Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, Saint Paul, MN

Whether visiting Saint Paul, Minnesota or living there, there are plenty of attractions like the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory to keep people busy. The zoo and park is all about conservation of resources, animals, and plants. In fact, they are very concerned with the whole ecosystems spread throughout the world. To visit the zoo and park during winter the hours are 10am to 4pm. Winter is considered October through March. Summer hours begin in April and last till September. The only difference in the hours is that the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory is open until 6pm. Depending on the weather certain areas of the park and animals might not be on display.

Admission into Como Park Zoo is based on donations. Despite the private funding the zoo has they still require a little help from visitors. They ask for donations of $2 for adults and $1 for children in order to care for their plants and animals. Most zoos charge at least $8 for an adult, which means a small donation for this park is quite affordable. It is also a voluntary donation so you are not required to offer any money. Parking is free.

The zoo has a number of different animals to keep visitors entertained. Under the African Hoofed Stock they offer Grant's Zebra, Lesser Kudu, Reticulated Giraffe, Black Crowned Crane, and Yellow Billed Stork. For aquatic animals one can expect to see California Sea Lion, Black Footed Penguin, Harbor Seal, Polar Bear, Mudpuppy, Tufted Puffin, African Cichlid Fish, and Giant Archer Fish. The aquatic animals are kept in their own building.

The Bird Yard is a seasonal exhibit where Flamingos, Galapagos Tortoise, Ducks, and Swans are allowed to walk about in the yard. One of the more exciting zoo exhibits is the Larger Cats Building. In this building, visitors find Cougar, Lion, Siberian Tiger, and Snow Leopard. A zoo is never complete without Bison, Dall's Sheep, and Reindeer especially in the northern states.

The Primate House provides quite a few monkeys like the Black Lemur, Tamarin, Sloth, Orangutan, and Western Lowland Gorilla. The building allows for indoor and outdoor viewing of the primates, though in winter they are usually kept inside. Sea Island is a seasonal display of the aforementioned sea lion and seal in which visitors can see them outside swimming around and playing.

Tropical Encounters is an exhibit filled with a variety of fish and reptiles. Within these buildings walls one can spy Arrau River Turtle, Bay Headed Tanager, Black Pacu, Green Anaconda, and Leafcutter Ant to name a few of the animals. The last display is Wolf Woods with the Gray Wolf.

Visitors to Como Park Zoo and Conservatory can spend an entire day looking at the variety of animal species and plants stored there. Though some of the exhibits are seasonal there is always plenty to do in winter or summer. The gardens of the conservatory are a peaceful walk around the park, but the gardens are seasonal.