Best Zoos & Wildlife in Illinois
10 zoos & wildlife in Illinois
Zoos, safari parks, aviaries and wildlife experiences.
Editorial oversight by James Morgan. AI-assisted, human-edited. Our editorial standards
Zoos & Wildlife in Illinois: what to expect
Illinois has 10 zoos & wildlife we would happily take our own kids to. Brookfield Zoo Chicago is the one most families start with. Meet bottlenose dolphins, ride a Ferris wheel, and roam open-enclosure habitats at this century-old Chicago-area zoo. Cosley Zoo is the other name that comes up again and again. A compact five-acre zoo focused on Illinois wildlife and farm animals, with a strong education mission and sensory-inclusive certification. Henson Robinson Zoo rounds out the pick of the bunch. A compact Springfield zoo that's an easy, affordable wildlife outing for younger families. Also worth your time: Lincoln Park Zoo, Miller Park Zoo, Niabi Zoo and Peoria Zoo.
Tickets at Miller Park Zoo start from $9 per person. The rest of the list does not publish a set price, so confirm admission on the official site. Free entry at Lincoln Park Zoo.
The zoos & wildlife on this page are spread across Brookfield (1), Wheaton (1), Springfield (1) and Chicago (1), so it is easy to pair two into one trip.
Zoos Wildlife
Brookfield Zoo Chicago
Brookfield, Illinois
Meet bottlenose dolphins, ride a Ferris wheel, and roam open-enclosure habitats at this century-old Chicago-area zoo.
Zoos Wildlife
Cosley Zoo
Wheaton, Illinois
A compact five-acre zoo focused on Illinois wildlife and farm animals, with a strong education mission and sensory-inclusive certification.
Zoos Wildlife
Henson Robinson Zoo
Springfield, Illinois
A compact Springfield zoo that's an easy, affordable wildlife outing for younger families.
Zoos Wildlife
Lincoln Park Zoo
Chicago, Illinois
See lions, gorillas, and polar bears for free at one of America's oldest zoos.
Zoos Wildlife
Miller Park Zoo
Bloomington, Illinois
Spot snow leopards, red pandas, and a Galapagos tortoise at this AZA-accredited Bloomington zoo.
Zoos Wildlife
Niabi Zoo
Coal Valley, Illinois
A rescue-focused zoo where giraffe feeding, train rides, and a carousel round out the day.
Zoos Wildlife
Peoria Zoo
Peoria, Illinois
Trek from Africa to Australia in one zoo, with giraffe feeding and playful spider monkeys.
Zoos Wildlife
Phillips Park Zoo
Aurora, Illinois
A free-to-explore community zoo set within Aurora's Phillips Park.
Zoos Wildlife
Scovill Zoo
Decatur, Illinois
A small-town Decatur zoo where a carousel, a train, and 400 animals share the grounds.
Zoos Wildlife
Wildlife Prairie Park
Hanna City, Illinois
Spot bison, bears, and wolves across 1,800 acres of central Illinois prairie.