potter park zoo

I've been here several times over my life and it's always a great time. They have a great variety of animals who are all displayed really well. Even as an adult I enjoy going there and looking at the different exhibits they have set up even if it is the same animals. The little otter tank by the front is really entertaining as soon as you walk in. I also recently had the experience of getting to work with the staff on planning an event and they were extremely helpful. I was really impressed. This is just an overall great facility and a huge asset to the city of Lansing.

We went to check out Potter Park Zoo on New Year's Day and it turned out to be my best New Year's Day ever! The zoo is only $2 in the winter. Not many of the animals are out, but it is peaceful for a nice stroll out in the cold. There were some animals frolicking outside in the farm -- and also the otters and the little arctic fox. We really enjoyed warming up in a building with a few reptiles and stuff and then we got to have a unique experience with their snow leopard and tiger. Since no other people were there, we actually saw them playing together (although divided by a fence). In the attached building we saw beautiful lions, another tiger, lemurs, golden lion tamarins... and more. It was super fun for people that like to get out in the winter on a budget!! I like that better than the crowds that are probably there in the summer.

Nice size zoo to spend an afternoon with the kids. The penguin exhibit was a nice new addition and the bird cage was a ton of fun as well.

The kids and adults alike will love Potter Park Zoo! This zoo has everything. Besides an amazing zoo with interactive experiences, there is a free play area, picnic area, River with lots of wild life and a river trail. Lots to do for so little money.

Potter Park Zoo has been a regular activity for us as the kids grew up. It has a good variety of animals and enclosures. There is a petting zoo, pony rides, camel rides, concessions and a gift shop. Don't miss Boo at the Zoo around Halloween and the Wonderland of Lights near Christmas. Their birthday parties are great and about the same coat as other popular party venues. Your group has a party room and the docents bring out animals for the group to experience, touch and learn about. Then we went out to the otters and were able to watch a feeding. After the party your group is welcome to tour the zoo. Overall this is a good zoo for an afternoon. Don't miss the Lansing River Trail which goes through Potter Park. Using the trail you can bike or walk to MSU, S Lansing/Holt, downtown and N Lansing.

I have watched Potter Park Zoo grow and transform over the last 40 years. What was once a semi neglected collection of more common species, many past their prime, has become one of the best small zoos I have visited. While it cannot hope to compete with larger, more well known zoos such as Columbus, Detroit or the Bronx Zoo, it has a compact size and visitor friendly layout that allow one to see everything without having to spend the entire day. As a bonus, it is located in a county park with picnic and play areas, and is connected to Lansing"s ever growing river trail network.

This is a nice small local zoo. Opportunities to pet and feed farm animals, ride camels and view a variety of animals and reptiles. Reasonable in price too.

This is a great smaller zoo, if you like to spend a day casually walking around, taking pictures and enjoying the animals. It has plenty to see but is setup such that it is easy to walk around and see it all in an afternoon. It doesn't cost much at all and is well worth seeing if you are in the area.

The pricing is ridiculous! You have pay for parking which is high in price, plus if you are not a Ingham county resident, then you pay even more to get it. The zoo was boring and nothing special to it. It needs some serious updating.

A great zoo for a smaller metro area. I remember going (and getting lost) on my 1st grade field trip- yes, that makes them a "Classic", just like me!

I have been visiting this zoo since i was a little girl. Its had some major upgrades with new management. Its a nice size. Not too big or overwhelming in walking. It has a cozy cafe with finger foods & Ice cream. Pony,camal,and train rides for the kiddos.

I was very pleasantly surprised to attend an event at the zoo after avoiding it for soooooo long after some terrible flooding in the past where I thought it would be infested with mosquitos and Lord knows what else! The event was spaced out and well attended - put on by LCC for family and friends of students/staff. (Can't remember the exact date/month) Even if there was an extra effort put in for the guests...mission accomplished! I finally feel comfortable enough to start revisiting the zoo even during warm days.

We attended the Wonderland of Lights event at Potter Park Zoo, open until December 28, Thurs-Sundays from 5-8pm. I had researched the zoo before and couldn't decide if we'd go during the day (which is a discounted rate since it's winter) or for the Wonderland event, which cost $6/adult, $4/kids 3-12, and free 2 and under. We opted for the night event and I'm SO GLAD we did!! My number one tip to you is BE THERE JUST BEFORE FIVE so you are there right at opening!! Is this to beat a mad rush of people? No, the crowds were never crazy, but we were there right at five, which was nice for two reasons: it was still a little light out, so we were able to see a few animals before it was dark, and 2) there were practically no other people there at all yet, so we didn't wait for ANYTHING. In fact, our group got about ten minutes with Santa and Mrs. Clause all to ourselves!Our group consisted of four adults, four kids 3 and under, and two grandparents. EVERYONE had a great time. Upon paying and entering, we stopped to see Santa right away. He was patient with the kids and even though the beard wasn't authentic (I know, I'm picky!) he was kind and gave the kids each candy canes. He let the one year olds warm up to him and finally we got a great family shot. Very nice. Then we headed across to the building where they had face painting for $1.00 donation and free sugar cookies for each kid- with lots of frosting and sprinkles to decorate. In this room, there were also a few animals for the kids to "interact" with (basically, to touch) a rabbit, a turtle (which I don't let them touch since I'm paranoid about salmonella) and I think a chinchilla. It was nice they provided hand sanitizer right on the table after the petting! There was also a little ornament craft for each kid to make to take home. What great value, considering the low admission price! We then walked around and saw the many beautiful lights and some animals (the reptile and big cats buildings were each open to escape the cold for a bit). We saw bald eagles, tiger, lion, monkeys, lots of little creepy crawly creatures. There was more to see, but we were restricted to only 1.5 hours because of a previous engagement, but we all felt like we could have stayed longer. I will say, when we left, the parking lot was definitely filling up! TIP: Bring some single bills with you. As you walk around, there are several opportunities to do little "extras" for a dollar donation, like the face painting, a bonfire with s'more kits, and 3D glasses you could wear to make the Christmas lights look like little rainbows (this table was in the big cat house- we bought a pair, and the effect was very cool!) There may have been other little opportunities to purchase/donate something else, but those are the ones we saw.In all, I HIGHLY recommend and would go back for sure. We went expecting just the lights and a few animals, but the pleasant area, large amount of walking (it's much bigger than I expected!), fresh night air, and the extra bonus of the holiday activities made it for an enjoyable and memorable night out for the whole family.

It's not a large zoo, but it is nice for its size and the admission fee is comparable. It's a nice experience.

This zoo is not very big but it is my favorite. (compared to binder park zoo) This zoo has the aquarium and the otters. which i say are the life of the zoo. That has to be my all time favorite part are the otters. The Food courts are pricey but over all it is the best time for my family and I.