Touring the Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum in Oklahoma

The Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum located in Tulsa, Oklahoma is a spot worth visiting. 2,800 animals await visitors almost everyday. The facilities cover 84 acres. A mixture of indoor and outdoor exhibits offer something for everyone. Other attractions keep the family busy and well fed.

Wear your walking shoes when visiting the Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum. The paved pathways wander through the 84 acres of this park. When you first enter, a gift shop, membership stand, and wagon rental booth greet you. Families with small children should strongly consider a wagon rental. Strollers are permitted. However, if your children are too old for a stroller but still tire out when walking, a wagon will make everyone's life easier. Plan to spend the better part of the day at the park.

Attractions

As you stroll away from the main entrance, several choices await you. The train is one option. The ONEOK Train will take you on a tour circling the Zoo and Living Museum. You can ride the train halfway around or take it full circle. A ticket is required for each half. You may want to explore the Zoo attractions near the entrance, take the train to the other half of the zoo and then grab a ride back with the tired kids. Wagons are not permitted on the train, strollers are accepted.

For kids, there are several attractions that are worth mentioning. In the children's area Mt. Vecuna, a climbing rock, is free for anyone wanting to take the challenge. The rock resides over a rubberized surface to minimize fall injuries. Other attractions are the Monolith climbing wall and the Frogger harness bounce. Both of these attractions charge a fee. A playground resides in the middle of the Zoo near the Macaw Landing Grille. Many parents use this area to take a rest, have a meal or snack, and to let the kids run free for a while.

Throughout the park there are several gift and snack stands. In the off season some of these may not be open. They are not well equipped to handle large groups. The Macaw Landing Grille is the only place in the park to get a meal. They offer pizza, cheeseburgers, chicken tenders, sandwiches, salads and healthier snacks such as fruit cups. A meal with drink and snack will run $10 to $15 per person.

Children's Zoo

The Children's Zoo is a fun place for kids and adults. Contact Yard is a petting area and a there is a theater where Zoo staff explain about different animals in the zoo. An open air river otter exhibit is very entertaining. The otters love to play and interact with visitors. Prairie Dogs are another fun animal to observe.

Across from the petting area is the observation deck to Siamang Island. Park visitors cannot access the island directly. Siamang primates access the island via a bridge, and visitors can observe them from the deck. The island offers the Siamang plenty of rope and natural trees to play and climb on.

The Living Museum

The Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum includes a three building complex called the North America Living Museum. Visitors enter through the Tundra building. Here you learn about Native American populations and how they interact with the environment. An arctic fox exhibit is there for viewing. The polar bear exhibit is closed due to the passing of its only resident last year.

The Desert is the next building in the museum. Indoors you will find roadrunners, quail, reptiles and a peccary. Staff member are available to answer questions.

Forests end the Living Museum tour. Everything you could imagine that lives in a forest, from the trees to the water is included here.

The Zoo

Visitors to the Zoo area can experience the Elephant Encounter Exhibit where 3 Asian elephants reside. The Chimpanzee Connection is a building that should be seen. Here chimps swing and play in a large enclosure. There is outdoor access for the chimps when the weather permits.

The wetlands area is a peaceful place to unwind and watch for wetland animals. Next door is the African Savanna exhibit. Here you can view giraffes, zebra and other Savanna animals in a natural setting. Across the way are the large cats. Lions and Tigers are in plain view for all to see.

There are two buildings that warrant specific attention. The Conservation Center is full of primates and unusual birds. The building contains a reptile nursery and adult reptiles such as monitor lizards are on display. The other building is the Rain Forest. This is located close to the Mt. Vecuna climbing rock. Indoors it is hot and humid. Rainforest animals roam the various levels. Visitors can see fruit bats up close as well as a 13 foot anaconda.

Maps are available at the entrance to the zoo or online. The zoo is open from 9am to 5pm everyday except Christmas and the third Friday in June. Admission is $8.00 per person and $4.00 for kids 3 to 11.