Polar bears, tigers and other big cats, primate of all kind and a variety of hoofed creatures greet visitors to Como Park Zoo & Conservatory. Como Park Zoo is a nice choice for an inexpensive outing with out-of-town guests. The greater Como Park has many picnic areas and playgrounds to add to the fun. It is a short walk to nearby attractions, including the world-famous Japanese garden, Como Town Amusement Park and Cafesjian’s Carousel. Most of the zoo is outdoors, so you will want to dress appropriately for the weather, but there are several buildings — particularly for species that do not naturally live in our Minnesota climate. These are good places to pop into when it rains or if you need to warm up a bit in winter. The Conservatory is also a nice option in these cases. It is delightfully summery year round with tropical gardens featuring a variety of flowers like orchids, green ferns and pretty pathways. Saint Paul no longer requires advanced reservations to visit the Como Zoo, the visitor center or the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory. Como Zoo is open 365 days a year and has two sets of hours from April through September, it is open from 10am to 6pm; and from October through March it closes two hours earlier, 10am to 4pm. Como Zoo provides FREE admission and is open to anyone regardless of ability to pay, but a voluntary donation of $3/adult and $2/child helps pay for care and feeding of the plants and animals. You can bring a picnic or other food to Como Zoo. There are picnic benches and grassy spaces around the zoo and nearby in the larger park. You can also purchase food from their vendors. However, they do not want you bringing food and beverages into the zoo buildings. Find directions to the zoo here or use the mapping feature on our calendar below. There are parking lots throughout Como Park, including right next to the zoo. However, in the summer months, you’ll save a great deal of hassle and frustration if you park at the State Fair Grounds and take the shuttle to the zoo and back to your car. Check out these 10 unique experiences any time you visit Como Zoo: You can use the following checklist when visiting the zoo to see how many of these animals you can find while exploring. If you want to learn more about any of the residents of the zoo, click on their images at the como website; and if you would like a como zoo map to help you find your way to a specific habitat, download the visitor guide here or grab one at the entrance. Como Harbor is the reinvention of Como Zoo’s seals and sea lions habitat. Como built the new habitat to dramatically improve the care they can provide to seals and sea lions and also offer visitors better views and face-to-face experiences. In fact, zookeepers believe Como Harbor exceeds all best practices for care of seals and sea lions. Seals and sea lions are part of the pinniped family and Como has three pinniped species: two gray seals, two harbor seals, and four sea lions, including Sparky. The habitat features a large outdoor salt-water pool that the seals and sea lions will use all year and a private state-of-the-art indoor facility for the care of the animals. Other updated amenities include a shaded amphitheater, an underwater viewing discovery zone, modern bathrooms, a new outdoor café’ named Pier 56. KSTP Amphitheater at Como Harbor 1225 Estabrook Drive, St Paul, MN 55103 The “Sparky Show” is a sea lion show that began in 1956 and featuring Como’s sea lion ambassador, Sparky (now Sparky the VI). It has evolved through the years into an educational show where visitors learn about nature, conservation, and animal care. After a four-year hiatus, it is returned in the summer of 2022. Alice, the female gorilla who lost her first baby in 2014, gave birth to another baby in October of 2017. The baby girl was four pounds at birth and is only the third gorilla to be born at Como. Como Zoo welcomed a mating pair of European-born snow leopards in March 2016. Zoo keepers tell us these cats are fun to watch. The are young and playful. Pay $5 to feed a giraffe some lettuce at 10:45 a.m. daily and also 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. There is also another observatory deck for free viewing. Giraffe feeding closes for the season in October and reopens. This indoor space, nestled between the zoo entrance and the conservatory, is designed for small children to learn about plants and animals in a hands-on manner. The Tropical Encounters exhibit is an indoor rainforest immersion experience. You’ll see a sloth, stingrays, turtles, amphibians, an anaconda and birds flying free. There are also smaller displays with tropical insects. If you pick the right time in the summer, there is often live music and other activities. The Conservatory also offers Music Under Glass on Winter Sundays. This is a good opportunity to check out their ongoing flower shows, too. Throughout the year, the zoo will dedicate a weekend to explore specific topics related to their mission. Check our Family Fun Calendar for special events. In particular, families love these annual events: A favorite of ours is the Mother’s Day Bonsai Exhibit. Not that we need an excuse to get to the zoo in May, but who can resist tiny trees? Outdoor concerts start just after the zoo closes on Wednesdays in June and July. These shows are perfect for the whole family with the addition of fun outdoor games and food available to purchase – or just bring along a picnic. This annual late-summer festival now requires advance tickets and usually sells out. It is still an affordable $5/adult and $3/child. Como Zoo provides a shuttle. The zoo used to offer the Como Zoo Boo as an annual fundraising event. They discontinued after 2017 but offer spooky programming in its place. There is also traditionally a pumpkin patch at Como Park. If you are looking for the Jack-o-Lantern Trail, that is held at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley. There is no age restriction on these concerts held in the conservatory, but it is a little closer quarters than the summer concerts, so these events may be best with older kids and teens. Como traditionally greets the new year with two parties — one on the 31st and one on the 1st — where they have a ball drop at noon, dancing, games, and special animal enrichment. The zoo offers birthday bash packages featuring six unique party themes – each with live animal visitors, plants, or a personal tour of a featured animal exhibit (public area). For an added fee, Como will provide pizza and cake. Packages starting at $250. Find more birthday party ideas at FFT’s Ultimate Guide to Birthday Parties in the Twin Cities Como offers seasonal classes for all ages and abilities. Classes usually start at $15/child and are often a parent/child activity. Learn more about camps at FFTC’s Guide to Twin Cities Summer Camps. Just kidding, Como doesn’t have a sea aquarium, just the small fish aquariums with mainly Minnesota native species. If you want to see sharks in the Twin Cities, you have three choices, the Minnesota Zoo, Sea Life Minnesota at the Mall of America, and the Seaquest at Rosedale Center.
Visiting Como Zoo with Kids
Reservations No Longer Required
Como Zoo Hours and Prices
Bringing and Buying Food at Como Zoo
Como Zoo Directions and Parking
10 Anytime Family Fun Ideas at Como Park Zoo
1) Como Zoo Animal Visit Checklist
2) Como Harbor
3) The Sparky Show
4) Gorilla Forest Exhibit
5) Visit The Snow Leopards
6) Flower Shows
7) Giraffe Feeding Station (May-September)
8) Ribbitt Zibit
9) Leonard Wilkening Children’s Gallery
10) Tropical Encounters exhibit
Como Zoo Special Events
1) Mother’s Day Bonsai Exhibit
2) Groovin’ in the Garden
3) Japanese Obon Festival – Lantern Release
4) Halloween Events
5) Music Under Glass
6) Noon Year’s Parties
Birthday Parties
Classes and Camps
Where to find Sharks at Como Zoo
Useful Links:
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