Topeka Zoo

Address:	636 SW Zoo Pkwy, Topeka, KS 66606, USA
Phone:	+1 785-368-9180
Site:	topekazoo.org
Rating:	4.2
Working:	9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 14

Denny Weinmann

Wonderful, but small, zoo that is perfect for an afternoon outing. Everything is quite inexpensive, from admission to the concessions. And speaking of concessions, they have healthy options! This zoo is great for little children as it is not very big. There is enough room for the youngsters to wonder about. There is not a large amount of animals, though they have all the basics covered, from big cats to elephants to a primate house to a rain forest building. You can easily make your way through the whole park, casually, in a couple hours. I would rate 5 stars if there were games and/or playing options inside the zoo proper (the zoo sits inside Gage Park, which offers tons of actives). It did appear some construction was going on, including what looked to be a small go-kart type track. If so, Im sure my rating will bump to a 5 after my next visit.

Whitney Frizell

Only reason it even got 2 stars is the parks by it that are great for the kids and it is small enough to get through in a short amount of time. The enclosures are tiny and some of the animals are alone...they have nothing to socialize with and lots of the animals that have nothing else are the most social. Also...the bats on display are dead. Yay...DEAD. I didnt pay to see dead animals. Yuck. And they are hung up by push pins in the feet and wings :( how is that even okay????? And for a small zoo they should really try to have as many animals as possible in public view. Many enclosures were empty :( disappointing for the kids. One more thing. I saw many people smoking cigarettes and the staff did nothing. There were 2 staff members right by one person that was smoking. ..I look forward to these places because of the non smoking policies.

Nick Foster

This zoo was extremely well priced and perfect for small children. It is well shaded and thanks to the low entry cost you dont feel pressured to stay and see every exhibit if the little ones decide they are done for the day. Drinks and food were average amusement park prices (a bit higher than normal) but we had no trouble bringing in a water bottle and refilling it throughout our stay. The staff was friendly and gave very good explanations for the exhibits when little ones have questions. It was by no means the best zoo ever but it was absolutely perfect for a half day with the family and the place was well kept. If you are an adult looking to see some amazing exhibits then perhaps you would be better off driving a bit further but if you have kids that just love animals and want to go see some then you will have a great day!

Sarah Eatmon

I totally agree w/ Wendi. Every time we go 1/2 the animals are off exhibit, it seems like they do all of the mantainence during the open hours. We go to the zoo during the day, on the weekdays about once a month and today was the first day we saw the baby hippo on exhibit since it was a few weeks old! Today they are doing maintainence on the rainforest so they have an area around it blocked off. For what seems like no reason they completely blocked the only path to the restroom on that side also, and the only way around the zoo w/o backtracking all the way around. We saw a zookeeper and mentioned that they should at least put up a sign at the front saying the restroom, playground and pathway around were blocked and we were completely blown off, when we went out about an hour later there was still no sign.

shawn gray

Not near enough parking , the restaurant in here is down right a joke chicken strips that could be used as a bit in a Jack hammer and the bun for a hamburger was like concrete my 3 year old couldnt eat it . All kids working in there when they need someone who knows what the hell a kitchen is . I will say that the people are very nice and the park is clean . It bothers me because when I came here as a child there was a McDonalds there and the zoo had the whole package maby someday they will step up their game

Adam Eidson

Small and cramped, most animal exhibits are empty, lost their national zoo accreditation a few years ago for improper zoo conditions and had some animals taken from them because of this. Good if you cant or havent left topeka and need something to do besides go to walmart. The concessions are almost never open. And their winter ice skating rink is plastic snap together boards made from the same material at cutting boards nothing remotely close to being on actual ice.

Sara Liming

EDIT: Many of the animals were inside when we went, which after working at a local zoo, was an error on the staffs part. I know they cant control the animals, but a warning would have been the proper thing to do. Two animals were a bit upsetting to see as they looked highly distressed/lonely. While seeing some really neat animals, I dont know that I would try to come here again based on this experience.

Jay Alexander

This is a great zoo for the price. It seems pretty kid friendly. Theres a big park across from the entrance/ parking lot where a lot of people were having lunch. There were several exhibits being cleaned so some of the animals were unavailable to see. They could also use more maintenance/ landscaping, but Im guessing it is a funding issue. It was a fun little stop on my day trip through Topeka.

minoxen

For a small zoo this place has a lot to offer. Id suggest checking their website to see if any feedings are scheduled. The rainforest dome is great and youre right there in with the birds, bugs, and bats. We also loved the bird room where we were able to feed them from our extended hands. Definitely worth the price of admission for a visit.

Dawn Van Fleet

This zoo packs a lot into a small space. The animals were active and none of them were pacing or acting bored or neurotic (like at the Kansas City Zoo)... with the exception of Stormy the coyote. She was really distressed by the loud children and all the eyes staring at her. Im no coyote expert; but I believe she needs a companion.

Mina McGinnis

I always enjoy visiting the Topeka Zoo. Have a nice variety of animals, layout is easy and not exhausting. It is a beautiful place to visit and you still have time to enjoy other things in and around Topeka. Highly recommend a visit. There is also a beautiful rose garden in the park adjacent to the Zoo, well worth your time.

Ryan Roper

Unlike many zoos in the Midwest, this zoo is relatively hassle-free: easy, close parking, minimal crowds, and a short walk around the park. Theyre a smaller zoo, so they dont have a huge selection of animals... but the kids seemed to have a great time. Were members of the KC Zoo, so they give us a 50% discount at this zoo.

Feng Jia

The zoo is very kid friendly. Our 15 month old daughter loved it although I dont think she really knew what was going on. We also enjoyed the train as well as the huge park in front of the zoo. Looking forward to visiting the zoo again soon. Membership is a great deal for families from the Topeka area too.

Shannon Lewis

Great rain forest and hippo habitat. I also love the bears. And the Orangutains, they are always quite entertaining and funny. Once in the 90s I went to the Topeka Zoo and actually got to see a giraffe be born. It was very awesome. They also have a great park with a train and carousel. Fun for all ages.