What are the opening hours?

Monday 10am - 5pm Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm Sunday 10am - 5pm

Peoria Zoo

Peoria Zoo, a Peoria Park District Facility. Learn more at PeoriaZoo.org EXCELLENT IN ANIMAL CARE: Our animals are ambassadors for wildlife conservation.

OUR MISSION
Create connections that inspire an appreciation for and encourage actions to conserve the natural world. OUR VISION
The Peoria Zoo will be recognized as a leader in raising public awareness and commitment to conservation. OUR INSTITUTIONAL CORE VALUES

Outstanding Human Relations: Our visitors, staff and volunteers are vital to achieving our mission. They will be treated with the utmo

st respect and we will strive to make their connection with the zoo as enriching as possible. We will promote innovations in husbandry and achieve the highest standards of animal care. CONNECTIONS THROUGH EDUCATION: Only through caring, will people make the choices and changes needed to save our natural resources. Our education programs will promote the knowledge and connections that are the key to caring. IMPACT ON CONSERVATION: Conservation is our cause. Our programs and practices will be based on achieving the maximum possible conservation potential.

08/17/2025

🐐🌱Jetsan's Outdoor Adventure
After a few weeks of settling in behind the scenes, Jetsan finally stepped outside to explore! He took it slow, pausing at the doorway and even glancing back a few times, but curiosity won in the end 💛

Takins are natural climbers, perfectly adapted for steep, rocky terrain in the Eastern Himalayas. Jetsan's outdoor habitat is full of new sights, smells, and sounds for our young takin to explore!

Jetsan is getting braver every day. Come see him for yourself at the Peoria Zoo!

08/16/2025

🦒BOOP!
Caption this moment of Emy our female giraffe! Drop your best caption in the comments 👇 — the funnier, the better!

08/15/2025

🎉 She's turning 30, and she's not monkeying around 🐒💅
Tara the Mandrill is celebrating a major milestone this Saturday at the Peoria Zoo!

You might spot her enjoying some birthday enrichment and tasty treats during your visit. Swing by and wish her a happy 30th, in person or in the comments below! 🎂❤️

08/14/2025

⚡ Fast, weird, and wonderfully unique — meet Scraper!

Born in 2001 right here at Peoria Zoo, Scraper has been part of our education family for over two decades. He’s known for his long claws and speed when he’s active… and for turning into a tightly curled ball when he’s not.

He’s full of personality, and just when you think he’s all cuteness, he’ll surprise you — by blowing bubbles in his own urine. 🤷‍♀️ He’s a fan favorite for his unpredictable energy and natural charm.

08/12/2025

🐛 The most low-key (but leggiest!) students in the class!

Born in 2024, these four gentle giants help us teach about decomposition, ecosystems, and the importance of tiny creatures in nature. They may be new to the program, but their calm presence and fascinating legs make them instant favorites.

With 300–400 legs apiece, they cruise slowly through each program, showing guests how millipedes recycle nutrients and clean up the forest floor. They may not be flashy, but they’re essential — and beloved.

08/11/2025

Come talk a walk on the wild side! 🐾

Thursday, August 14 is a Donation Day at Peoria Zoo — enjoy the Zoo for FREE and support our mission if you’re able.

🦁 Visit your favorite animals
🧠 Learn something new at our Keeper Chats
🦒 Don’t miss a chance to feed the giraffes!

🎟 Free admission.
💚 Donations are welcome, but never expected.
📍 The Australia Walkabout will be closed on Donation Days.

08/10/2025

🦁 World Lion Day 🦁
Today we celebrate World Lion Day—a global effort to raise awareness and support for the conservation of African Lions, a vulnerable species and a vital part of their ecosystems. 🌍💛

Here at Peoria Zoo, we’re proud to care for Lizzy, our incredible lioness who embodies the spirit of her species. She may be our older gal, but Lizzy is still the queen of the savanna—often seen perched on her rock, ruling her domain with a watchful eye. 👑

Lizzy is a lion’s lion:
🍖 Extremely food motivated—she lives for meatballs, heart meat, and shank bones.
🧠 Energetic and enriched—her keepers hide food throughout her yard and enclosure to encourage natural hunting and foraging behaviors.
🎯 She responds well to training and spends much of her day seeking out and engaging with enrichment—an excellent example of how lions behave in the wild, especially when solo.

Since the passing of Arthur, Lizzy has been the only lion in her habitat. The Zoo continues to consult with AZA and Species Survival Plan (SSP) experts to ensure she’s thriving. Because introducing young animals to older ones in zoo settings is challenging, our team is carefully monitoring Lizzy for species-specific behaviors—and she’s showing us all that she’s still got it. 💪

Peoria Zoo is proud to participate in AZA's SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) program to help protect African Lions for generations to come.

🐾 Let’s honor Lizzy—and lions worldwide—by learning, sharing, and supporting conservation efforts.

08/08/2025

🐢 Holmes is not here for the drama — unless you’re a fish.

Holmes is 8 years old and already weighs over 35 pounds! With a prehistoric look and jaws powerful enough to crack bones, he is one of the most impressive residents of our education program.

Despite his size, Holmes is incredibly chill — slow-moving, deliberate, and calm. He’s happiest when parked in his pool with his mouth open, pretending to be a rock while wiggling his tongue like a worm to lure prey.

🐟 Favorite Snack: Live goldfish
🕵️ Personality: “Most Likely to Nap Through Class… but still know all the answers.”

08/07/2025

🎉 Exciting Baby News from the Peoria Zoo! 🐒

We’re thrilled to announce the birth of a new mandrill infant at the Peoria Zoo! Born on July 30, 2025 this little one is the latest addition to our growing mandrill horde, joining mom Kofola, dad Linus, big sister River, and “Aunt” Tara.

Kofola is doing a fantastic job and keeping the baby close, so we’re giving them plenty of space to bond. That means we haven’t confirmed the baby’s gender just yet—but stay tuned!

A little background on our mandrill family:
• Kofola came to the Peoria Zoo on July 2, 2022, from the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans.
• Linus joined her on February 17, 2023, as part of a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP).
• The pair welcomed their first baby, River, on August 19, 2023—and now she’s officially a big sister!

With a gestation period of about 180 days, this new birth is an exciting milestone for both our zoo and global mandrill conservation efforts.

Mandrills are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. In the wild, their biggest threats include hunting for meat and habitat destruction from agriculture, mining, road construction, and oil/gas drilling.

Thanks to your support, the Peoria Zoo and other AZA-accredited institutions can continue protecting and preserving this incredible species. 💚

More updates (and baby photos!) coming soon!

08/06/2025

🦒 You know her. You love her. And she’s hungry. 😋 Meet Emy, Peoria’s snack queen.

Ready to have your main character moment feeding a giraffe?
🕛 Giraffe Feeding daily at 12 & 2 PM through Labor Day
💵 Just $5 per person
📍 Peoria Zoo

👯‍♀️ Tag your zoo buddy and come make a memory with Emy—she’s waiting (and she knows if you brought the good leaves). 🌿

08/05/2025

🎒📚 Back to School… Zoo Style!

It’s that time of year when backpacks are packed, the pencils are sharpened, and everyone’s heading back to class — including our animal ambassadors at Peoria Zoo! 🐾

Just like your favorite students, each of our education animals has a unique personality, snack of choice, and unforgettable classroom energy. So we made them their very own “first day of school” signs to celebrate the wildest members of the Zoo family.

Over the next few days, we’ll be introducing you to the Wild Class of 2025 — starting with our tree-loving, sass-delivering skink…

🦎 Meet Oscar — our sassy tree-top explorer!

At 16 years old, Oscar is a prehensile-tailed skink who’s got attitude, charm, and a love for climbing. While her rough scales, strong claws, and muscular tail help her hang out high in the canopy, her favorite activity might just be giving us her best reptilian side-eye. 👀

She’s sweet… until she’s not. And she’s most likely to climb above the drama and judge you quietly from a branch.

08/04/2025

🐢✨ Wild Encounters is back this Saturday!🐢 SLOW down and meet some turtle friends this weekend! We’re heading to the Peoria PlayHouse Porch for Wild Encounters: Second Saturdays—a fun-filled, family-friendly morning of nature education, crafts, and close-up animal moments.

📍 Peoria PlayHouse Porch
📅 Saturday, August 9
🕚 11 AM – 12 PM
🎨 Theme: Turtles — Learn what makes these reptiles so shell-tastic!

Perfect for curious kids and animal lovers of all ages. Register here: https://peoriazoo.org/event/wild-encounters-second-saturdays-4/

Address

Peoria, IL

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 5pm
Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm
Sunday	10am - 5pm

Telephone

+13096863365

Website

http://www.peoriazoo.org/

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