The Zoo at Forest Park is a small, non-profit zoo tucked inside Springfield’s historic Forest Park, the Olmsted-designed city park in the city’s South End. The zoo cares for more than 225 native and exotic animal residents, including rescues and non-releasable wildlife, in a compact loop that’s easy to walk in an hour or two with small children.
Exhibits include a barnyard petting area, a big-cat pavilion (cougars, bobcats), a primate house with capuchins and marmosets, and a walk-through aviary. The zoo runs a summer Zoo on the Go education program and seasonal evening events.
Visiting
The zoo is open seasonally, typically mid-April through early November, with daily hours in summer and weekend hours in the shoulder season. Current admission is $13 adults, $9 seniors and military, $7 children ages 1–12, and free for children under 1. The zoo is inside Forest Park; the city charges a separate vehicle fee for Forest Park and the zoo, currently $3 for in-state plates and $5 for out-of-state plates, cash only.