Small zoo in the suburb of Chicago that offers free admissions in December. Kids can spend about an…read morehour or so to check out all the different animals, from chicken and rabbits, to racoons, llama, and Canada lynx. The newest additions are 2 coyotes. The lights turn on at 3PM. They also sell Christmas tree and weaths in December.

I had no idea about that "Cosley Zoo" existed until I found the deal on Groupon. My partner and I…read morewere planning a weekend getaway with the kids and "Cosley Zoo" came into the picture. The Groupon offer was equivalent to 50% off per adult, plus an internal promo code. That definitely sealed the deal for us. The surrounding area was having some constructions, but the direction to parking lot was clearly marked. I could see this zoo would be designed for local residents, but this was a quality one for taking small children for some good time. The animals appeared to be well taken care off. We dined at their cafe and the food wasn't too expensive. The giftshop was nicely air-conditioned and that was really a treat after a walk/chase with the little ones. My conlusion is that there is no need to travel specifically for "Cosley Zoo" unless you are also visiting other places in the area and happen to stop by. However, our little ones had great fun (no charge on admission for children under 11 year old) and helped us make some wonderful memories as a family.

Awful renovation No wildlife to see here anymore. What use to be a great place to visit with…read morekids is no more. Woods eliminated lake looks like a small pond now. No Crains outside. Nothing indide the large new building now except a class room Fake displays with recordings. Viewing windows for possible animal treatment if you get lucky to see something going on. Tree elimination seems to be the name of the game with DuPage County Forest preserve. I would say this was a huge waste of tax funds and negative progress

I took my mom, my nieces and nephew. We thoroughly enjoyed spending time walking at own pace…read morewithout the large crowds. I didn't have to be overly concerned about safety. The staff and the visitors were friendly. I wish there were more animals, but the overall experience including the play area was wonderfully entertaining.

Good place to explore with children in Aurora. It turns out to be a bigger place than it looks…read more Phillips Park Zoo is the highlight of this big public park and one of the best things about the city as well. Best thing is there's no admission price. This makes it even more worth it for looking around once, and you can come back as often as you want if planning to come more times. Even though it's kind of small, it feels there's a lot inside and you can be here awhile. It's got an interesting history. The beginnings of the zoo started when it was established in 1915, and a birdhouse was built the next year. Over the following few years the animal collection grew. There were birds, black bears, buffalo, deer, elk, foxes, monkeys, and wolves. In 1933 the birdhouse was destroyed in a hailstorm, and the following year the Brookfield Zoo opened. They chose to refocus on native animals after this. A few years after this, mastodon bones and tusks were found in the park. These were put on display in the zoo. In 1950 a barn was built. The following years included the addition of a water wheel. Farm animals such as goats, as well as birds like swans have their exhibits around these. The more recent additions include cougars, as well as improvements to exhibits for reptiles and wolves. Also the zoo has a few resources for education. The ZooCiety has various activities and programs. Have to say it's a good zoo for the city. It's located in the middle of the park. This is particularly a good one for young children, but it's open for everyone, so it's also okay for adults or whoever.

If you're visiting Aurora when it's nicer weather, this is worth checking out. It's been a min…read moresince I was last here but I wanted to share some pictures and add another positive review. Admission is free. Parking is free and has more than adequate space available. The zoo is closed on Wednesdays. During the summer months, the hours are extended until 5 pm. Fall-Spring, the zoo is closed at 4 pm. Besides the zoo, they have a visitor center, sunken garden, veterans waterfall, etc. Inside the visitor center, they have mastodon bones along with information to read. They also have bathrooms that are clean and well kept.

This review is for the Glow Wild exhibit this spring…read more I HIGHLY recommend checking this exhibit out before it's gone. It went ABOVE and BEYOND expectations. This wasn't just a few installations they had dozens all over the park! They were divided into categories like sea animals and African animals, fantasy creatures, etc. simply amazing. We went on an April evening and the weather was perfect. They have snacks available, special glow cups and free rides on the Ferris wheel and carousel. It wasn't over crowded either. Many of the main animal exhibits are closed for the evening but the main event are the glowing anima sculptures which are pure magic. It gave off Paris vibes. This goes for a few more weeks into May. Don't miss it!

I brought my family today. I rented an electric scooter as well. The roads and trails are not kept…read moreup at all, and it caused quite a bit of Perkins which caused me a lot of pain. The scooter also made a very annoying noise the entire time. Next, at least half the animal's weren't there. Literally only ONE was there that the other 4 of us were excited to see. A good number of the animals that looked undernourished and sick. The sea lion habitat looks gross. Dark brown covering 3/4 of the tank.  Wallaby and goat exhibits both closed with no explanation. No gorillas ???? No giraffes???  No African painted dogs??? No kangaroos??? All of the glass in the exhibits are filthy. The zoo looks dilapidated. I brought my concerns up to a manager. Everyone at guest services actually gave us attitude. I was refused any type of discount. She gave us tickets. She also never gave me back my receipt. They saw me with the scooter as well. Yet they let me go over to the place I rented it, where it said to go back to guest service.  They say they don't give any refunds whatsoever... just another ticket???

Great Customer Service. The animals are well taken care of and we will definitely be booking again!read more

Had my 4 year old nieces party S brought baby goats baby sheep, chicken, bunny and little cow,…read moreamazing day such beautiful animals , very best experience higher recommend

I love the zoo. I've been to zoos all over the world when the boys were little it was always a…read morefirst stop on any vacation. I was so excited when the hotel was literally across the street from the zoo. I don't know how they do it, but entrance is free and it's open every day of the year. It's not a small zoo either. It's quite large. It was a warm day in Chicago so I think a lot of the animals were sleeping. We did see the lions, the giraffes, and the gorillas. There was so much more to see. I just really wish I had more time. I love the zoo. I've been to zoos all over the world when the boys were little it was always a first stop on any vacation. I was so excited when the hotel was literally across the street from the zoo. I don't know how they do it, but entrance is free and it's open every day of the year. It's not a small zoo either. It's quite large. It was a warm day in Chicago so I think a lot of the animals were sleeping. We did see the lions, the giraffes, and the gorillas. There was so much more to see. I just really wish I had more time.

With a wide variety of animals, clean and well kept grounds, and a large size, the free-of-charge…read moreLincoln Park Zoo is one of the best zoos around and is definitely worth a visit. Opened in the 1800s, Lincoln Park Zoo is filled with historical buildings, statues, and displays on the animals that have inhabited over the years. Here, you'll find lions, zebras, giraffes, monkeys, birds, sea lions, and more. There are many educational displays as well as a cafe and a gift shop. The surrounding Lincoln Park is also nice and you can easily spend a full day here.

Such a fun little find!! This is a zoo, a park, a little history lesson and an overall great place…read moreto visit!! Best part, FREE!! Now, this is not a huge zoo, but man do they pack a lot of love into a little spot. Food selection of animals, very friendly staff and cute well maintained facilities! Then, there are multiple large parks on site!! Perfect picnic spot for place for large family gatherings!

Just visited their fall pumpkin patch and had a great time! It's free to enter but the children's…read morezoo is paid. There was a great selection of cute fall decor items and giant pumpkins plus mini gourds. They also had the fullest mums I have seen all year- gorgeous!! The fall treats were delish. We indulged in the apple cider slushie and donuts. There is also a section set up with several cute photo opportunities, it was a lot of fun for a fall activity! We spent a little over an hour but I'll be going back again in a few weeks!

AUTUMN INDECISION I…read morewant to like Johansen Farms, but the cynical part of me sees through their charade. To me, dunking on a small business is usually 'no bueno', but after two visits to Johansen's fall petting zoo I find myself wondering "THIS is what we paid for??" Very few things are truly free these days, and I get that, but admission to Johansen's does not fall in the realm of good value. Located along Boughton Rd in Bolingbrook, Johansen's is open during the spring/summer as a nursery and farm (April-July), during autumn as a pumpkin patch, and briefly in the winter to sell Christmas trees. On busy weekends in October, police have a lane blocked off to shepherd traffic in & out of the parking lot. On that note, parking is free, thankfully, as is walking around their pumpkin patch. I saw a review from 2017 - a mere seven years ago - that mentions admission was $13.50. It's nearly doubled since that time! $23 allows you to feed the goats, enjoy a small corn maze, hayride, a "train" (actually just a bumpy trailer pull with tiny, uncomfortable carriages), and rinky-dink mini golf. Kids have to be 42" to bounce on the myriad inflatables, however, anyone over 2yo is full price. How many 2-4 year olds have you met that are 42" tall?? Apart from Kareem Abdul Jabbar's kids, how about NONE. I'm sure Johansen's knows this, so they're screwing plenty of people with this sneaky little exploit. The pumpkin patch is nice; we found an orange specimen that was a solid 9/10, with everyone in my group agreeing it was the roundest and most picturesque gourd they'd seen in a long time. Apple cider donuts are decent and you can buy hot cider at their bake shop counter. * TL;DR * Johansen's fall festivities are cute, though you get shockingly little for the money. You'll have to pay full price for your 3-year-old, but due to height restrictions on their bouncy houses, they won't be able to go in. Adults aren't allowed on inflatables, ditto for the ponies. In fact, grown-ups will spend most of their time standing around, which I can do for free at home (or literally anywhere else). Oh, but don't despair, as you can join their fanclub for a whopping $1 off general admission! *sprays confetti* gee, thanks guys! My wife likes them because they're local, but sorry honey, I'm done-zo with Johansen's. We'll take our annual (free) picture on the hay bales, but if it's my money we're spending, next year we're making the trip to Bengtson's.

Colin came to our mosque this past weekend. We had the show outdoors and it was such a hit! He kept…read morethe kids engaged and it's very interactive. Also, his price seems pretty fair. Would highly recommend.

We had an amazing experience with Crosstown Exotics! Mike came to our high school class that works…read morewith preschoolers, and he was absolutely fantastic with both our little and big kids. He was incredibly educational while also being funny and engaging, which kept everyone interested the entire time. The kids loved getting to see and learn about the animals up close, and you could tell Mike is truly passionate about what he does. It was such a unique and memorable experience for our class. Everyone had a great time, and we're already looking forward to having him back next year. Highly recommend!

This is a cute little zoo that's best for kids under 5. It's very small and takes less than an hour…read moreto go through if your kids are older. I'm docking a few stars because they let way too many people into the petting zoo area at one time, especially when they only have a few goats to pet. I also docked a star because the walk over to the playground and picnic table area is unnecessarily long because they have the shortcut path blocked off.

For the price and what it is - it is 5 stars. If you're looking for a big city zoo that you'd spend…read moreseveral hours at (and pay 4x as much) - this is NOT it. It is a very good small zoo with about 15 outdoor enclosures; a half-dozen enclosures in the barn, and 8 or so exhibits in a separate building. During the busier times, there are keeper talks or events every hour for different animals. Apparently you can feed goats, llamas, etc... for $1.50. We went on a weekday in late February and the desk wasn't open. Yet... there were only a few other visitors in the zoo - and so it was very easy to see everything. They have pony rides as well. If you have a child under the age of 10 - I could see spending 2 hours here when it isn't winter. We spent just under an hour and saw everything and took our time.