Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Monday May 17th

Today the four of us spent the day at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo! Admission is free for certain county residents every Monday from 10am to 5pm, so be sure to pick a Monday to visit the zoo! And be sure to bring photo ID to prove county residency. Maps are distributed upon entrance, which feature an animal directory so you can navigate your way around the zoo and see all your favorite animals! The map also includes dining and shopping options, general information, dates of special events (Twilight at the Zoo- the "wildest party of the summer" is August 6th!), coming attractions (the African Elephant Crossing will be opening in 2011), and "zoo hot spots!". These hot spots include Professor Wylde's Live Animal Show, Meet the Keeper, Seal & Sea Lion Demonstration, A-MAZE-ing Ambhibians Maze, and more! We ventured into this maze, and it is definitely worth your time! Times for all the other hot spots are listed in the map.

We planned out our day to make sure we got an opportunity to see all of our favorite animals. First, we visited Monkey Island and the maze, then the rhinos, the rising waters safari camp, and the center for zoological medicine. Next, we headed toward the African Savanna and saw the zebras, giraffes, birds, lions, and the butterfly exhibit "FLUTTER!" Then we headed under the Free Flight Falls bridge and entered the Northern Trek. Here, we saw Wolf Wilderness, seals, sea lions, tigers, reindeer, black and brown bears, and our favorite of the day, the polar bears! After a quick lunch at the food court, which offers a variety of options including McDonald's, Pizza Hut, The Roaring Lion Cafe, and Quiznos Subs, we ventured over to Waterfowl Lake. This area of the zoo is home to the pink flamingos and numerous exotic birds. Also found here is the exhibit "DINOSAURS!" After Ben & Jerry's ice cream at Wade Hall, the Primate, Cat & Aquatics area was next on our list. We saw the cheetahs, gorillas, fish, sharks and turtles and took tons of pictures! We descended the deckwalk into the Australian Adventure and saw the koalas, kangaroos and wallabies. ALso here is the New Guinea singing dogs, Lorikeet Lane Aviary, Yagga Tree, the Ballarat Theatre, the Boomerang Railway, and camel rides! On our way out of the park, we stopped at the gift shop, which offers lots of different souvenirs, from t-shirts to stuffed animals. Despite the hazy Cleveland weather, we had a fantastic day at the zoo!