Small, but kid-friendly
A very small park (15 acres), the Erie Zoo is a nice zoo to take the little ones in your life. Facing obvious space constraints, the zoo offers a nice array of specimens in a uniquely laid-out, limited area. Exhibits of note – the powers-that-be have done a nice job of transforming part of their older, main building into a themed-home for orangutans and red pandas (“Wild Asia”); home to rhinos, warthogs and rarely-exhibited African Wild Dogs, Kiboka Outpost is a pleasant spacious exhibit with its observation deck and “Hide;” a renovated tiger exhibit is a tremendous upgrade from the concrete grotto that once held their feline residents; and the overall exhibit signage in the park looks to be being upgraded to a nice standard.. The jewel of the park, however, would have to be the zoo’s newer children’s area. Kids will love the train and carousel, up-close viewing of both penguins and alligators and the interactive Adventure Center is a fabulous hands-on facility. (I must admit, that the purpose behind the kiddy zoo’s “Mystery Mountain” is a “mystery” to me.) A new, seasonal model train layout is an amusing sidestop. On the other end of the spectrum, some parts of the park are seemingly outdated – the tight, barren enclosures and tiny pool earmarked for the zoo’s polar bears seem woefully undersized; while I thought the incorporation of the a “monkey island” into the giraffe yard’s moat was very innovative, the tall giants appeared to have little room to roam. Patrons should be understanding if they know the backstory of Samantha the gorilla, but the great ape does look sad each time we’ve visited. Food concessions continue to be average; restrooms were clean. Parking is free, but limited, which is not surprising, considering the parks’ overall size. In summary, Erie has a nice, pleasant zoo that is the perfect size for both small kids and grandparents.