Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary

The Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary is not usually the first place you think of when you hear "Bay Beach," but it is a gem! 

Our first stop was the Nature Center.

 It is a really fun, hands-on place!  There are things to climb in, including a mock tree with hidey-holes that show different critters that live there.  There are live animals and animal bones.

This miniature house gives examples of different ways wild animals could invade your home.

 There's also a "beaver slide" into the "otter pond," which does a pretty good job of making you feel like you are under water.

Then we got to explore the animals.  It is like a very natural zoo.  We saw all kinds of animals, but our favorite were the deer.  This guy hung out pretty close to the fence, so the brave one got to pet it!

 We really enjoyed the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary.

 Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary
1660 East Shore Drive ~ Green Bay, WI ~ (920) 391-3671

Henry Vilas Zoo

The Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison is a fantastic FREE zoo. 

There was a new interactive arctic exhibit that was lots of fun.  The kids could go into bear traps and an arctic exploration vehicle.

Of course, there are lots of other typical zoo exhibits too.  We had a great time!  Plus there is a really nice park right outside the gate.

Downside: very little parking

Henry Vilas Zoo
702 S. Randall Aveue ~ Madison, WI ~ (608) 266-4732
Admission: Free, carousel/train extra

Preview Post: Special Memories Zoo

Special Memories Zoo is a privately-owned zoo in Greenville.  They owners started it as a hobby and have expanded it through the years.  It seems like they have a wide array of animal species.  They have a petting zoo and a train ride.  Has anyone been to this zoo?  I have never even heard of it before now, but most of the reviews I have seen were from people very impressed!

Special Memories Zoo
W7013 Spring Road ~ Greenville, WI ~ ​(920) 757-9695
Admission: $9 ages 13&up/ $7 ages 6-12/ $5.50 ages 2-5/ under 2 free; train ride extra

Preview Post: Raptor Education Group

The Raptor Education Group, Inc. is actually a wildlife preservation group.  They focus on getting injured birds back into the wild.  They offer tours of their facilities and other programs on a regular basis.  They don't really have a super consistent, set schedule of hours, but they have pretty frequent offerings and regular tour in the summer.  If you're interested, chances seem pretty good that you can find something to attend that works in your schedule!

Make sure you check and call ahead!

REGI
N2160 W Rollwood Road ~ Antigo, WI ~ (715) 623-2563
Price varies by event; tours are $8 per person, 5&under free

Wildwood Wildlife Park

 We had so much fun at Wildwood Wildlife Park in Minocqua!  Our favorite part was the petting zoo area.  They had lots of barnyard animals, but they also had a few exotics the handlers rotated out of the cages to pet as well.

I learned that Wildwood Wildlife Park is actually the second largest zoo in Wisconsin.  They really did have an amazing assortment of animals and offered many ways to interact with them.  That was the best part!

The one major complaint I have is that they have NO diaper changing tables.  One of the workers told me it was because someone ripped the one they had off the wall, so they decided it wasn't worth replacing it.  Excuse me?!  You are an establishment aimed toward families and children.  Every other place we went to on our little mini-vacation had a changing station, including our other stops in Minocqua.  I'm pretty sure if almost every other business can figure out how to provide a changing station for their patrons, you can manage to do the same.  The fact that a place specifically for children doesn't have a place to change diapers is unacceptable to me.  I would probably not pay again to get in until I didn't have to worry about this for the day.

That being said, we really did have a lot of fun.

Wildwood Wildlife Park
10094 State Highway 70 West ~ Minocqua, WI ~ 715-356-5588
Admission: $16.99/adult, $11.99/child, under 2 free, season passes available; lots of extra possibilities for additional cost

Milwaukee County Zoo

We have been to the Milwaukee Zoo a couple of times, and we always seem to choose to go at Halloween!  I have taken students there on field trips other times of the year, but it is a little bit extra special when it is all done up for Halloween :)

The Milwaukee Zoo has over 2,000 animals!  Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!  Although, we did note they do not have panda bears.

In the farm area, there is a dairy exhibit with a little farm area the kids can climb around in.

Along with the obvious (animals), there are some additional activities at the zoo.  

 Riding the merry-go-round

We took the train ride this year for the first time as well.  It was a nice scenic ride, but I was a little disappointed we didn't see more animals.

There is also a zip line adventure area that we did not experience.

Milwaukee County Zoo

10001 West Bluemound Rd ~ Milwaukee, WI ~ (414) 256-5412

Admission: anywhere from $8.75 to $14.25 depending on age and time of year plus $12 parking; Milwaukee residents get a discount; occasional special events with reduced pricing and family free days; carousel, train, and zip line additional

Menominee Park and Zoo

 Menominee Park is a large park in Oshkosh.  There are ball diamonds, a beach, a large community-constructed wooden playground, and a zoo!

There is also a walking path through the park.  There is a small "amusement" area with a car ride and carousel.  It also hosts a small train that runs through the park.  Paddle boats are available for rent.  Most of the park is free (including the zoo), but it does cost to ride the rides.  While most of these are only open seasonally, there is definitely a plethora of activities to keep the whole family busy!

Babygirl on the carousel

Menominee Park
520 Pratt Trail ~ Oshkosh, WI ~ 920-236-5082