Brookfield Zoo

8400 W 31st St, Brookfield, IL 60513, USA

Address:	8400 W 31st St, Brookfield, IL 60513, USA
Phone:	+1 708-688-8000
Site:	czs.org
Rating:	4.5
Working:	10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 6

Greg McDaniel Jr

I am member of this zoo. I decided to go all out and get the Family Unlimited Membership. At the time I purchased it, the cost was $195 per year. This is a donation technically so the offer the option to donate more when you sign up but you dont have to. The donation is also tax deductable. If youre going to go and you have kids, you more than even out what it would cost without the membership. You can look up the information on their website to decide what plan is for you. This one is one of the most expensive so keep in mind their are lower cost membership plans. With mine I can do almost everything free and myself and mom and even one adult can go to the zoo with almost everything included. Parking for one vehicle, both parents, one adult guest, and the kids and all the exhibits included for the one yearly cost. I made up the money in just a couple of trips. The zoo itself is amazing. They have such a great variety of animals and the so is kept clean. The staff is very freindly as well as knowledgeable. The events are fun and interesting with temporary exhibits that add to the variety. I have been to this zoo many times since I was a young boy and I always enjoy it. They also have fun stuff for kids like the Hammil family zoo area and the petting zoo. Always worth a trip and so worth the membership price. The nest so in the Chicago area hands down.

Stacey Mrozinski

Spent our last day in Chicago touring the Brookfield Zoo. There were several hands on areas for the kids to experience animals up close. There was a large variety of animals. More than Ive seen in any other zoo I have been to. My 11 year old boy loved the zoo. There were some areas where the animals were not out because the weather was so warm. Its only June so I imagine on hot days in the summer many of them are in trying to get cool away from the sun. We only ate at one of the restaurants over by the Dolphin show and the food was ok, not a ton of variety but I was told the Cafe on the other side of the park had better choices and healthier options. Honestly for a free summer day, it is worth the drive. It is large enough that you dont feel like you are crowded with others and there are many different areas of the zoo. The Dolphin Show was great, they had several dolphins and the show was educational. One other note, your ticket does not get you into everything in the park so check prices on different areas before you go and plan ahead so you are prepared. There are places where you can feed animals for a fee as well. All in all we would recommend the visit!

Becky Hart

My Mom lives within walking distance of the zoo she loves walking over and then doing her weekly walks within the zoo. Its a safe place with a lot to see while walking. I have an in home childcare and so my Mom and I buy a family pass each year. It allows her free entrance throughout the year and the children and I often travel out twice a summer. Along with the regular zoo we often use our pass to go to the Christmas light exhibit, Halloween boo at the zoo and other extras they have throughout the year. The parking is free with our pass in the large parking area but we usually pay the $3 fee to park in the smaller closer to the entrance parking lot. Its worth the money. Overall, the zoo offers many bathrooms throughout the zoo, a tram ride, Merry Go Round, butterfly exhibit, childrens play area, childrens inside play building, childrens petting zoo, dolphin show and many more attractions some at an extra cost so be aware to budget in this cost before going. You are allowed to bring in outside food or they have restaurant and food areas for your convenience. We love this zoo!

Hannah Campbell

This is one of the most excellent zoos Ive been to. My family and I went on a warm weekend in January and were pleasantly surprised to discover that it was a free day! Given the season, I was surprised at how much there was to do and see. The star of the show has to be the primate house. Its HUGE and very well maintained. The exhibits are divided into three very large geographically-themed rooms where the primates play in a natural habitat. The zoo has many open-air exhibits which make the experience much more intimate and exciting. I love this zoo and plan on purchasing a years pass the next time I visit... assuming its not another surprise free day! Edited to add: I forgot to mention how fantastic the Hamill Family Play Zoo is! The size and amenities are comparable to many childrens museums in the area but it is much more targeted toward education. My two year old somehow found a reserve of energy to run around and play there for another hour after having spent three or so hours already walking around the zoo!

Craig W

We had our wedding here and it was So amazing, I dont know where to begin...They day was more perfect that we even though. We worked with Terry from day 1 and never had an issue. The venue is unique, but still has a very upscale feel. The food is exceptional and you have a lot of options. Many guests were shocked with how delicious and exceptional the food was. Terry is fantastic at planning and it saved us a lot of money since we didnt need a wedding planner. Worked with all of our vendors on everything they needed. Our guests all enjoyed the unique venue, but were also very impressed with how classy everything still was. The structure was perfect and everything went accordingly. The staff during the cocktail hour and dinner were so friendly and made sure everyone was always tended to and happy. So many beautiful spots for pictures as well. We could go on and on with how wonderful everything about the day was, and it was all centered around the fantastic venue and professional people at Brookfield Zoo.

Robert Acevedo

Situated in Brookfield, IL on over 200 acres of land, with so many historical firsts, one would expect a great deal from such a highly regarded zoo. This 82 year old zoo touts a great deal of American firsts: using moats rather than cages, giant pandas, an indoor dolphin exhibit, and more. Since the zoo is large, there is a great deal of space between exhibits so be prepared to walk a great deal. As my google search indicated before our visit, we spent about 4 hours, which seemed to be enough for us to explore most of the zoo in a single visit. While the ticket agent we dealt with was unpleasant and just short of being rude, the handful of staff we encountered inside the zoo were knowledgeable and often pleasant. While we enjoyed our day, at almost $30 per adult and $20 per child / senior, and considering the amount of travel, cost of parking, cost to eat in the park, I am not sure I would make the trip more than once. For city dwellers, I would recommend a trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo as an alternative.