St. Louis Zoo

The St. Louis Zoo in Forest Park is rightfully recognized as a leading zoo in animal management, research, conservation, and education. Admission is free although there is a fee for the train, childrens zoo and a few of the special shows. It's 90 acres is home to 24,000 exotic animals, many of them rare and endangered.   They are constantly renovating the habitats and making it a much better place for the animals to live.

The not yet built 40,000-square-foot McDonnell Polar Bear Point will more than double the zoo’s previous polar bear habitat, which closed in 2009 after the last St. Louis polar bear died.  The new habitat is projected to open in 2015 and have a 22 ' viewing window, an Arctic cave room, a 50,000 gallon saltwater pool.    Here's the previous habitat.

 The Primate House was renovated in 1977.   The original Spanish-style architecture of the 1929 structure was preserved, but the animal enclosures were completely redesigned. The traditional barred cages lining the walls were updated to large exhibits with colorful murals, rock formations, branches, ropes and live plants.  They even created extensive outdoor areas for the apes to hang out in. 

 Sea Lion Sound is it's newest large renovation and combines the popular Sea Lion Basin and Sea Lion Show in a 1.5-acre spectacular new exhibit right in the heart of the Zoo.  There's even a 35 foot long underwater viewing tunnel where visitors can see the sea lions swimming around.

 Big Cat Country takes the form of a large wheel. Three large open yards, almost one-third of an acre each, have trees and shrubs, boulders and a pool. The center yard has a 27-foot-high waterfall. There are four smaller yards that provide excellent viewing or photographing of the climbing cats.  This photo with the chain link fence doesn't show off the impressive realistic looking big cat habitat.

For a few weeks around Halloween, they even sponsor "Boo at the Zoo" in the evenings for a fee.  No candy handed out to the kids, but it is a pretty spooky place then.