From way back in 1919, seeds that became Chicago's beautiful Brookfield Zoo were planted. It started with the donation of 83 acres by Edith Rockefeller McCormick.
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Brookfield Zoo |
First Avenue and 31st Street
Brookfield, IL
(708) 485-0263 or 1-800-201-0784
Hours: Open 365 days a year
Hours change slightly several times a year, but until Sept. 7, hours are 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
There are extended hours until 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. on specific dates.
www.brookfieldzoo.com |
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Cook County more than matched McCormick's gift, and the ground was broken on 200 acres about 14 miles from Chicago. But litigious red tape and the Great Depression pushed back the zoo's opening until July 1, 1934.
The zoo became famous for use of moats and fabricated rock and other formations to keep animals away from patrons instead of cages. It also was known for its rare pandas and other animals, and later its respect for nature through studies of environment, education of the public, and studies of animal behaviors.
ATMOSPHERE
Brookfield Zoo is about as beautiful as zoos get. Most of your walk through the enormous acreage is filled with trees, waterfalls and shrubbery. You have to do a little hunting to find the animals – they're so spread apart.
But Brookfield has plenty of animals, all grouped in various sections like Tropic World (gibbons, orangutans, gorillas), the Fragile Kingdom (lions, tigers, meerkats, foxes), the Living Coast (penguins, fish) and Pachyderm House (elephants, hippos and rhinos).
CROWD
The Brookfield Zoo is perfect for families and children. On any given day, school groups, day cares and other bus loads will be found throughout the zoo. But Brookfield's spacious layout allows them to roam free, and makes for much thinner crowds.
EVENTS
Other exhibits are more specialized. There's a children's zoo featuring farm animals and rare birds; a Butterflies! tent open during the summer only, and dolphin shows throughout the day. These all have small charges ($1 to $3) but are worth checking out if you have time after seeing all that's covered with regular admission.
PRICES
Admission:
Adults, $8
Children ages 3 to11), $4
Children ages 2 and younger, free
Seniors (65 and older), $4
Memberships are available.
Parking:
Cars and vans, $8
Buses, $10.75
WHAT'S UNIQUE
To keep with its reputation and competing zoos and museums, Brookfield has endless educational plaques and signs to teach both children and adults more about the animals, habitats and environmental tidbits. Many of these are hands-on and ideal for children.
And to keep up with its unique and natural ways to view animals, the zoo often allows two angles of viewing. Some animal areas simply sit between two roads. But others are more creative, with inside/outside views for the patrons, or, even better, above and below water. Tigers and walruses can get within inches of a small child. But instead of fear taking hold, a smile can.
Such is normal procedure at Brookfield Zoo. Animals and beauty are the product, but educating people and conserving wildlife are its values.
Photos courtesy of Brookfield Zoo|
Sam
Written by Guest on 2008-07-21 10:42:01
umm i was wondering is brookfiled still open while its raining outside? |
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