Spend Time with the Animals at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium

Do you like animals? Then for a great learning opportunity, visit the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium. The Pittsburgh Zoo is located in Pittsburgh, PA and spans approximately 77 acres. It is home to several thousand animals from around the world. In addition to the zoo itself, they also have a beautiful indoor aquarium, making it one of only six zoo/aquarium combinations in the United States.

One of the newest complexes at the Pittsburgh Zoo is the Water's Edge, featuring polar bears, sea otters, and walrus's. This exhibit features underwater tunnels that allow visitors a unique view of the animals swimming and playing.

In addition to the Water's Edge, the Pittsburgh Zoo also features exhibits covering the Asian Forests, the African Savanna, the African Ravine, a tropical rainforest complex, and a wide variety of bears.

Another popular attraction is Kid's Kingdom. Kid's Kingdom is ranked among the top three children's zoos in the country. This exhibit features walk-thru deer and goat yards; a bat exhibit that allows children to not only see, but also hear, bats as they fly around; a crawl-thru area to view Meerkats at their level, and more. They also have a walk-thru aquarium with fish swimming all around you. In addition to Kid's Kingdom, there are two play areas for the kids to run off any extra energy that they have, an excellent place to hang out with the kids.

The PPG Aquarium at the Pittsburgh Zoo is an indoor aquarium that opened in 2000. The aquarium features revolving tanks that are the first of their kind in a public aquarium. In addition, the sting ray exhibit is a cool experience for children of all ages. They can pet a sting-ray (the barbs are removed from the tails for safety) and they can crawl through see-thru tunnels to watch the sting-rays swim. The aquarium has a wonderful assortment of both fresh-water and salt-water fish and they have put together all of the displays in well laid-out manner that keeps the visitors excited for what is around the next corner.

The Pittsburgh Zoo is a good place to take the family for a day of fun. They have both stroller and wagon rentals available, they allow you to bring in outside picnic food and drinks (non-alcoholic of course), and the admission prices are very fair. In addition, they sell yearly memberships that make it even easier to go to the Zoo. They also have the requisite gift shops in several locations that sell both souvenirs and items that promote learning.

The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium is open year round, only closing on a select few holidays. For the most current information, visit their website at www.pittsburghzoo.com.