Updated for September 2026
The Best Zoos in Kansas
How this list is ordered: by how complete our listing is — how much we hold on opening hours, ticket prices, accreditation, photographs, animals and facilities. It is a measure of our own coverage, not a judgement of the venue. We hold no visitor scores or conservation assessments, so “best” here means every zoo in Kansas that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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Rolling Hills Zoo
Zoo in Salina
The site sits 6 miles west of the I-70/I-135 junction and 2.5 miles south of Exit 244, past the settlement of Hedville. Over 100 animal species are held across its exhibits, and a wildlife museum of 64,000 square feet forms part of it.
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Sedgwick County Zoo
Zoo in Wichita
The collection numbers over 3,000 animals from close to 400 species, placing it seventh among American zoos by area and thirteenth by counts of species and animals. Opening came on 25 August 1971 through a partnership between the county and a zoological society, replacing an outdated display in Central Riverside Park that dated to around 1900. Exhibits range from the African Veldt of 1973 to Downing Gorilla Forest, Pride of the Plains and Cessna Penguin Cove.
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Guided tourOn-site dining
Sunset Zoological Park
Zoo in Manhattan
Sunset Zoological Park, opened in 1933, is a zoo in Manhattan, United States. Animals on show include prairie dogs, tigers, maned wolves, leopards and otters.
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Night and evening opening
Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center
Zoo in Topeka
Despite its modest size the zoo holds over 300 animals, and it draws more than 250,000 visitors a year. Animals on show include orangutans, Giraffe, Hippo and Tiger.
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Hutchinson Zoo
Zoo in Hutchinson
Hutchinson Zoo, opened in 1986, is a zoo in Hutchinson, United States.
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Keeper talk or showPlayground
Tanganyika Wildlife Park
Zoo in Goddard
Tanganyika Wildlife Park is a zoo in Goddard, United States. Animals on show include Pygmy Hippo, Indian Rhinos, white tiger, Bengal tiger and penguins.
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Keeper talk or showEducation program
Lee Richardson Zoo
Zoo in Garden City
Over 80 species are kept on 47 acres within the park, many of them not native to the region. Entry on foot is free, while cars pay $20.
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Education program
David Traylor Zoo of Emporia
Zoo in Emporia
The collection spans reptiles, arthropods, mammals and birds, numbering in the hundreds. Entry costs nothing. It stands in Soden's Grove Park, alongside a summer train, the Marsh Arch Bridge and a veterans memorial.
Our ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 8 venues above are listed alphabetically by name, the same order used throughout this site. We do not collect visitor reviews, star ratings, ticket-sales figures or a conservation-impact score, so none of those exist here to rank by — “best” in this page’s title means every venue that qualifies for this list, not first-to-last by quality. If we ever add a data source robust enough to support an honest ranking, this note and the order above will change together.