they loved the bird cages and seeing the fish!!! we wish to visit again soon!

Sep 26

I brought my mom and sister out to visit the zoo, it was a great family day spent at the zoo. It was a beautiful day and the animals were very photogenic and participated wonderfully for our camaras. We viewed singing camels, siberian tigers up by the stream, and many other great sites. The Minnesota trail is one of our favorite areas. Now that is has been redone - it's very impressive. The floor to ceiling coral reef is so relaxing and we were in time for the feeding. The adventure passes were a wonderful way for us to save some money while spending a great day together.

Mar 10

My husband and I took our youngest granddaughter to the zoo. We enjoyed watching all of the animals especially the wolves.

Oct 20

you can not go just once you always have that wish to go more and visit as much as you can. perfect place

Mar 20

We had a great time at the Zoo! My 2 year old loved seeing all the different animals.

Apr 12

Our family went to the Zoo on a cold day, but it was ok because there is all sorts of exibition we can see while we were inside. For example the tropical rain forest, marine center, dolphins show, and the bird show. Thank for the experiance.

Feb 12

Really enjoyed the Minnesota Adventure. Gorgeous eagle.

Mar 7

We had a great time. The tropics is our favorite spot. Thank you Macy's for providing an opportunity for people to enjoy the variety of places.

Jun 27

We loved the new bear exhibit. Seeing the bears from a variety of locations throughout the park was amazing. We also enjoyed the farm exhibit.

Nov 29

We hads a wonderful time checking out all the awesome anilmals my four year thought that it was the best place in the world! My four month old really seemed to enjoy looking at the fish. Thank you for such a wonderful day MELSA!

Mar 17

We visited the zoo today and had a great time. Jeremy (5 yrs old) really liked the sharks and seeing the diver feeding the tropical fish. Jack the 2 year old asked to see the monkeys meaning the outdoor monkeys, and watched them for quite awhile. It was a great morning at the zoo! Grey and cloudy outside but warm and busy inside. Getting there early ensured time with the fish without a lot of school crowds, a real treat! Audrey loved the tide pool especially the sea stars that were close enough to touch.

Apr 26

I had foreign friends visiting and we went to the Zoo together... we had a fantastic time! We hadn't seen a lot of the animals before (and my friends were extremely impressed... especially love the aquatic animals). Thanks for the opportunity!

Feb 17

Our adventure to the Mn zoo.After walking all the trails and seeing the bird show,we made our way to discovery bay and went to the 2pm dolphin show.After our 3pm monorail ride our mom told us that we had 35 minutes before the zoo closed and we could pick whatever we wanted to do during that time. So we chose to hang out in discovery bay, we went directly to the sting ray and shark touch pool because that is our favorite part of discovery bay.ME and my sister were reaching in to touch the animals and guess what?My sister fell all the way into the touch pool,from head to toe!!! I had to pull her out, she was screaming with fear and she was freezing when i pulled her out! She was soaking wet,she had to wrap up in a towel that the staff gave us while her clothes got dried in the zoo's dryer. We could not believe it,this is an adventure that we never imagined we would have that morning when our mom told us we were going to the zoo.