Six Lessons Learned from Three Trips to the Zoo

My toddler recently discovered that the St. Louis Zoo's a pretty cool place. So, over the past two weeks, at his "request," we visited three times. Here's a list of six things I learned during those three visits.

• Go on weekday evenings. At that time, the Zoo is peaceful, relaxing and rewarding. There are no crowds, no lines, and the animals seem to like the evening air. It's a shame the Zoo goes back to closing at 5:00 p.m. next month.
• Avoid weekend days. Especially during the summer months. They are crowded, stressful and often disappointing (duh, right?). Try waiting in line for 30 minutes to ride the train, or telling a two-year-old to "wait your turn" to muscle up and see the tiger cubs. Plus, nearly all the animals seem to sleep or huddle on the far side of their enclosures when the Zoo's hot and crowded.
• The River's Edge is a gamble. If you're lucky, the experience is wonderful. Hippo Harbor can be thrilling, the elephants can seem to be steps away and the cheetah's can be majestic. If you're not lucky, all you'll see at Hippo Harbor is fish, dung at the elephant exhibit and you'll doubt the Zoo even has cheetahs. I still recommend it, but be sure to manage your kids' (and your own) expectations.
• Ride the train from section to section. When it's not busy, the train's a great way to hop from one area to the next. It can cut out some serious walking and let you visit more of the sections you want to see.
• The train's tunnels can be scary. If your kids are afraid of the dark, or confined spaces, be warned that the train goes through a few tunnels that were clearly not designed with kids in mind. Luckily, my son was fine with the tunnels. But there was an initial moment when he wasn't so sure.
• The giraffes are a sure bet. We visited the giraffes on all three trips. During each visit, one or more of the giraffes came over and grabbed leaves and grass within inches of our eyes (they actually ate branches out of one guy's hands). I had to keep my son from petting them like the cat. Cool.

For other ideas on how to spend your time at the Zoo, read my Top Ten St. Louis Zoo article.

(Photo courtesy St. Louis Zoo)