Our Trip to the St. Louis Zoo

On June 12, 2009 we headed out of Indiana, across Illinois, and into Saint Louis, Missouri, it took us 3 hours from where we live, so we stayed the night at the Holiday Inn, 1.7 miles from the Zoo. After a nice breakfast at the hotel, we headed to the Zoo and after paying a small parking fee of $11.00 per vehicle. We walked towards the Zoo Welcome Center, and once inside of the entry area, the man at the front desk told us of the Zoo's ticket options. The first option is the Free entry, which you will have to pay for the Train Ride, the Sea Lion Show, Carousal, Children's Zoo, individually as you want to ride them, this will cost you anywhere from $5.00 to 3.00 per person. The second ticket option is the $10.00 per person package, which is valued at $18.00, which includes all of the above except the Petting the Sting Ray's exhibit, which will cost you $3.00 per person. They also have a $60.00 package which includes free parking, 36 anywhere passes, and more. We decided to get the $10.00 ticket package, since we live out of state, and was only planning on being here once this year.

The first one we went through was the Discovery Corner, which is where the the Welcome Center, Anheuser-Bush Theater, Children's zoo, the Insectarium and more. After paying for our tickets, we noticed to our right inside of the gate house, was the first exhibits called the Amphibians and Reptiles, which is home to many poisonous tree frogs, lizards, and more. Inside to the theater they were playing a 3-D Movie called Wild Africa, (we didn't do this because with my husband's eyes he can't see 3-D images).

After going through the doors to the outside zoo area, we found that the zoo is broke up into six different wildlife areas. The first one being the Discovery Corner, which is the Welcome Center above.

Then the first Wildlife area that we visited was called The Wild, this is where you will see Bears, the Penguin exhibit which is really nice, they only let a few people in at a time as to not over could the viewing area. As you walk through the doors, you will go into a tunnel, which as penguin info on the walls with photo's, and as you keep walking the temperature changes to arctic chilly real quickly, then as you round the corner, and there looking over the rocks and glass walls are the Arctic Penguins, watching you watch them, and if you stood to close to the glass wall, you are likely to get wet when they splash around. This is just one of the really cool exhibits in this area.

We next road the Zoo train around the park just to see where we wanted to visit next, plus it was a nice way to relax our feet. We got off of the train at the next exhibit area, called the River's Edge, here is the home to Black Rhino's, Bush Dog, Capybara, Anteater, Hippo's, Red River Hog, Carmine Bee-eater (birds), Cheetah, Hyena, and the Big Asian Elephant exhibit. We walked through this exhibit, and seen three large elephants, one baby, and one Bull Elephant, as you walked through you also seen all of the other wildlife that lives in these areas of the world. After walking through this exhibit it was lunch time, so we ordered our lunch found an outside table, so we could enjoy the view of the Zoo, while we ate our lunch and relaxed a little before moving on to the next area.

We headed towards the Historic Hill area of the Zoo which was home to the Bird House, and Bird Garden, Herpetarium (Snakes), Sea Lion and Sea Lion Arena, Primate House, and the 1904 World's Fair Flight Cage and Cypress Swamp. We went through the Primate House, here you can view Lemur's, of all kinds, as you walked through you could view them eating and playing, we even seen a few babies in the exhibits. We also walked through the Bird House, and Bird Gardens which was there to meet you as you walked through the doors, was a beautiful Blue N Gold Macaw, he was so pretty, then you walked through this Bird House and Bird Garden, looking at the different bird species that live all around the world.

The next area that we walked to is called the Red Rocks, this is home to the Giraffe's, the Big Cats, Antelope, Zebra's, and more. We went through the barns where the house the Giraffe's, Antelope, Zebra's, and the Camels, which you get a really close up look at the animals while they are eating. When we walked out of the barn we rounded the corner, to see the Zebra's, Giraffe's and more outside walking around. There were four Giraffe's out, three females, one baby, and one male, these animals are very impressive up close. You can see every muscle in there body, as the slowly walked around the their home. We also seen the Zoo's Baby Boy, (the Tiger), he was playing with the older Tigers and it was funny to watch, reminds you of your domestic cats at home, just much larger.

The final stop on this Saint Louis Zoo trip, was the Lakeside Crossing, this is home to the Duck, Geese, Swans, Build-A-Bear WorkShop, Safari Gift Shop and more. The main attraction here was the Pet the Sting Ray exhibit, which was really neat, for $3.00 per person, you will get a chance to put your hand in the water palm side down, so they can swim by you for you to touch them. This was really neat and they have a rubbery, yet slimy feel to them, was a really neat experience. After we viewed the dicks, geese, and other wildlife in this area, we decided to head to the exit, were we shopped in the gift shop, and refilled our drink cups once more, for the long journey home. As we drove out of the Zoo and the State of Missouri, towards Indiana as we reflected on our trip to the Saint Louis Zoo, and my husband and I, said it was a great and relaxing trip.

Hopefully I have given you a small glimpse into what you will find if you decide to take you family to the Saint Louis Zoo, and I hope that you will make this one of your Summer must do list, for this year, or maybe the next year. I have only told you a small bit of what you will find at the Zoo, you will need to visit the Saint Louis Zoo, for yourself to see the rest on your great trip to Saint Louis, Missouri.