Zoo News

It's All Happening at the Zoo!

November 7 and December 5
Family Free Days
 Sponsored by North Shore Bank and FOX 6

Humboldt Penguins

Family Free Days mean family fun! On these special days, all visitors receive free admission to the Zoo, no coupon necessary (the parking fee does remain in effect). During your visit, be sure to welcome back the Humboldt penguins to their newly renovated exhibit. The flock “summered” in the flamingo building while their habitat was remodeled. Their new home has a clear-plastic pool that makes it easy to see the birds “fly” through the water. Visitors can enjoy these active birds outdoor year-round.

“Happy” Days are Here at the
Milwaukee County Zoo!

Happy the hippo

The Milwaukee County Zoo is pleased to officially “unveil” our newest member of the animal collection, Happy the hippopotamus, now on exhibit, and visible to visitors through a public viewing window into his indoor quarters.

Happy arrived at the Milwaukee County Zoo in the early morning hours of September 29, from the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Happy, a large, 28-year-old male Nile hippopotamus, weighing 5,500 pounds, was relocated due to construction of the National Zoo’s new Elephant Trails exhibit, opening in 2011.

Happy is now located in the Zoo’s new Dohmen Family Foundation Hippo Home, where he will remain through the winter. The Zoo’s hippo staff report he is comfortably settling into his new surroundings. He’s eating a diet of a variety of fruits and vegetables, food pellets and hay, and spends time both in his main pool, and the new wading pool. Happy also is responding well to the zookeepers’ positive reinforcement training, and he has seen the Zoo’s resident female hippos, Patti and Puddles. Welcome, Happy!

December 5-6, 12-13 and 19-20
Breakfast and Lunch with Santa
 Sponsored by Racine Danish Kringles

Breakfast & Lunch with Santa

Make a day out of a holiday-themed meal and enjoy time visiting the Zoo! Families can share a breakfast or lunch with Santa and enjoy tasty treats, a live sing-a-long and even an appearance by Mrs. Claus! Afterward, stay and enjoy the Zoo and see the winter animals like the Amur tigers and polar bears. 

Breakfast is served at 9 a.m. on Saturdays only, and lunch is at noon on both Saturdays and Sundays. Each meal, held in the Zoo’s Peck Welcome Center, includes a visit from Santa, a gift for each child and admission to the Zoo. All seats are reserved, and registration is limited. This popular event is often filled by mid-November. Call the Public Affairs office for details at (414) 256.5466. You’ll be able to register online beginning in early November.

Mark Your Calendar for Holiday Hours

On the following holidays, the Zoo is free to Milwaukee County residents with I.D., and open from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

  • November 26 – Thanksgiving Day
  • December 25 – Christmas Day
  • January 1, 2010 – New Year's Day

The Zoo ‘On Demand’

Flamingos

You can watch fun videos about the Milwaukee County Zoo and the Zoological Society on Time Warner Cable’s Wisconsin on Demand (go to Channel 1111 and select the Milwaukee County Zoo “super category”). Catch clips about the Zoo’s Caribbean flamingos and the special summer exhibit, Wings From Down Under, sponsored by Lowe’s. If you prefer marine mammals, see a video about the MillerCoors Oceans of Fun Seal/Sea Lion Show. Plus, you can watch kids graduate from the Zoological Society’s Animal Ambassador program, which brings lessons about animals and conservation to schools in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

News Archive

 

Zoo Hours 2009


January 2 through February 2009 / November & December 2009
Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

March 1 through May 22, 2009
Daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

May 23 through September 7, 2009
Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

September 8 through October 31, 2009
Daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Zoo accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.
Unfortunately, we do not accept personal checks.

Admission Rates 2009

January 1 through March 31, 2009
and November 1 to December 31, 2009
Adult: $10.75
Junior (age 3 to 12): $7.75
Child (2 and under): FREE
Senior Citizen (age 60 and over): $9.25

April 1 through October 31, 2009
Adult: $12.25
Junior (age 3 to 12): $9.25
Child (2 and under): FREE
Senior Citizen (age 60 and over): $11.25

Parking fees: $10 for cars, $14 for buses

Milwaukee County residents with I.D. receive $1.75 off regular Zoo admission everyday except Wednesday. On Wednesdays, Milwaukee County residents with I.D. are admitted at a reduced rate of $7 for adults and $4.50 for children (age 3 to 12).

For more information, call the Zoo at (414) 256-5466.