Walk On The Wild Side At The Kansas City Zoo

Every so often Kansas City residents want to get a little wild. Thanks to the Kansas City Zoo, they can! Sitting on 202 acres within Swope Park, the zoo is the country’s second largest. It features just about every animal imaginable and even some you wouldn’t expect to see.

Providing year-round entertainment, the Kansas City zoo is open every day of the year with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. Some exhibits close for the colder seasons, but the zoo itself remains open for exploring. It can be found at 6800 Zoo Drive, just off Interstate 435 and U.S. 71.

Within the Kansas City zoo, visitors will find almost 900 animals that represent six of the seven continents. With everything from lions and elephants to bears and beyond, the Kansas City zoo is one of Kansas City’s biggest treasures. Entertainment at the Kansas City zoo, of course, includes the animals themselves, plus there’s an IMAX Theatre, an aquarium and more.

The Kansas City zoo began as a dream in the early 1900s and first opened in 1909. Through the years, the Kansas City zoo has grown slowly, adding different animal attractions as it went. The first early projects included the creation of the Bear Pits, Monkey Island and the Children’s Zoo. The Sea Lion Pool, the Flamingo Exhibit and the Giraffe House were added in the 1950s. The 1960s saw the creation of the Otter Pool, Elephant House and the Great Ape House. Other additions have including the Great Catwalk, Gibbon Islands, the Discovery Barn and the William N. Deramus Education Pavilion.

Some of today’s biggest attractions at the Kansas City zoo include the Discovery Barn. This enclosed makeover of the former Red Barn is designed to put families in close contact with animals from all over the world, including lemurs, meerkats, macaws, Prevost’s squirrels and others. Dumisani, the Kansas City zoo’s dominant male African lion, is the king of his domain, drawing visitors from all over the region and beyond to hear his roar.

In addition to daily attractions, the Kansas City zoo also plays host to special exhibits and offers a variety of outreach educational programs for residents all over the Kansas City area. Ideal for anyone who enjoys a little animal watching, the Kansas City Zoo is a jewel in the region’s crown.