The Kansas City Zoo

I can't discuss kids in Kansas City without mentioning the Kansas City Zoo. The zoo has improved in recent years and now includes a polar bear exhibit and a sky safari with plans to add penguins soon. It is broken into continents with sections for Asia, Australia, and Africa. Besides the Polar Bears, the highlights of the zoo for me are the river otters at the front entrance and the elephants. The lions (if they are in view) and the gorillas are also pretty neat, but I adore the hippos! I'm a sucker for a good view of a hippo I guess.

Parking: Parking is free and generally there is plenty of it, but you may have to walk a bit. On weekdays parking is pretty easy.

Strollers: The zoo accommodates strollers for the most part. There are a few areas that are difficult to maneuver through with them (specifically the walk-thru aviaries). If you have little ones strollers are a must because this zoo demands a lot of walking. (They do have places for you to stow away strollers on the train, tram, and boat--but not the sky safari--more about those below.)

Walking, walking, and more walking: This zoo was designed to give the appearance of being in nature with the animals. In order to do this they created a central open area in the Africa section to replicate the African plains. You have to walk around this to get the full zoo experience. If you do this, as well as Australia and the other zoo exhibits, you better have your walking shoes on. Just getting to Africa is a hike, let alone exploring it.


So what if you're not much of a walker? The zoo does offer tram rides out there, for a fee, as well as sky safari rides. There is also a fun kid-friendly train you can ride and a boat tour that allows you to see Africa from the water. My kids love the train and enjoyed the boat, but you aren't guaranteed to actually see any animals on these, so be warned. The sky safari allowed us more views of the animals and was a fun experience for older kids. They do offer ticket packages that include these rides for a discount.

There are animals obviously, but anything else worth mentioning? The zoo has a carousel that my kids adore (this is for a fee), as well as a petting zoo and a couple playgrounds to enjoy. They do seal shows and have various nature chats you can take part in, many of which are hands on. There is also an attached IMAX theater and gift shop.

The zoo is a great way to spend a day, especially if you live in the "zoological district." It isn't as awesome as Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, but it's a little cheaper, and not as far of a drive (assuming you live near Kansas City of course!).

Hours:
Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends (now until Labor Day 2013)
Admission: 
$11.50 Adults ages 12 & above; $10.50 Seniors;
$8.50 Children ages 3 -11; ages 2 and under are free 
Zoological District (residents of Jackson and Clay Counties, MO) admission prices are:
$5 Adults; $4.50 Seniors; $4 Children
Tram $1.50; Train $2.50; Carousel $2; African Sky Safari $4; Boat $2

Location:
6800 Zoo Drive, Kansas City, Missouri 64132 (in the heart of Swope Park)