Chicago Sights
- Overview
- Places to Explore
- Sights
- Restaurants
- Hotels
- Entertainment
- Shopping
- Travel Tips
- Features
- Fodor's Choice
- Deals
- Guidebooks
Guidebooks
Brookfield Zoo
Brookfield Zoo Review
Spend the day among nearly 2,000 animals at this gigantic zoo. The highlights? First, there's the 7½-acre Great Bear Wilderness exhibit, a sprawling replica of North American woodlands for the zoo's population of grizzlies, polar bears, bison, Mexican gray wolves, and other creatures. It's the largest exhibit built in the zoo's history. Be sure to watch the polar bears swim from the popular underwater viewing area. Monkeys, otters, birds, and other rain-forest fauna cavort in the carefully constructed setting of rocks, trees, shrubs, pools, and waterfalls of Tropic World, a simulated tropical rain forest. At the Living Coast you can venture through huge glassed-in passageways to see sharks, rays, and jellyfish swimming by. Daily dolphin shows are a favorite even for adults. Harbor seals, grey seals, and sea lions inhabit a rocky seascape exhibit. Don't worry if you don't want to trek around the grounds—you can hop aboard a motorized safari tram ($4) in warm weather or the heated Snowball Express tram in the cold. During the winter holiday season, the evening Holiday Magic shows are a treat.
The two best educational exhibits are Habitat Africa and Swamp. In Habitat Africa you can explore two very different environments. See such tiny animals as klipspringer antelope, which are only 22 inches tall, in the savanna exhibit, which also has a water hole, rock formations characteristic of the African savanna, and termite mounds. If you look closely in the dense forest exhibit, you might be able to find animals like the okapi. The Swamp is about as realistic as you would want an exhibit on swamps to be, with a springy floor and open habitats with low-flying birds vividly demonstrating the complex ecosystems of both Southern and Illinois wetlands. For hands-on family activities, check out the Hamill Family Play Zoo ($3.50), where kids can learn to care for nature by playing zookeeper, gardener, or veterinarian. The Children's Zoo ($2) includes a petting farm and the Big Barn, with its daily cow and goat milking. Watch the dolphins at the Seven Seas Dolphin Show ($4).
- Address: 1st Ave. and 31st St., Brookfield, IL 60513 | Map It
- Phone: 708/688-8000; 800/468-6966
- Cost: $15; free Tues. and Thurs. Oct.--Dec. and Sat., Sun., Tues., and Thurs. Jan.--Feb.; parking $10
- Hours: Labor Day--Memorial Day, daily 10--5. Memorial Day--Labor Day, Mon.--Sat. 9:30--6, Sun. 9:30--7:30. Indoor exhibits close 30 mins before closing time.
- Website: www.czs.org
- Location: Chicago Outskirts
Contact Information
Free Fodor's Newsletter
Subscribe today for weekly travel inspiration, tips, and special offers.
Fodor's Trip Planning Ideas
- Weekend Getaways: Fodor's Recommends the Best Weekend Escapes in the US
- Great American Vacation: Find Your Next U.S. Trip with Fodor's
- 80 Degrees: Fodor's Helps You Find Your Best Beach Vacation Spots
- Go List: Fodor's Top 25 Places to Go in 2013
- Hotel Awards 2012: Fodor's 100 Top Hotels
- Best of Europe: Fodor's Picks the Best Places to Visit in Europe
Travel Deals in Chicago
- $179 -- Chicago: 4-Star Hotel over July Fourth Weekend JW Marriott Chicago
- $139 -- Chicago Hotel incl. Summer Weekends, 45% Off The Silversmith Hotel & Suites
- $99-$139 -- Weekends at Chicago Airport Hotel w/Wi-Fi — $99-$139 Hilton Chicago O'Hare Airport
- $162-$190 -- 4-Star Downtown Chicago Hotel, Save 40% — $162-$190 Crowne Plaza Chicago Metro Downtown
- $109 & up -- Chicago: 4-Star Michigan Avenue Hotel in Summer — $109 The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago
· Forums Trip Reports
-
Last weekend I went to Chicago for my fortieth college reunion. Read more
-
Approximately 20 Fodorites will be descending on this fine city in the next couple of days for sightseeing and meet-up opportunities. Read more
·Illinois Forum
-
Last weekend I went to Chicago for my fortieth college reunion. Read more
· News & Features
-
Arts & Culture, Trip Ideas
You might think that most historically significant events are well-marked at landmarks we're all familia... Read more
-
Restaurants
The James Beard award winners were just announced this week, so the race is on to try and get a table... Read more
-
Trip Ideas
From a hidden drum circle in Washington DC to awesome sushi in Chicago's Ukrainian neighborhood, we've... Read more



