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Blank Park Zoo > Reviews in Polk County, Iowa, US - RAY

Blank Park Zoo

4.5
5760 reviews
Zoo
Polk County, US

Location details

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7401 SW 9th St, Des Moines, IA 50315, USA
  • Monday:
    10:00 - 16:00
  • Tuesday:
    10:00 - 16:00
  • Wednesday:
    10:00 - 16:00
  • Thursday:
    10:00 - 16:00
  • Friday:
    10:00 - 16:00
  • Saturday:
    10:00 - 16:00
  • Sunday:
    10:00 - 16:00
4.5
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  • Google Comments (5)
  • Comments (5)

We're members here which is nice because we can show up whenever and stay as long or as little. It's totally worth the cost. They also have reciprocal benefits for other zoos around the US which will save you lots of money. We really enjoyed Zoo Brew here on Wednesdays and came religiously until my work schedule changed. Sunday, was the first time we visited during normal zoo hours and it was cool to see which animals were more active vs. when we came in the evenings. We decided to go Sunday, on STEM day, because two of the female lions are moving to a different zoo this week. There were a lot of information stations throughout and lots of interactive activities. I do like this zoo, though it's a lot smaller than what I'm used to. I still think it's great what they have been able to do with this amount of space. I also feel like you can get reasonably close to the animals. There's plenty of rest/bathroom facilities. And, the train is fun whenever you want to take a break from walking. You get a different view of the animals and I believe it costs $2-$4 depending on whether or not you're a member. Don't forget to go into the exhibit in the entrance building. A lot of people miss that and there's a bunch of cool exhibits in there. The waterfall in the Discovery Center is really beautiful.

2 months ago

Looking at this zoo from an aerial view, I didn’t expect there to be much at first. However, when I visited this zoo in person, I was awestruck at the diversity of animals on display within just a few acres! Every part of the zoo had some amazing creatures to marvel at, of which my favorites were the Red Panda, the Jamaican Fruit Bats, and the Cassowaries.

a month ago

It's a good zoo for a smaller city. I especially like the cool entrance through the "caves" that lead into the botanical garden with waterfall and rope bridge. The zoo is laid out in a nice circle. My granddaughter enjoyed the Merry Go Round and feeding the giraffe for $5 for three helpings. Nice sized petting zoo with a pond that has huge Koi fish to feed and swans. I was a little sad to see they added Alpacas in a fence off area that cost like 30 bucks for a half hour. My favorite was the bird enclosure by the train entrance where you can pay $2 to feed parakeets a sick with PB and for seed on it and they'll come sit right on your hand. My 1 y.o. granddaughter did actually grab one off my hand so be careful!😳😳 but it was fine. The peacocks were also a favorite and they roam around free on the sidewalks near the petting zoo. The tortoises 🐒 were so neat, I could sit and watch them all day and you can get fairly close to them. The big fella has a couple girlfriend in there so watch out for some frisky business when you walk up🀣. They were good about allowing us to bring our own waters in the stroller too but there is a little spot to buy food at the top of the hill by the restrooms and just before the Giraffes. There's also pop vending machines scattered about. They do face painting by the petting zoo too. I bought my daughter's family a season pass for Christmas and I highly recommend it!!

5 months ago

Not a very big zoo but great for kid and people that mobility issues. Not many choices for food but the but they had lots of places to sit and cool off. You cold also feed some of the more friendly animals like Alpacas, Giraffes, and more that I can't remember. We were there for a little more then 3 hours so for 20$ it was a nice day out with the family. πŸ‘¨β€πŸ¦ΌπŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§β€πŸ‘¦

5 months ago

Blank Park Zoo is a small but very nice zoo. Their animals are well cared for and well enriched, and the exhibits are engaging and very natural. Staff are friendly and have a wealth of information. The exhibits could have benefited from a little bit more written information but I'm also a glutton for knowledge so the average person won't be disappointed. They have a good variety of animals separated out into geographic regions as well as a train ride and an interactive animal section for kids.

5 months ago

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How is Blank Park Zoo rated?
Blank Park Zoo has a 4.5 star rating with 5760 Reviews.