Updated for September 2026
The Best Zoos in Minnesota
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 Minnesota that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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Rides and attractions
Minnesota Zoo
Zoo in Apple Valley
It is one of two zoos in the country funded by a state, alongside the North Carolina Zoo. It opened on 22 May 1978, with exhibit design considered unusual at the time. Built on rural land that was turning suburban, it had room for larger exhibits and was among the earliest zoos to group animals by habitat rather than by taxonomy.
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Keeper talk or showMobility equipment loanSensory and cognitive support
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory
Zoo in St Paul
The attractions span a zoo and conservatory along with amusement rides, a carousel, a lake, a golf course and a pool, drawing over 1.9 million visitors a year. There is no admission charge, though donations of $4 per adult and $2 per child are suggested.
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Animal feeding experienceGuided tourEducation program
Hemker Park & Zoo
Zoo in Freeport
Hemker Park & Zoo is a zoo in Freeport, United States. Animals on show include Otters, Rhino, Bighorn sheep, giraffes and koi.
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Lake Superior Zoo
Zoo in Duluth
The zoo covers about 19 acres in the Fairmount neighbourhood below Spirit Mountain and is the sole zoo across northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. Kingsbury Creek, designated a trout stream by the state DNR, crosses grounds carrying over a mile of paved paths.
Our ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 4 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.