When I first heard the name, I thought the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo might be a small petting zoo. But a petting zoo couldn’t be 40 acres in size with over 1,000 animals, including lions, tigers, zebras, and giraffes. It wouldn’t attract more than half a million people each year, and it certainly wouldn’t be rated “Indiana’s #1 Gotta-Do Summer Attraction.” I quickly discovered the zoo isn’t just for kids. It’s as fun for adults as for children.
The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo does include an Indiana Family Farm, with goats and cows that the kids can get up close to.
They can get up close to a lion, too, but fortunately, there’s protective glass to keep little heads out of the lion’s mouth.
One of the greatest benefits of the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo is the design of exhibits with little ones in mind. I don’t know who benefits more from the glass going all the way down to the ground, the child who can press her nose up to the glass or the parent who doesn’t have to constantly lift the child up to see over a cement wall.
As much care is given to the beautifully manicured grounds as is given to the animal habitats.
Photo courtesy of Fort Wayne Children’s zoo
Kids and adults alike will enjoy the rides, too. The Sky Safari takes you 38 feet into the air over the African Journey exhibit. Sit in a carved out log for a River Ride around the Australian Adventure, home to one of the largest mobs of eastern grey kangaroos in a United States zoo. Ride the Miniature Train around the lake and Indiana Family Farm. Ride around and around on a Southeast Asian animal on the carousel. Sorry, adults, but only kids are allowed to ride on the real live Pony Ride.
If you visit Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
Plan to spend a few hours at the zoo to see everything and ride some of the rides. Be sure to schedule in time for the twice-daily sea lion show, another fun zoo feature the entire family will enjoy.The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, located at 3411 Sherman Boulevard in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is open daily from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily from late April through mid-October. Check the web site for admission fees and special events.
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Disclosure: My visit to the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo was hosted by Visit Fort Wayne and the zoo, but any opinions expressed in this post are strictly mine.
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