Wildlife parks & zoos in Kansas are the perfect family activity for tourists and natives alike. These are our favorites – and several of them are free!
Check out our Kansas Road Trip Bucket List here!
BEST WILDLIFE PARKS & ZOOS IN KANSAS
Brit Spaugh Zoo & Raptor Center
2123 Main St.
Great Bend, KS 67530
Admission: FREE
The Great Bend Zoo features species from around the world and also maintains a Raptor Rehabilitation Program.
David Traylor Zoo
75 Soden Road
Emporia, Kansas 66801
Admission: FREE
The David Traylor Zoo is one of the smallest accredited zoos in the nation. On display are nearly 400 specimens of birds, mammals and reptiles.
Here are some more fun things to do in Emporia with kids!
Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead
13800 Switzer Rd.
Overland Park, KS 66221
Admission: $5 per person; children 2 & under FREE
Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead is home to more than 250 animals and birds! Visitors can also learn about growing flowers and vegetables, tour a one-room school house, and take a stroll through main street to the fishing pond.
Check out more fun things to do with kids in Overland Park here!
Hutchinson Zoo
6 Emerson Loop E
Hutchinson, KS 67501
Admission: Suggested donations of $5/ family or $2 per person
The Hutchinson Zoo is a fun summer spot for families. With a splash river, train, and lots of animals, kids will love spending an afternoon here!
More fun things to do with kids in Hutchinson.
Kansas State Insect Zoo
1500 Denison Avenue
Manhattan, KS 66506
Admission: $3 per person, kids 3 & under FREE
Located on the K-State campus in Manhattan, the Insect Zoo is a unique attraction bug lovers will enjoy! The zoo features a number of exciting educational exhibits, including a Tropical tree/flooded Amazonian Rainforest, Tropical Nighthouse (Cave), Observation Beehive, a Mock Kitchen, a Freshwater Display, and a number of terraria with numerous species of tropical insects, tarantulas and spiders, scorpions, and other arthropods.
Don’t miss more family fun & things to do with kids in Manhattan KS here.
Lee Richardson Zoo
312 E Finnup Drive
Garden City, KS 67846
Admission: FREE for pedestrians, $10/car to drive through
Riverside Park & Ralph Mitchell Zoo
400 Mickey Mantle Way
Independence, KS 67301
Admission: $5 per person
The Riverside Park & Ralph Mitchell Zoo boasts animals, a train, a carousel, and mini golf! Don’t miss this fun family attraction if you’re passing by Independence, KS.
Rolling Hills Zoo
625 N. Hedville Road
Salina, KS 67401
Admission: Adults $15, Seniors $14, Kids 3-12 $9, Kids 2 & under FREE
The Rolling Hills Zoo in Salina, KS boasts big cats, primates, mammals, reptiles, and “kids country” farm.
Check out more things to do in Salina with kids here.
Safari Zoological Park
1751A CR 1425
Caney, KS 67333
Admission: 13+ $14.95, 2-12 $12.95, Under 2 FREE
The Safari Zoolical Park in Caney, KS is the highest rated Kansas zoo on Trip Advisor! They ask visitors to always check their hours via their Facebook page.
Sedgwick County Zoo
5555 W Zoo Blvd
Wichita, KS 67212
Admission: Adult (12+): $25; Senior (65+): $22; Child (3-11): $22; 2 & under FREE
With a train, boat, giraffe feeding station, and stingray exhibit, it’s no wonder the Sedgwick County Zoo is the highest-rated attraction in Wichita on TripAdvisor!
Click here for more fun things to do while visiting Wichita with kids!
Sunset Zoo
2333 Oak Street
Manhattan, KS 66502
Admission: Adults $6, Kids $4, 2 & under FREE
While you’re in Manhattan, be sure to stop by the Sunset Zoo to see their exhibits of over 150 animals!
Don’t miss more family fun & things to do with kids in Manhattan KS here.
Tanganyika Wildlife Park
1000 S. Hawkins Lane
Goddard, KS 67052
Admission: $99.99 Mid-march through Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day through mid-November; $149.99 Memorial Day through Labor Day *40% discount for locals living in Sedgwick, Butler, Harvey, and Sumner counties.
Get up close and personal with the animals at Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Goddard, KS (just west of Wichita). You can pet & feed a variety of animals – including birds, kangaroos, lemurs, giraffes, and more! They’ve even got a splash pad and playground.
Click here for more fun things to do while visiting Wichita with kids!
Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center
635 SW Gage Blvd.
Topeka, KS 66606
Located in the heart of Gage Park, the Topeka Zoo has been a favorite destination for kids and adults since the 1930s. Today it features more than 300 animals amidst acres of native horticulture.
Don’t miss these other fun things to do in Topeka KS with kids!
Wright Park Zoo
71 N 2nd Ave
Dodge City, KS
The zoo currently is home to about 126 animals representing 30 or so species from almost every continent of the earth and entertains 60,000 visitors a year. In October of 2010, the zoo gained accreditation with the Zoological Association of America (ZAA).
BONUS ZOO
Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium
6800 Zoo Drive
Kansas City, MO 64132
Admission: $19-22
Not in Kansas, but close enough! The Kansas City Zoo and newly updated aquarium are a family favorite.
