If you follow us on Instagram, you probably know that we love the Columbus Zoo. We have had a membership even before we had Baby O. The Beard actually proposed to me there so it holds a pretty close spot in my heart. When we decided to visit Indianapolis, we definitely have to check out their zoo! We’re super thankful to our friends at Visit Indy for supplying us with a few tickets to check out the Indianapolis Zoo.
Although our tickets were on the house (zoo), it’s pretty inexpensive to visit the awesome Indianapolis Zoo! First things first, kiddos under the age of two are free which is great. Depending on the time of year and date you go to the Indianapolis Zoo, prices range from $8.95 up to $20.95 per person. You can purchase tickets online for a cheaper price or take advantage of some of their ways to save like $2 off for AAA members!
Once you’re in the zoo, you’ll probably want to snag a map to make sure you hit all the awesome exhibits. They have six exhibits throughout the zoo which boast 1,400 animals and 31,000 plants! It’s essentially a trip around the world all in one place.
Something that I love about visiting the Indianapolis Zoo is that they have a ton of animals we don’t have in Columbus. Case in point, this adorable sleepy sea lion! Do you guys know the difference between seals and sea lions? Google says that sea lions are “brown, bark loudly, “walk” on land using their large flippers and have visible ear flaps. Seals have small flippers, wriggle their bellies on land, and lack visible ear flaps.”
It’s unclear if I’ll ever need to visibly know the difference between the two but I appreciate the fun party fact. There were three sea lions hanging out in the Oceans exhibit and while one slept, two of them swam around in circles, waiting for some attention. I’m glad we could give him/her a little appreciation on our chilly visit.
Baby O loves fishes and it’s possible they are her favorite animal. Every time she sees one, she makes a kissy face and it’s definitely the cutest. The aquarium area at the Indianapolis Zoo is pretty spacious and spread out with several exhibits of colorful fish like these grumpy looking lion fish.
I was a little too excited about the shark touch pool here, as you can see. I will say that after watching Finding Dory, I’m a little nervous about touch pools because I don’t want to scare the animals. Disney movies teach us a little bit more about life than necessary sometimes.
On our way out of the Oceans exhibit, our sea lion friend was still swimming some laps so we took a rest to watch him/her for a few minutes. Baby O was pretty mesmerized, as were her parents,
I have no reason or fun fact about this picture except I thought it was interesting looking so there you go.
Another animal that we don’t have in Columbus, a walrus! He was just floating back and forth and pretty cool looking. Both male and female walruses grow tusks so I’m not sure who this cutie was but he/she seemed to be living the good mammal life.
After the Oceans exhibit, we headed over to the Forests exhibit to take a gander at some of those animals. Something I love about the Indianapolis Zoo and this exhibit specifically is how close you are to the animals. You’ll see what I mean in the next picture.
Hello there, friend! We were so close to this fuzzy guy that I wanted to just jump on in there with him which I obviously wouldn’t recommend because he’s a brown bear and might eat you. This is definitely the closest I’ve seen a bear and she/he was absolutely stunning!
Just as fuzzy but not as giant is the red panda. Contrary to their name, red pandas aren’t actually pandas, but are more closely related to skunks or raccoons. I mean I wouldn’t be mad if this bamboo eating friend came along in my backyard.
So I have a slight fear of birds because I don’t trust things that fly. However, these beautiful and bright macaws eased my fear a little bit. I feel like something this beautiful can’t be too scary. Right? That’s what I’m telling myself.
In between the Forest exhibit and the other exhibits in the back of the Indianapolis Zoo is a little break area for families. There is a playground next to a few food options if you didn’t pack anything. If you did pack, there are two picnic areas for you all to enjoy your lunch!
While it wasn’t open during our visit, there is also a really cool Splash Pad thanks to Kroger. I really like the layout here because all the major food and “resting” options are right in the middle of the zoo.
The next exhibit we visited was Deserts which boasts furry mammals and loads of reptiles and birds. Throughout the raised pathways, you’ll see cool animals like this turtle and lizard coexisting in their arid habitat. I was surpised at how fast this little turtle moved, he was all over the place!
In all reality, this was my favorite animal we saw during our time at the Indianapolis Zoo. This meerkat was one of about 8 who frolicked about digging holes or playing with his other meerkat friends. They are so fun to watch and remind me of our dog, Herbert, who is constantly burrowing.
Behind the walkway, there are a ton of fun facts about reptiles from all over the world. I might have held on to Baby O a little extra close here because scaly animals give me the heebie geebies.
Even if they make me a little weak in the knees, I can respect anything that has this coloring. This python can grow between 23 inches and 33 feet (OMG), and weigh up to 250 pounds! They can live up to 11 years and conservationists aren’t too concerned about their viability in the wild.
While it’s definitely awesome to see all these animals and learn a little bit more about them, I love that the basis of the Indianapolis Zoo is conservation efforts. “We’re not a zoo doing conservation; we’re a global conservation organization that is a zoo,” says Indianapolis Zoo President and CEO, Mike Crowther. I just really appreciate and love that statement.
A sampling of the Indianapolis Zoo conservation initiatives can be viewed here. One of their programs, Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ SAFE: Saving Animals from Extinction primarily focuses on animals who are at risk of extinction to pause or remove that risk.
This wasn’t in service when we visited but I seriously want to go back just to take a ride on the Skyline at the Indiapolis Zoo. It’s essentially a sky tram that lets you get an ariel view of the whole zoo and city, so cool!
The Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center was definitely a really awesome and beautiful exhibit. “Designed to stimulate the apes’ physical, social, and intellectual abilities, the Center is home to one of the largest groups of orangutans in any American zoo.”
This group is watching this specific orangutan learn to do math which is just crazy to me. On the other side of this center, you’ll find orangutan’s swinging up to 80 feet above your head while playing with all their ape friends and family.
There is a plaque telling you that this orangutan is here because he wanted to be “alone” but you wouldn’t say that if you saw the way he was interacting with Baby O. They were like two peas in a pod and it was hard to walk away from him.
I’d like to live somewhere you see flamingos just hanging out splashing around in the water, which means I should probably move to The Bahamas. Don’t have to tell me twice. A flock of flamingos is called a flamboyance and they can live in colonies of thousands of birds!
While this isn’t super relevant to me right now, it’s definitely something nice to point out for nursing mothers. Back by the flamingos, you’ll find the “Nursing Mom’s Nest” which is a nice haven for breastfeeding mothers who want a little privacy.
Baby O is trying to learn and I’m just sitting over here laughing. Typical. I have to say I appreciate that there are fun little activities like this scattered throughout the Indianapolis Zoo for some extra learning while you’re waltzing around.
Embarrassing Baby O from day one. No regrets.
Now, we are on to the Plains exhibit! Yet again, we got pretty close to the Kudu for some great photo opportunities. There was a pretty big log just out of this picture that a few of them were playing with or trying to demolish. It’s fascinating how fascinating it can be to watch an animal play with a log.
Baby O was also intrigued by the Kudu and wanted to help test out the camera. We missed some of the animals in the Plains due to the chilly weather which was okay, just means we have to come back in the summer!
I swear this Lion wanted to get a piece of Baby O. I’ve never seen a lion growl like this and it was equally terrifying and amazing. Apparently, they only roar when trying to warn intruders so I think we got a little too close for comfort.
Circling back on conservation, the Indianapolis Zoo has a really cool program to raise money for the Cheetah Conservation Fund. “Zoo visitors pay 50 cents to enter the track and try and outrun the 60 miles per hour light array that duplicates a cheetah’s speed.” Professional Race Car Driver, Tony Stewart helps fund this program which just sounds like a marketing match made in heaven.
Our last exhibit of the day was a super cool one that I’m glad we got to fully enjoy! They have an amazing Dolphin Dome area which boasts all types of dolphin adventures like an underwater viewing area which is super cool.
In addition to watching this really cool program about dolphin conservation, you can take part in some of their more interactive activites. Their really popular Art Adventures event sounds so fun and I’d love to enjoy something like this in Columbus! Not only do you and three friends get to meet some animals behind the scenes, you also get a custom piece of art made by an animal artist – so fun.
But, the coolest program is probably the Dolphin In-Water Adventure, the only place in the Midwest you can get in the water with dolphins! This super cool adventure will set you back $235-$265 but includes more than 30 minutes of poolside/in-water time with these beautiful animals, a hands-on classroom session, and some fun souvenirs to take home.
There you have it friends, our trip to the Indianapolis Zoo. We had so much fun and we can’t recommend it enough. Not only are they doing a stellar job in conservation for some of the world’s most fragile animals, they have a beautiful facility with a ton of things to do.
Snag your tickets here and start planning your next trip! If you need some ideas for your next Indianapolis visit, check out this list that includes 11 places to visit in the great city!
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