Phillips Park Zoo

This is a very small zoo, but it has some nice stuff especially if you love birds or have children with you. I liked how a lot of the birds had explanations for why they might look a certain way (injuries) and why the zoo was the best place for them (couldn’t survive in the wild). The reptile house is nice. When I was visiting a lot of the animals were being fed which was fun to watch.

I brought my three year old daughter to the zoo today and afterward we played in the (amazing) playgrounds that are right outside.
We were sad not to see the otters
She had a blast going around the reptile house, showing me each animal roughly 50 times. I’d say «Yes, that’s a python» and then on the next go-​round she’d say «Look daddy, a python!» Next it would be the alligators, then the iguana, the bearded dragon and then we’d be back at the python. It’s small but has a lot of interesting reptiles that probably could have kept her running in circles for hours if it hadn’t been quite so hot in there. (It ~has~ to be hot, so that’s understandable, but I had to get out after about half an hour or I’d have melted.)
The ball python demonstration we stumbled on was neat and I was surprised that she sat for so long to listen. The presenter kept it interesting and fun for all the kids who were there.
Most of the animals outside were hiding, though the elk were freakin’ cool. (My words, not my little ones’.) The bald eagles were neat too.
You couldn’t ask for more for free, not really. It was a really fun day and I’m glad we got out there today.

We had a great time here! The zoo is not that big (nowhere near Brookfield or Lincoln Park) but it’s free and there is still a lot of stuff to see. Definitely worth it if you haven’t had an opportunity to visit and we will certainly be back in the near future.

This place is great. There were some Native American dancing demonstrations going on the day we went which was awesome. We also checked out the zoo which is really really small but very nice. It is free so it makes for a great afternoon if you are looking for something inexpensive. If you are wanting a serious zoo check out Brookfield. I have no complaints at all. Fun time.

Great family outing with kids for just a few hours! Close up encounters with zoo, zero splash park & sunken gardens!

Very surprised by this zoo! When my wife told me we were going to a zoo in Aurora i was like, whaaaat. This should be interesting. I must say it exceeded my expectations!
Pros: They have some near animals and, unlike other zoos, you are close to them and you can actually see them. That a big plus in my book. They also have a forgettable wolly mammoth exhibit. There is also a decent sized area where kids can run through water. and splash around. Lastly there are nice woods around so you feel like you are not actually in a city.
I almost left out the best part… its FREE!
Cons: Although you are very close to the animals the selection is pretty limited. I think you can get through the whole place in about an hour if you are moving at a slower pace.
Heres the deal, if you want a real zoo and something to do for the entire day, stick to Brookfield. If you are looking for a great way to burn a few hours and not spend a lot of money, then this is your best bet.

Super small and free. We enjoyed the beautiful flowers and grounds. The peacocks were gorgeous. Many of the animals were hiding from the heat of the day, I think next time we will go earlier when it’s cooler. The zoo is 100 years old which is neat. There’s a fountain for kids to play in, and many families were picnicking.

Pleasantly surprised with Phillips Park Zoo. Free and Local, can’t beat that! Very happy with the animals we saw. Every exhibit had signs with information that was easy for my son to read. We enjoyed the longer than expected train ride, also free, that took us all around the park and showed us areas we were unaware of. Zoo was clean and well kept. No complaints. The garden is beautiful. And the mastodon exhibit is fun and educational. We will definitely be back when the threat of rain won’t shorten our visit.

Splash Pad! I didn’t read through all of the reviews but just wanted to mention the splash pad for other newbies like me ;) aside from the zoo (which I do think is a bit «eh» but good for little kids) there is the huge playground, splash pad and train ride! Bring a change of clothes for the little one as they do get wet!

I spent an afternoon at the Phillips Park Zoo with my son and we totally enjoyed ourselves. This zoo is no-​frills, but a nearby playground and splash pad are sure to keep the kids entertained for hours — and you don’t have to spend a dime.
The entrance to the zoo is pretty neat. There’s a board displaying the rules of the zoo, then a totally random, but still cute, painted dinosaur.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit, that animal sightseeing outdoors was pretty difficult. There are some cages for birds like eagles, hawks, and owls; as well as wolves, goats and llamas, but we had trouble finding the outdoor animals. The elk, however, had a huge, gorgeous setting to call home and we were able to see them just fine chilling under the bridge. There’s a large elk statue that offers a great place for a photo op though!
But by far, my son’s favorite exhibit at Phillips Park Zoo was the reptile house! It was very warm in there, but seeing the alligators, snakes and turtles so close was a real treat! Once we finished up at the reptile house, sadly we saw the exit — BUT there was a huge playground off in the distance.
The playground was so fun and we spent a good chunk of time there. My son loved the giant pirate ship. So many of the kids there were so into it. Thankfully, there was a large, shaded picnic area nearby for us to have our lunch on.
As we were making our way back to the car, I noticed that we completely missed the visitor’s center on the way in with the giant mastodon statue in front. Another nice photo op spot, and the visitor’s center is full of information on the animals at the zoo, and lots of educational exhibits and displays. There are also restrooms, vending machines, and drinking fountains at the visitor’s center.
There’s also a splash pad nearby, but we didn’t stop by on our last visit. Now that most pools and splash pads are open for the season, we’re going to have to make our way back here!

Visitng from Phoenix, AZ and decided to stop by this zoo to have a look. Very nice zoo. They have an awesome reptile house with snakes, tortoises, turtles, lizards, and alligators. In addition to some cool animals such as the puma, the otters, gray wolves, peacocks, bald eagles and owls. The best part is that it is free. I highly recommend visiting. Beautiful, entertaining and overall, awesome!

This is the perfect zoo for young kids. It’s small but I always appreciated that while my daughter was a toddler. The workers are very approachable. They are friendly and willing to answer any questions. There’s also a trolley tour that will take you around the entire park and over to mastodon lake to give you a little history of the park. It is nice to have this park and zoo that is entirely free to the public.

There’s a zoo in Aurora? I had no idea until I googled «Things to do in Aurora» and saw it listed in the search results. It’s free and open daily year round 9a-​5p! There’s a Reptile House that is open from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm daily. There’s a nice garden as you walk towards the entrance of the zoo filled with flowers and statues. The first few exhibits are the peacocks, sea otter and bald eagles. Unfortunately, there were no sea otters in the exhibit when I was there.
Other animals in the zoo includes Red Tailed Hawk, Great Horned Owls, Barred Owl, Cooper’s Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Gray Wolves, Mountain Lions, Elk herd, Turkeys, and a Muted Swan. The mountain lion was paces back and forth in the cage for a while before retiring to lay on one of the roof tops looking forlorn. I didn’t really get to see the swan because it was sitting under the deck out of sight.
The reptile house is nice and warm and has 2 huge alligators in it. They were just sitting there in their cage like statues. I didn’t see them move once. All along the walls are various frogs, snakes, an iguana and turtles.
There are no food/​beverage vendors and they have portable bathrooms.

the best free zoo around! great for kids! beautiful clean and well kept. i always stop in here at least once a summer

A free zoo that is clean and has a little playground close to it. Perefct for small children, not too overwhelming.

You can’t hate on a free zoo. It’s free. What kind of monster are you?
This place is a little gem — it features a small selection of animals from bald eagles to tortoises to otters. There’s a terrifying mountain lion, some wolves, and lots of falcons and owls. Each habitat has info as to why the animal is there. For instance, one of the bald eagles was rescued from the jaws of a great white shark. He lost an eyeball and broke his wing, so have a little sympathy! Jesus.
Some tips for the trip: bathroom situation is not so great. Let me repeat that it is a free zoo and just deal with it. Or do what I do and limit liquids before the visit. Plan for an afternoon there with the kidz because even though the zoo is small and you’ll go through it in less than an hour, there is a sweet park with a ton of playground equipment adjacent to the zoo.

Such a cute little zoo! My 7 and 5 year old got bored quickly but then we went to the park. They loved it! Next time we’ll make sure to go to the splash pad too!

Great little gem! Can’t beat free. There is a little splah pad area here and the reptile section was neat. The park area is lovely with all the mature trees. We will definitely be back.

Phillips Park Zoo was the last of the Chicagoland free zoos that I wanted to hit up and finally got the chance a few weeks ago. I have mixed feelings on everything at Phillips Park Zoo. Some animals I felt had completely adequate habitats and plenty of space, whereas others I felt needed a bit more in their living arrangements.
Upon first arriving at Phillips Park Zoo, I wasn’t quite sure where to go. I was one of just two cars in a parking lot so didn’t know if I was in the right place or not. The zoo is a bit out of the way and you have to just start walking through the grass & picnic tables to hit the entrance. There are a ton of picnic tables and I imagine it could be a nice place to pack a lunch for.
The zoo is open 9am to 5pm each day with free admission.
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A beautiful mute swan was the first animal I encountered at the zoo. This was one of the animals I felt needed some more space. Also, it’s swimming area was a child’s pool. I took a photograph but I felt so sad for this gorgeous creature. I go to nature preserves and see these beauties swim in pairs on ponds to themselves and just felt sad that his space to float around was a plastic kiddie pool.
Other animals I saw seemed completely content — peacocks, adorable river otters, different kinds of chickens, bald eagles, hawks, owls, tortoises, iguanas, snakes, crocodiles & other lizards and truly magnificent gray wolves.
My favorite little guys of the zoo were the river otters. They seemed the most happy in their little pair. They were playing in their area, chasing each other through the water and laid our sunbathing in the shine.
Overall, I liked this zoo but didn’t love it as much as the Cosley Zoo. I don’t think I’ll venture there again unless I happen to be in the area.

My girlfriend and I came here with her 4 year old nephew and had a wonderful time. It’s a free zoo within a park. I agree that it’s not worth a 2 hour drive to get to, but if you are nearby, want a nice walk and to see some local and some exotic wildlife… Worth the trip! Plan a picnic and a nice stroll on a nice day.
Places like this are few and far between, be sure to donate what you can so we can keep place slike this free! I miss Cosley being free.