Brookfield Zoo Tips with Kids

Looking for a fun Chicago Attraction the whole family can enjoy? Look no further than the amazing Brookfield Zoo.  This world-renowned zoo is set on 216 acres and has over 2,000 animals to visit. Kids will enjoy seeing everything from lions and monkeys to penguins and the dolphin show.

Each season brings great special events like the Brookfield Zoo Summer Nights and Holiday Magic Zoo Lights during Christmas. With so many things to do at the Brookfield Zoo, it’s hard to know where to start. Use this helpful guide to figure out all the tips on parking, membership, hours, maps, and best exhibits to see for a great day out at the Brookfield Zoo! 

 

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Brookfield Zoo Tips for Families 

Safety Procedures

The Brookfield Zoo has made several changes for the safety of their guests and staff. You must wear a mask and social distance as best as you can while visiting the zoo. They also offer hand sanitizer and safety stations throughout the zoo. 

Brookfield Zoo Hours

You can visit the zoo from 10 am to 5pm for most of the year. During summer months the zoo extends their hours from 9:30 am to 6 pm. There is a lot to see at this zoo so I would suggest you plan on spending a full day here. 

Brookfield Zoo Parking

**change for 2020  – you must purchase your parking ticket before you go to the park. 

There is a south and north parking lot for the zoo. The North parking lot is much bigger and easier to get to so I would suggest this lot.  There is a fee for parking at the zoo. At the time of writing, this it was $14.00 per car.  

North Parking Lot (Golfview Road)
GPS Address: 8400 31st Street, Brookfield, IL 60513 

Once in the parking lot, I suggest going straight back and then left into the southwest corner. This is usually less crowded and is closer to the entrance.  

The downside to parking in the North lot is that it’s a long walk to get into the zoo via a tunnel under the road. Here is a link to directions and parking (here)

Brookfield Zoo Membership

The decision to get a Brookfield Zoo membership depends on how often you plan to visit the zoo. What we like about the family membership pass is it includes parking, entrance into the Hamill Family Play Zoo and one time use special attraction tickets.

You will also receive extra guest passes to bring friends or family. It’s always fun for the kids to be able to bring a friend with them to the zoo.

Watch out for deals if you have time that often includes entrance into their newest attractions. If you want all the ticketed attractions to be included upgrade to the Unlimited Membership.

Check out more at Membership and see if it’s right for your family.

Tickets  

***As of 2020 you can no longer purchase tickets at the zoo you must purchase them in advance before you arrive along with your parking fee. 

If you park in the North Lot, you will purchase tickets at the ticket booths located at the end of the parking lot. Make sure you buy them here before you take the long walk to the actual entrance to the zoo.  

If you park in the south lot, you can buy tickets at the South Entrance.  

Tip: if you plan to go on a busy day, I would suggest buying your tickets ahead of time online. 

Bathrooms  

Bathrooms can be pretty spread out so keep your eye out for them if you are traveling with younger children. There is a nice bathroom with family bathrooms in the North Parking lot near the ticket booth.

It is a great place to stop at the beginning and end of your day. After that, the bathrooms are spread throughout the zoo. 

Strollers and Wagons

With 216 acres, the zoo is a big park to walk around with little kids. I would suggest bringing a stroller to push the kids and to hold your stuff.

As my kids have gotten older, I started bringing a wagon to pull a cooler and for kids when they get too tired. Both work great and there are designated spots to park strollers for exhibits.  

The zoo rents strollers, wagons, and wheelchairs at the North and South Entrances. So, if you are traveling, you don’t need to worry about bringing your own. Check here for rentals (here) 

Here is the wagon we use and love.

 

Map  

Make sure to grab a map when you enter the park, it is a huge zoo and you will need the map for guidance. I would also suggest taking a few minutes before you start to figure out what you want to see and come up with a plan for the day. Due to the size of the zoo, it is really hard to fit in everything in one day. 

You can also print out a zoo map before you go. 

Extra Attractions 

 

 

 

 

 

** As of 2020 you are unable to watch the dolphin show or go to the Theater.

The zoo has several attractions that cost an additional fee above the general ticket price.  These include the New 3D Theatre, Dolphin Show, Hamill Family Play Zoo, Hamill Family Wild Encounters, the Carousel, Butterfly exhibit, and Motor Safari.

I will go over several of these extra attractions in more detail below. You can purchase tickets for these online or while you’re at the zoo. If you really want to see something, purchase it online ahead of time so they don’t run out of showtimes.

However, if you’re flexible, just see how your day is going and what you can fit in. 

For first time visitors to the zoo, there is plenty to do just with the included areas to keep you busy all day.  

Where to Eat 

**As of 2020 all indoor dining facilities are closed only walk-up dining is offered. 

The Brookfield Zoo offers many places to eat including restaurants and picnic areas. The food at the restaurants is a typical museum/zoo food. A little overpriced but convenient if you don’t want to pack your own meal.  

If you choose to pack a lunch, each side of the zoo has a picnic area with a playground for the kids. If it’s raining, we usually take our lunch down to the dolphin observation area and let the kids watch the dolphins swim while we eat.  

I love this picnic tote for the zoo! It holds all of our food, has a pocket for napkins and silverware plus holds water bottles on the side pockets.

The Roebury Picnic blanket is a great purchase too. I use this awesome fold-up waterproof blanket at the zoo, beach, playground, summer concerts in the park and basically, anywhere we stop in the summer. I leave it in my trunk so that we can use it at whatever outdoor event we end up hanging out.

Brookfield Zoo Exhibits

The great part about visiting this zoo is the huge variety of animals and exhibits you can visit. My family finds that each time we visit, we find a new little area we hadn’t discovered before. I would definitely plan a whole day for this zoo. There are too many areas to list but let me highlight a few areas that make this zoo extra special. 

**in 2020 many indoor exhibits are closed so check before you go. 

 

Animal Encounters 

Brookfield offers you several ways to get up close with the animals. However, all of these come with an additional fee. 

Giraffe Feeding – for a fee kids get the thrill of feeding a Giraffe 

 

 

Penguin Encounter – Families can get up close and personal with a penguin while learning more about them from the zookeeper. 

 

Hamill Family Wild Encounters – This three-acre exhibit has three ways for kids to interact with animals. The first is feeding and brushing the goats. 

Second, they get to feed parakeets off a stick with bird seeds. This is really fun for all ages because the bird sits right on the stick your holding so it’s close up for all to see. The last encounter I have never seen before. Kids are able to walk around in an enclosure with Wallabies. I will admit the Wallabies tend to be sleeping but they do get up and hop around which is fun for the kids to see.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dolphin Show 

Although you are not able to touch the dolphins, you do get a close-up view of them jumping and swimming while learning more about their species. My one note would be the show is focused more on teaching you about the dolphins than having a performance. This is very interesting but can sometimes be slow for younger children waiting to watch the dolphins swim and jump by.  

If you think your kids might be too antsy, check out the dolphins below the show in the observation room swimming around. This is free.  

Hamill Family Play Zoo 

This is a great area for younger kids especially on days the weather is not great. This area of the zoo offers tons of pretend play with a mock zoo office and a zoo kitchen area for the kids to pretend they’re a zookeeper. 

Kids can also dress up like a lemur while watching the real lemurs play. In the greenhouse area, kids get water bottles and are able to spray all the plants. There is also face painting and a ton of small animals to visit.  

Weather Tips

What to do on hot days at the Zoo 

The summer can get hot at the zoo so head over with the kids to the spray and play area outside of the Penguin Exhibit (Living Coast). Bring a bathing suit or a change of clothes and let the kids run around the water.  

You will also find misters throughout the zoo to run through and cool off.  We usually take with some cooling towels too, which just need some water from the water fountain at the zoo to work. They really cool you down and makes a huge difference on hot days.

 

The indoor exhibits are also air-conditioned so head inside them for a break from the heat.  

What To Do On cold or Rainy Days 

The zoo is filled with indoor exhibits that are included with the price of your ticket. So, don’t skip out on the zoo just because of bad weather.

When it rains or gets cold, head to the Penguin Exhibit (Living Coast), Tropic World to see the Monkeys, The Fragile Desert, the Swamp, or the many other indoor buildings.  

 

Brookfield Zoo Yearly Events 

All these events are covered with your admission ticket price or membership.

Summer Night Concerts

Hang out at the zoo and listen to some great music with the kids on Friday and Saturday Summer nights. The zoo hosts these events starting around 5 pm.  You’ll find different kids’ activities, roaming entertainers, and different concerts each night. The best part is the laser show at the end of the concert.

They also have several beer and wine tents set up for adults. Seats and picnic tables are limited so make sure to bring a blanket to sit on. Plan a fun day visiting the animals and end with a picnic in the zoo and a concert. 

Boo at the Zoo 

Head to the zoo on select weekends in October in your costume to celebrate Halloween. Watch the animals play with pumpkins and walk through all the non-scary decorations. It’s a really fun October outing.  

Brookfield Zoo Lights 

Holiday Magic is a little different in 2020 visit our Christmas in Chicago Light Displays to get the most updated information. 

The zoo’s Holiday Magic event is a great excuse to get yourself out of the house on cooler days in December. Come see the zoo all lit up in lights and check out kid’s entertainers perform and have a hot chocolate. Head over before it’s dark to visit the animals and then stroll the lanes looking at lights. 

Tip For Night Events

For the night events, don’t wait until night time to come because the entrance and parking get crazy. Head over in the afternoon and see the animals, then stay for the night time entertainment. Less stress and you’ll enjoy it more. 

You should now be ready for your visit with Brookfield Zoo hours, parking, maps, membership, and the best exhibits. I hope these tips will help you have a great family day out at the Brookfield Zoo.  Do you have any great tips to add? Please leave in the comments so we all can learn. I love to hear from my readers. 

More Chicago Attractions

While in Chicago make sure to check out the Lincoln Park Zoo too. This fun zoo is located in the city and is free. You’ll find it’s smaller than the Brookfield Zoo but still has tons of fun things for the kids to do and see. Learn more in my Lincoln Park Zoo What to Know Before You Go. 

Want to find out the best parks and museums to visit with the kids in Chicago? Check out my 7 Can’t-Miss Things to Do in Chicago with Kids. 

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