The Zoo in Forest Park & Education Center

This small nonprofit zoo inside Forest Park is home to more than 225 native and exotic animals, many of them wildlife-rehabilitation cases that can no longer be released into the wild. Kids can walk through static exhibits to see the different species while learning about conservation, and the zoo runs educational programs like Kids Go Wild, Wildlife on Wheels, Zoo Camp and guided tours for various ages. There is no food sold inside, so families should pack a lunch to eat at the picnic tables in the surrounding park, and outside food is not permitted near the animals. Parking near the zoo is run by the City of Springfield rather than the zoo itself, costing $3 to $5 cash depending on plate type, with free parking for handicap-placard vehicles. Visitors should navigate to 293 Sumner Ave in Springfield specifically, since other addresses can lead to a locked gate, and last admission is sold at 3:30 p.m.

• South Wick Zoo
• Riverside Reptiles Education Center
• Lupa Zoo

• The Harlem Lot
• The Zoo Show
• The Hesperia Zoo
• Tiger King
• The Learning Zoo
• Timbavati Wildlife Park