The zoo was built on land donated by Edith Rockefeller McCormick during the Great Depression.
It was the first zoo in North America to exhibit giant pandas, with the arrival of Su-Lin in 1937.
The zoo's layout utilizes a radial design with central pedestrian malls branching out to various animal exhibits.
It houses a massive saltwater aquarium system, the Seven Seas, which holds approximately 1 million gallons of water.
The facility maintains a 'Great Bear Wilderness' habitat that spans 7.5 acres.
It hosts an annual Holiday Magic event, which is the longest-running lights festival in the Chicago area.
Many of the zoo's original buildings from the 1930s are preserved and feature elaborate Art Deco architectural detailing.
The zoo manages a specialized hospital and nutrition center for advanced veterinary care.
Brookfield Zoo, operated by the Chicago Zoological Society, is a 235-acre facility housing over 3,000 animals across diverse, immersive habitats. It is globally recognized for pioneering the use of moats instead of bars to separate animals from the public, a design innovation implemented upon its 1934 opening. The zoo features the Seven Seas dolphin exhibit, a dedicated indoor tropical rainforest environment, and an extensive collection of large mammals, including polar bears and snow leopards. It serves as a major center for biological research and animal conservation efforts, contributing to several Species Survival Plans. The park is characterized by its expansive, landscaped grounds integrated into a forest preserve setting. Visitors can navigate the grounds using the internal motorized tram system that connects major zones of the facility.
The raised viewing deck at the Great Bear Wilderness for panoramic shots of the polar bear habitat.
Download the zoo's interactive app to track daily animal feeding times and event schedules.
Bring a refillable water bottle, as the zoo maintains several hydration stations throughout the park.
Wear comfortable, broken-in walking shoes, as the park covers a large geographic footprint with significant walking distances.
Attempting to see every exhibit in a single day, which leads to fatigue; focus on specific geographic zones instead.
Open daily year-round; select outdoor exhibits may be inaccessible or modified during extreme winter weather.
Maintain quiet voices near animal viewing areas, do not tap on enclosure glass, and do not feed the animals.
