Como Park Zoo & Conservatory

State: Minnesota. Type: free zoo and conservatory at 1225 Estabrook Drive within Como Park, Saint Paul. City of Saint Paul acquired the original 300-acre parkland in 1873; the park now covers 759 acres. Owned and operated by the City of Saint Paul as part of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation. The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory opened in 1915. Draws more than 1.9 million visitors a year.

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory sits inside Como Park in Saint Paul, on land the city began acquiring in 1873. It combines a zoo housing polar bears, gorillas, sea lions and other species with the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, a historic glass conservatory that opened in 1915 and includes a Japanese garden, tropical and fern rooms, an orchid house, and the Palm Dome, a 64-foot-high, 100-foot-diameter glasshouse. Unlike most zoos, Como operates as a free, donation-supported city attraction rather than charging a fixed admission fee, a model in place since the 19th-century founding of the park. The Sunken Garden inside the conservatory hosts five seasonal flower shows a year, giving repeat visitors a reason to return throughout the seasons. The wider 759-acre Como Park also includes Lake Como, an 18-hole golf course, an amusement park, a carousel and paddleboat rentals, making the zoo and conservatory just one part of a larger day-out destination in Saint Paul.

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory is located at 1225 Estabrook Drive in Saint Paul, Minnesota, within the larger 759-acre Como Park, which also contains Lake Como. It is owned by the City of Saint Paul and run as a division of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation.

Saint Paul shares the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area's continental climate of warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters; specific seasonal temperature figures were not pulled from the sources used for this entry. Because the conservatory is an indoor, climate-controlled glasshouse, it remains a comfortable option year-round regardless of outdoor weather, while the outdoor zoo exhibits are more comfortable in the milder shoulder seasons.

Summer (May through early September) offers the longest daily hours, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the fullest outdoor zoo experience. Visiting the conservatory works well in any season, including winter, since its indoor tropical and Japanese gardens provide a warm, green escape from the cold; the Sunken Garden's five annual flower shows give a reason to time a visit around a particular seasonal display.

The City of Saint Paul began acquiring the land for Como Park in 1873, eventually growing it to its current 759 acres. The zoo and conservatory developed as free public attractions within the park, with the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory opening in 1915 as a large glass conservatory, later expanded with features such as the 64-foot-high Palm Dome. Como has continued to operate on the model established in its founding era: free general admission, supported by suggested visitor donations rather than a mandatory ticket price.

Visitors can tour zoo exhibits housing polar bears, gorillas, sea lions and other animals, many in enclosures built or renovated since the 1980s. Inside the conservatory, the Japanese garden, tropical room, Fern Room, Palm Dome and Orchid House offer a self-guided botanical walk, and the Sunken Garden's five seasonal flower shows a year give repeat visitors something new to see. Elsewhere in the wider Como Park, visitors can play the 18-hole golf course, ride the carousel or amusement park rides, or rent a paddleboat on Lake Como.

The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory's Palm Dome (64 feet high, 100 feet in diameter), Japanese Garden, Fern Room, Orchid House, and Sunken Garden are the conservatory's signature spaces. In the zoo, polar bear, gorilla and sea lion exhibits are among the most visited animal areas. Como Park more broadly includes Lake Como and its historic amusement-park features and carousel.

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory is reached most easily by car via Saint Paul's Como Avenue/Estabrook Drive area, with on-site parking at the park. Specific public transit routes serving the zoo directly were not confirmed in the sources used for this entry; visitors relying on transit should check Metro Transit's current bus routes to Como Park before their trip.

As of research, the zoo and conservatory were open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from May 1 through September 7, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from September 8 through April 30. Confirm current hours on the official Como Zoo Conservatory website before visiting, since seasonal hours can shift.

Admission is free. A voluntary donation is suggested to help support the animals and plants, listed as around $8 per adult and $5 per child as of research; visitors are welcomed regardless of whether they choose to donate.

Most visitors budget two to four hours to see both the zoo exhibits and the conservatory's gardens at a comfortable pace; adding time in the wider park (golf, carousel, lake) can extend a visit to most of a day.

Saint Paul's broader hotel market, concentrated downtown and near the University of Minnesota's Saint Paul campus, is the most practical base for visitors, both a short drive from Como Park. No specific on-site or immediately adjacent lodging was identified in the sources used for this entry.

Como Park has on-site concessions historically associated with its amusement-park and lakeside areas, and the surrounding Saint Paul neighborhoods along Como and Lexington Avenues offer a range of casual dining options within a short drive. Specific current restaurant names were not verified from the sources used for this entry.

Lake Como, the park's 18-hole golf course, its historic carousel and amusement-park rides all sit within the same 759-acre Como Park. Downtown Saint Paul's other museums and attractions are a short drive away for visitors extending their day.

Como Park is accessible by car with on-site parking; specific direct public transit connections were not confirmed in the sources used for this entry, so check Metro Transit's current routing before planning a transit-only visit.

As with any zoo, follow posted barriers and staff instructions around animal enclosures, and supervise children closely, especially near water features like Lake Como and the paddleboat rentals. For any emergency, dial 911.

Comfortable walking shoes for the zoo grounds and conservatory paths, a water bottle, and cash or a card for the suggested donation are worth bringing. Weather-appropriate layers help since the conservatory is warm and humid year-round while outdoor zoo areas follow the season.

Because admission runs on a donation basis rather than a fixed ticket, arriving with cash or a card ready for the suggested donation speeds up entry. Visiting the conservatory in winter is a good way to enjoy a warm, green space during Minnesota's cold months. Checking the current seasonal flower show in the Sunken Garden before visiting can help time a trip around a specific display.

Dial 911 for any emergency. For general visitor questions, contact Como Zoo Conservatory or Saint Paul Parks and Recreation through their official websites; a specific general-information phone number was not confirmed in the sources used for this entry.

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory - https://comozooconservatory.org

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This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.