courtesy of LouisvilleZoo.org

7 Great Reasons to Visit the Louisville Zoo

Louisville Kentucky takes pride in its zoo. We cheer when there is a birth, mourn passings, and line up for new arrivals. The Louisville Zoo has over 1500 animals across 134 acres. While not particularly large or well know, the Louisville Zoo has a lot to offer and has had some recognition including ranking #12 on the 2014 USA Today Readers Choice for Best U.S. Zoo. Here are 7 reasons to visit the Louisville Zoo

1. Perfect Size.

Louisville Zoo is neither too large or too small. You can easily spend a full day at the zoo and not feel rushed. You can take your time and enjoy the animals.

2. Cleanliness.

The Zoo is always clean and well kempt without offensive smells.

courtesy of LouisvileZoo.org

3. Glacier Run.

Winner of the 2012 Association of Zoos and Aquariums Award for Exhibit Design, Glacier Run is patterned after Churchill Canada, a gold mining town in the Arctic Wilderness. The polar bear exhibit is excellent.

4. Gorilla Forest:

Louisville Zoo has Lowland Gorillas including, Kindi, who at the time of this writing is 40 days old.  (Side note: the Lowland Gorilla is endangered and the birth of Kindi and others like her are helping to keep the population of these wonderful creatures up in captivity.  On a sad note, Kindi’s mother died giving birth to her and is now being specially cared for by the zoo staff.)

Kindi – courtesy of LouisvilleZoo.org

5. Papa John’s Splash Zone

. Open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, this is great place for kids to cool off on a hot summer day. With a soft rubber flooring and no standing water, kids love playing on a 20 foot boat with spray guns, dumping buckets, and a geyser.

6. Species Preservation

Observe native endangered North American animals like the American Black Ferret which the Louisville Zoo is helping to preserve.

7. Zoo and Museum Pass

The Zoo and Museum Pass allows  you to visit the many of the downtown museums like the Louisville Science Museum and the Frazier History Museum.