Top Ten Zoos in America
Zoos in America attract well over 100 million people each year and maintain a position of popularity through economic recessions, war times, and just about everything else.
They stay the center of curiosity for children and adults a like. Some of top zoos in the country are hardly the biggest ones or are situated in the nations largest cities either.
The San Diego Zoo usually comes out on top of all the lists. The way it is built is the closest most people will ever get to seeing animals in their natural habitat, and the attached park is well worth a day for itself. The Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island is an oldie and has an incredible collection of insects including giant Brazilian cockroaches. The Bronx Zoo in New York City is the largest urban zoo anywhere and sits on 265 acres. The butterfly cage in spring is fantastic and theres nothing like getting to walk through butterflies coming around like snow falling. In Tucson, the Sonora Desert Museum seems more like a desert trail but it is a 15 acre protected wildlife sanctuary. Youll realize it when you almost come face to face with a mountain lion – dont worry there is invisible fencing. In Minnesota there is, of all things, one of the great tropical zoos in the country. Completely enclosed, a complete Coral Reef has been built which houses sting rays, sharks and dolphins. Also because of severely cold winters, the Brookfield, Illinois, zoo also has a more tropical feel to it in its indoor enclosures but outdoors you ll see polar bears in near natural habitat. Middle America also has the famous St. Louis Zoo which is amazing for children. The otter slide, which is a clear acrylic tube that runs through the pond is one that children can slide through experiencing what the otters do all day …no adults allowed either. The National Zoo in Washington, D. C. has its famous Komodo dragons and giant pandas and is a major research center. Down Miami way, that citys zoo is the only one in the U.S.located in a subtropical zone. Its all open air and the weather is like a real jungle.
Take a small towel! The Audubon Zoo in New Orleans was scarcely touched by Hurricane Katrina and is still home to white alligators and white tigers, and is also wonderful to learn about local culture.
All of these zoos are a far cry better than Disneys Animal Kingdom in Orlando which charges more than double or triple the admission price of the real zoos.
