Updated for September 2026
The Best Zoos in Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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Animal encounterBehind-the-scenes tourNight and evening opening
Henry Vilas Zoo
Zoo in Madison
Henry Vilas Zoo, opened in 1911, is a zoo in Madison, Wisconsin, United States.
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Guided tourParking
International Crane Foundation
Zoo in Baraboo
The 250-acre site carries crane exhibits covering 15 species, a visitor centre, breeding pens, a research library and trails. Offices are maintained in China, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, South Africa and Texas, and the work runs through partnerships with local groups, governments, universities and businesses.
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Overnight stayBehind-the-scenes tourParking
Racine Zoological Gardens
Zoo in Racine
The collection covers over 100 species, weighted towards Wisconsin natives, and includes a building for the state's reptiles and amphibians. Some reptiles and amphibians are held off display for teaching use.
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Menominee Park Zoo
Zoo in Oshkosh
The zoo dates from 1945 and stands in the city's largest park, on the north side by Lake Winnebago, wrapping around the lagoon at the park's centre. It usually keeps between 30 and 50 animals, among them otters, elk, wolves, tortoises and birds. A gift from a married couple made admission free from 2006.
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Guided tourParking
Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens
Zoo in Milwaukee
The zoo holds 3,100 animals of 350 species and draws about 1.3 million visitors a year. In 2017 it was one of the first seven zoos certified for humane animal treatment by the American Humane Society. By 2025 that certification covered 42 zoos and aquariums in the United States.
Our ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 6 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.