Now that it’s December, the winter months are upon us, many of us struggle to find something fun to do. You can’t go to the water park, you’ve already gone tubing, skiing, skating, and once you’re done with your homework and all the good shows on Netflix have been watched, you sit around waiting for something fun to happen. However, despite all the winter excitement, the Minnesota Zoo remains open, brightening the holiday season and providing a fun way to learn about the animals that make part of our daily lives.       

The zoo has around 9 exhibits, which are both indoor and outdoor. If you want to be brave and have fun in the chilly outdoors, you can visit Russia’s Grizzly Coast or the Wells Fargo family farm. If you’d rather stay indoors, the Tropics trail, Minnesota trail, or Discovery Bay are great options for you. Zoo Volunteer, Kerri Harris, says that the Russia’s Grizzly Coast is her favorite exhibit because it “shows animals to people that they might not know about” and “teaches people about how those animals are important in other parts of the world.” All of the exhibits have multiple unique animals, and each one educates us on environmental risks as well.

There is a large variety of animals at the zoo. There are many mammals, reptiles, and amphibians that make up the zoo’s population. The mammals are wolves, tigers, prairie dogs and many more. The reptilian animals may include frogs, snakes, turtles, and lizards of all kinds. Harris says that the Reindeer is her favorite because they have a happy personality. Whatever animal you love you can find almost them here and learn more about them at the zoo too.

The zoo also has food and a gift shops. You can buy things from a MN Zoo sweatshirt, to a snake toy. There are dippin’ dots and pretzels for you to enjoy. Many of the things you buy at the zoo go to charities that help endangered species, or to cleanup the earth. If you’re in the mood for a charitable donation, a zoo item, or some pretty good food, the Zoo gift shop and food carts/restaurants are an excellent choice.

The zoo is open 9 hours a day, 7 days a week. Come down to the zoo if you enjoy animals, or have a fascination with the world around!

Visit the Minnesota Zoo website for more information: http://mnzoo.org/