WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!
We look forward to welcoming you to Brookfield Zoo! Enjoy our 235-acre zoological park, featuring 3,481animals belonging to 511 species. Read on to learn how to maximize your Zoo visit!
HOURS
Daily10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Buildings close 30 minutes before the Zoo.
TICKETS
Click here to purchase tickets.
FREE DAYS
January 2 – February 29, 2024: Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays
Parking rates still apply
HAMILL FAMILY PLAY ZOO
At the award-winning Hamill Family Play Zoo, young children and their families explore, play, and learn by doing. Our goal is for our guests to have fun and grow their lifelong connections with animals and nature.
ADMISSION
Free
SCHEDULE
Mondays-Thursdays 10 a.m. -2 p.m.
Fridays-Saturdays 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Sundays 12 -4 p.m.
HAMILL FAMILY WILD ENCOUNTERS
At just over three acres, this exhibit isgeared toward guests of all ages and features unforgettable hands-on experiences that include opportunities to touch and feed animals, including parakeets and goats. You'll also get to seellamas,wallabies, and reindeer, not to mention Zoo Chats and Animal Ambassador appearances throughout the day.
*Seed sticks forparakeets are available for $2.00 each and sold inside the aviary.
ADMISSION
Free
SCHEDULE
Daily 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
THE CAROUSEL (Closed for the season)
Weather permitting:Take a spin in one of the largest hand-carved woodencarousels in the country! Located near the Zoo’s North Gate entrance, The Carousel features 72 animals to choose from, some representing highly endangered animals from around the world, as well as three stationary animal chariots.
Please Note: All seated riders require a ticket.
TICKETS
Adults: $4.00 ($2.00 for members)
Seniors 65 & Over: $3.50 ($1.75 for members)
Children 0 to 11: $3.00 ($1.50 for members)
SCHEDULE
Closed for the season
TICKETs coming soon
BUTTERFLIES: returns 2024
Discover some of nature's most colorful creatures -butterflies! Observe as these species native to North America fly around the pond, up into the sky, land on some flowers, and possibly land on you! *May be weather dependent.
TICKETS
Adults: $4.00 ($2.00 for members)
Seniors 65 & Over: $3.50 ($1.75 for members)
Children 3 to 11: $3.00 ($1.50 for members)
Click here for a monarch butterfly coloring sheet, courtesy of JULIE!
Presented by
SAFARI TOURS: returns 2024
Hop aboard our Safari Tours for a narrated ride around Brookfield Zoo! You'll get to know all the exhibits and fun things to do here at the Zoo while also learning about the conservation work we do as well as get insights into the history of the Chicago Zoological Society. It's a great way to relax while getting the most out of your Brookfield Zoo experience.Please Note: All riders require a ticket.
TICKETS
Adults: $6.00 ($3.00 for members)
Seniors 65 & Over: $4.00 ($2.00 for members)
Children 0 to 11: $3.00 ($1.50 for members)
SCHEDULE
Closed for the season
Presented by
PURCHASE AT ZOO
Dolphins IN ACTION:
Returns March 2024
Get to know our dolphins through the exciting and educational Dolphins in Action! Learn about dolphin social structures and adaptations as our dolphins captivate you with aerial displays and other exhibitions that show off their incredible intelligence and agility!Dolphins in Action presentations are scheduled to resume on Friday, March 22, and guests will be able to see the animals from the Underwater Viewing Gallery beginning Monday, March 25.
Directions and Parking
By Car
Brookfield Zoo is located at First Avenue between Ogden Avenue and 31st Street in Brookfield, Illinois, just 14 miles west of downtown Chicago.
There are exits to First Avenue from the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) and from the Stevenson Expressway (I-55) (See detours above). Signs on First Avenue will direct you to the Zoo’s main entrance and Zoo parking—or you can just follow the lion’s roar!
North Parking Lot (Golfview Road)
GPS Address: 8400 31st Street, Brookfield, IL 60513
By Bus
Throughout the year, you can take Pace Bus Route 331 to Brookfield Zoo. The Pace bus service stops just outside the Zoo’s South Gate.
If you need detailed route information or door-to-door directions, visit Pacebus.com or call the RTA Travel Line at 312-836-7000.
CharterUP offers private bus rentals for school groups and private groups interested in visiting Brookfield Zoo. Browse their Chicago bus rental options to plan your upcoming trip today.
National Charter Bus is a nationwide bus rental company that offers charter bus rentals in Chicago and Illinois. You can book a private transportation service with them for your group trip to Brookfield Zoo.
GOGO Charters provides bus rentals in Chicago and around Illinois for group trips and events at Brookfield Zoo. See their charter bus rental and minibus rental options to begin planning your trip.
By Train
Beat the traffic by taking the train! If you want to skip the drive and not worry about traffic or parking, it's easy to get to Brookfield Zoo from downtown or the western suburbs via Metra's BNSF Line.
Exit at the Zoo Stop (Hollywood Station) and then walk two blocks northeast. You can also exit at the Riverside station or Brookfield station and walk to the Zoo.
To obtain a train schedule, call Metra at (312) 322-6777 or visit their website.
Parking Fee at the North Gate
Cars: $17.00
Buses: $25.00
Members: Free
South Parking Lot
GPS Address: 3300 Golf Road, Brookfield, IL 60513
Parking Fee at the South Gate
Cars: $20.00
Buses: $25.00
Members: $7.00
Cook County parking tax & Illinois Parking Excise Tax included.
Open buildings
The following indoor buildings are currently open or will open at the designated day and time noted:
*Please note that Splash pad at Living Coast and water misters are off for the season.
*Giraffe Arnieta and her calf Kinda can be seen daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Habitat Africa.
- AUSTRALIA
- BZ red hots
- Clouded Leopard Rain Forest
- Desert's Edge
- Great Bear Wilderness Underwater Viewing
- Feathers & Scales
- HABITAT AFRICA: THE FOREST
- HABITAT AFRICA: THE KOPJE
- Hamill family play zoo
- Hamill Family Wild Encounters
- Living Coast
- MACAWS
- Pinniped Point Underwater Viewing
- Regenstein Wolf Woods Indoor Viewing
- Reptiles & Birds
- THE SWAMP
- Tropic World
- wild encounters aviary
Closed buildings
Please notethe following buildings are currently CLOSED at this time.
- café del sol
- PACHYDERMS
- Seven Seas underwater viewing & Dolphins in Action
- SWEETY BIRd
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