We visited the Indianapolis Zoo on a chilly day but it was still SO fun and a perfect family adventure. There is so much to share about our visit but we are going to share our top five spots. But, you can see our blog post we wrote about our visit a few years ago here that has even more information!
Our first recommended spot to visit is right when you walk in – the Oceans exhibit! Now there are actually two spots we’ll be sharing in the Oceans exhibit but first is the inside portion. There are active penguins, where we learned all about molting from our awesome tour guide, Carla.
We also got to visit with some sharks and sting rays in their touch pool. If you are lucky (like us!) you’ll get to see the green moray eel wandering in and out of his little cave. That was one of the things Olivia wanted to see and she was super excited to see the vibrant ocean animal.
Our next spot you have to check out is the Forests area where you can see animals like an Amur Tiger and huge Brown Bears. We learned that one of the rocks in the Tiger exhibit is heated so they have a cuddly spot to snuggle and lounge.
In the brown bear exhibit, we learned that one of the big guys has a nickname “baby bear” and when our tour guide called for him – he actually came out of his cave area for a little wave! You can see it in our video here on TikTok.
An area you might just wander by and not stick around but you absolutely should is the Flamingo area! We made a friend named Gronk and he was hilarious. They also have a flamingo feeding experience which wasn’t open when we went but I imagine would be super fun.
The Caribbean flamingo followed us around and chattered about trying to get our attention. It was such a fun experience to have a little connection with the animals at the Indianapolis Zoo. There is also a little playground and carousel back here if your kiddos need a break from exhibits.
One of the spots where I could have stayed for HOURS was the Orangutan Center. The one at the Indianapolis Zoo is home to one of the largest groups of orangutans in any American Zoo which is pretty cool.
We learned that in nature, male orangutans typically leave the mother and baby after birth. But, at the Indianapolis Zoo – one of the older male orangutans has become a father/uncle figure to the younger male orangutans which I think is pretty cool.
During the warmer months, the orangutans actually hang out outside on 50 foot tall poles and you can take a skyline ride to watch them. We absolutely have to come back for that experience!
Our fifth spot you have to visit at the Indinapolis Zoo is their incredible dolphin exhibit and experience. They have 11 dolphins who range in age and size – I was shocked how big some of them can get!
There are a few ways to engage with the dolphins at the Indianapolis Zoo. You can wander under their exhibit and watch them frolic about which is so fun. They also have a dolphin presentation where they share information about conserving our oceans for a healthy planet and the dolphins do some impressive acrobatics. You do need to register for tickets just in case it’s busy.
Additionally, you can sign up for a dolphin in-water adventure! It is a 90 minute program where you learn about dolphins, get reserved seats to the dolphin presentation and then 30 minutes of poolside and in-water time with these beautiful and smart creatures.
This blog post could have been “the million things to do at the Indianapolis Zoo” but that would probably make it a little too long to read. We absolutely recommend visiting this location with your family. For our Columbus friends, it’s just about a three hour trip and makes a great weekend trip if you pair it with The Children’s Museum.
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