When it comes to family bonding experiences, few things compare with a good old fashioned family vacation. The opportunity for parents to spend quality time with their children as everyone involved either relaxes or experiences things they’ve never seen or done before is a great chance for families to grow even closer together. A high quality zoo is a tourist attraction that directly caters to every member of the family. Whether the age group is young enough so that simply viewing animals up close is exciting, or if they are older and more interested in learning specific information about the animals on exhibit, zoos have the ability to both entertain and inform people of all ages.
There are many different zoos across the United States of America, and likewise many different ways in which they are set up to operate. Some zoos offer shows and demonstrations of animals in almost performance-like situations, other zoos offer hands-on interaction with the animals themselves, and still other zoos are physically set up to resemble wide open spaces in the wild where different species interact with each other. Nearly every zoo though offers a great chance for the public to appreciate wild animals and what they have meant, and continue to mean, to the world. With that in mind, here are five American zoos that no family should miss out on.
1. Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida - With well over 1,500 animals housed on more than 500 acres, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is one of the best zoos in the nation. The highlights of this zoo include both the hands-on features that allow kids to interact with wildlife as well as play on climbing toys and also the way that the zoo is planned out so as to recreate life on an African Savannah.
2. The Bronx Zoo in New York, New York - Quite possibly one of the most famous zoos in the country, if not the world, the Bronx Zoo is home to more than 4,000 wild animals and features exhibits that cannot be seen any where else. The zoo features many exhibits that recreate specific areas of wildlife from different areas around the world including a Himalayan Highlands Habitat, the Congo Gorilla Forest, and an indoor Asian rain forest.
3. The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Maryland - With a concentration of displaying it’s animals in natural settings that resemble the habitats they would reside in if they were still in the wild, the Maryland Zoo offers many high quality animal exhibits that are sure to both thrill and interest people of all ages. The Maryland Zoo, originally named the Baltimore Zoo, is the third oldest zoo in the United States and has maintained a high level of quality in it’s exhibits since 1876.
4. The Minnesota Zoo in Apple Vally, Minnesota - For many people, a trip to the Minnesota Zoo will be the perfect topping to a family vacation. The zoo was one of the first zoos to actually organize their animals by their habitats and not just by their species. In this way, the Minnesota Zoo offers a great look at specific wild animals and what other animals and surroundings that they interact with. There are a number of themed walking trails that make up much of the draw to the Minnesota Zoo.
5. The Phoenix Zoo in Phoenix, Arizona - The largest non-profit zoo in the United States, the Phoenix Zoo is also one of the newest as it did not open it’s doors until 1962. More than two miles of walking trails lead visitors past exhibits featuring well over 1,000 different animals. The Phoenix Zoo first made national news in the early 1970’s when it was discovered that one of it’s newest residents, an Asian Elephant named Ruby, had the ability to use a brush and paint and create paintings that the zoo would then sell to the public with the proceeds going to the operational budget of the zoo itself. The Phoenix Zoo has grown over the years to finally become commonly included in conversation with some of the best zoos in the country.
A trip to the zoo is more than looking at animals behind cages. A high quality zoo also offers opportunities to view animals in similar situations to what they would be in if they were still in the wild. The better zoos also provide a great deal of information about the animals being viewed, not only how the animals act and behave, but also information related to what difficulties the species may be having continuing to survive in the world today. While zoos are of course open to the public as a way to make money, often their main purpose is to use that money to promote the idea that proper care should be taken when interacting with both animals and wildlife areas alike.
One of the easiest ways to make a family vacation better is by including a trip to the zoo in the itinerary. Most high quality zoos are well equipped to provide a full day or more worth of entertainment to a family. This is a great opportunity travelers to stretch their legs and spend some time together outdoors in a fun environment. Whether a family is in close proximity to a zoo that is on this list or not, a trip to almost any zoo is a great way to bring them even closer together while keeping everyone happy and satisfied at the very same time.
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