Minnesota Zoo

State: Minnesota. Type: state-owned zoo in Apple Valley, Dakota County. Opened May 22, 1978. Roughly 485 acres. As of 2019, home to about 4,509 animals representing 505 species. One of only two state-supported zoos in the U.S. AZA-accredited and a WAZA member.

The Minnesota Zoo sits on a large wooded campus in Apple Valley, south of the Twin Cities, and was one of the first zoos to organize its exhibits by habitat rather than by animal type. Major indoor and outdoor trail areas include the Medtronic Minnesota Trail, the Northern Trail (Amur tigers and leopards), the indoor Tropics Trail rainforest, Discovery Bay's large aquarium complex, Russia's Grizzly Coast, the Wells Fargo Family Farm, and the 3M Penguins of the African Coast exhibit. A monorail carried visitors around the grounds from 1979 until 2013; its elevated track was later converted into the Treetop Trail, billed as the world's longest elevated pedestrian loop, completed in 2023. The zoo draws over a million visitors a year and functions as both a family attraction and a conservation and research institution supported by the state of Minnesota.

The zoo is located in Apple Valley, Minnesota, in Dakota County, in the southern Twin Cities metro area. It is reachable by car from Minneapolis-Saint Paul in well under an hour under normal traffic.

Apple Valley has a humid continental climate with warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters typical of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Many of the zoo's major exhibits, including the Tropics Trail and Discovery Bay, are indoors and climate-controlled, making the zoo a viable visit in winter as well as summer, though outdoor trails are more comfortable in warmer months.

Spring and fall generally offer mild weather for exploring the outdoor trails without summer's heat and humidity or winter's cold. Summer is the busiest season since school is out, while winter visits mean more time will likely be spent in the indoor exhibits given Minnesota's cold winters.

The Minnesota Zoo opened to the public on May 22, 1978, distinguishing itself early on as one of the first zoos designed around biome-based trails rather than grouping animals strictly by species. Major additions have expanded the campus over time, including the Wells Fargo Family Farm (2000), Russia's Grizzly Coast (a $23 million exhibit opened in 2008), and the 3M Penguins of the African Coast exhibit, which premiered in 2011. The zoo's monorail operated for over three decades (1979-2013) before being decommissioned; its elevated guideway was later repurposed into the Treetop Trail walking path, completed in the summer of 2023.

Visitors can walk the Medtronic Minnesota Trail and Northern Trail to see native and northern species including Amur tigers and leopards, explore the indoor Tropics Trail rainforest, and view the large marine tanks at Discovery Bay. Russia's Grizzly Coast, the Wells Fargo Family Farm, and the 3M Penguins of the African Coast exhibit are other major stops. The repurposed Treetop Trail offers an elevated walking loop over the grounds for a different vantage point on the zoo.

Key zoo areas include Discovery Bay (aquarium complex with roughly 1.1 million gallons of water), Russia's Grizzly Coast, the Wells Fargo Family Farm, the Tropics Trail indoor rainforest, the Northern Trail, and the elevated Treetop Trail built on the former monorail guideway.

The zoo is in Apple Valley in the southern Twin Cities metro, most easily reached by car via the metro-area highway network; the closest major airport is Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, from which a rental car or rideshare is the practical way to reach Apple Valley.

Per widely reported current visitor information, the zoo is generally open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; online tickets have reportedly been required for guaranteed entry. This information could not be confirmed via a direct fetch of mnzoo.org (the site returned a 403 error to automated requests), so hours should be reconfirmed on mnzoo.org or by phone before visiting.

Per widely reported current visitor information, general admission has been listed at roughly $19.95 for ages 13-64 and $13.95 for children 12 and under and seniors 65+, with parking around $7 for a standard vehicle. As with hours, this could not be verified via a direct fetch of the zoo's own site (403 error), so current pricing should be confirmed on mnzoo.org before visiting.

Most visitors plan at least half a day (three to five hours) to cover the main indoor and outdoor trails; a full day allows a more relaxed pace across the roughly 485-acre campus.

Apple Valley and the surrounding southern Twin Cities suburbs offer a range of standard highway hotel chains within a short drive of the zoo. Visitors wanting a broader choice of hotel brands, dining and nightlife typically stay in the wider Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area and drive down for the day.

Apple Valley and neighboring suburbs along the Cedar Avenue corridor have a range of casual chain and family restaurants. The zoo itself also operates on-site food service for visitors who prefer not to leave the grounds during their visit.

The wider southern Twin Cities suburbs offer additional family attractions and shopping, and the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area, under an hour away, has the region's full range of museums, parks and cultural sites for visitors extending their trip.

Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is the region's main air gateway; from there, a rental car or rideshare is the practical way to reach Apple Valley, since the zoo is not on a direct rail transit line.

As at any large zoo campus, keep young children close, especially near water features and animal enclosures, and follow all posted barrier and feeding rules. Minnesota winters bring ice and cold, so dress for the weather and watch footing on outdoor trails in colder months. For any on-site emergency, dial 911.

Comfortable walking shoes for the large campus, weather-appropriate layers given Minnesota's variable climate, and a refillable water bottle are worth packing; winter visitors should dress warmly for outdoor trail sections.

Booking tickets online in advance is reportedly encouraged for a guaranteed visit, particularly on busy weekends. Because the campus is large and split between indoor and outdoor trails, comfortable shoes and a plan for weather (sun in summer, cold in winter) make the visit more comfortable. Confirm current hours, pricing and any ticketing requirements directly on mnzoo.org before your trip, since these can change seasonally.

Dial 911 for any emergency. The zoo's general visitor phone line, per its listed contact information, is 952-431-9200.

Minnesota Zoo - https://mnzoo.org

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.