The Indianapolis Zoo is home to numerous species of animals and has been attracting members of the community for over 50 years. The concept of the zoo emerged in the 1940s and began with exhibits of an Asian elephant, penguins, camels, tortoises, and buffalos. Over the next several years, the zoo expanded to include monkeys, large cats, zebras, wallabies, and even alligators. Now, the zoo has extensive exhibits of aquatic animals, land animals, and flying creatures, and, more recently, the zoo has welcomed the addition of roller coasters.
The zoo’s aquatic exhibit allows visitors to see the swimming creatures up close. The collection of sea creatures includes angelfish, dolphins, sea lions, seals, penguins, eels, walruses, sea horses, rays, sharks, and more. To enhance the experience, the Indianapolis Zoo is home to the nation’s first underwater dolphin viewing dome that allows visitors to safely join dolphins in their environment.
With three different exhibits focusing on land animals, the zoo has a vast collection of several different species. In the “Plains” exhibit that shows a slice of Africa, visitors can find gazelle, elephants, lions, cheetahs, baboons, giraffes, warthogs, rhinoceroses, and more. In the “Deserts” Dome, guests can experience a wide variety of reptiles and amphibians such as lizards, boas, toads, iguanas, pythons, and vipers. In the “Forests” exhibits live animals from temperate and tropical forests. These creatures include bears, tigers, red pandas, lemurs, sloths, and gibbons.
The birds in the “Flights of Fantasy” exhibit come from warm climates such as Africa, South America, Asia, and Australia. Although some of the species are taken off display in the winter months, visitors can see a wide variety of birds during the warmer months. The birds in this exhibit include cockatiels, flamingoes, hornbills, lorikeets, and bobwhites.
In addition to numerous species of beautiful animals, the zoo also has rides and attractions that the whole family can enjoy. The “Endangered Species Carousel” houses several different hand-carved animals, ranging from elephants to seahorses. “Kombo Family Coaster” is a 656-foot-long rollercoaster that tops 20 miles per hour and reaches 24 feet off the ground at its highest point. If you’re interested in a unique view of the park, the Indianapolis Zoo offers a birds-eye view of the entire park with their 50-foot-tall “Skyline” ride and a slow-moving, close-up view of the park with their 10-minute-long “White River Junction Train” ride.
If you’re looking for something to do around Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Zoo has exhibits and activities that will appeal to the entire family.