I've been to more than my share of zoos and this one has quite possible the most confusing layout of any. Also, some of the walkways are steep in spots but it appeared that they were in the process of fixing that issue to make it less strenuous. That being said, it is a small enough zoo that it ultimately doesn't take that long to find your way if you just keep walking. The exhibits are not the best nor the worst, as far as for viewing and for the quality of life for the animals. Some of the best are the ones for the prairie dogs and the wallabies. The landscaping is above average. On a warm/hot Sunday afternoon in June, there were multiple times when I felt like I had an exhibit to myself for a good five minutes or more. It was not at all crowded.

Nice place to visit with childrens...

Super nice little zoo! Took about an hour to walk through. They rent strollers or wagons and sell cold drinks. Lovely exhibits the animals are in. Will visit again when I'm back in town!

Love that Masks are required! Safely have fun and see all the animals :) It was a beautiful fall day with all the pretty leaves all over the Zoo!!!

This zoo is honestly so depressing. The enclosures are small and seem to have barely any enrichment. The poor cheetahs are stuck in the same repetitive pacing behavior. The admission may be low compared to other zoos, but for this zoo it's sky high. Also half the zoo is closed for some huge construction project. A whole walk through takes about 30 minutes. The admission should be discounted but of course it's not. It seems like all Sunset cares about is money... Wouldn't recommend visiting. I'll revisit after the construction is done and maybe consider changing this review.

No offense but unless it’s a service animal people shouldn’t be allowed to bring their dogs. This dude brought his dog and it was barking and scaring off a lot of the animals into their interior shelters so we couldn’t even see them. But also beware if you’re allergic to bees the zones are marked but wasn’t aware of it when buying tickets so definitely looked a fool running for my life bc there was hella

I rated Sunset zoo with 3 stars last year, but they definitely warrant an update. Most areas of the zoo have been reopened. They have opened the new Southeast Asia exhibit and the enclosures are beautiful. You can also tell that they have many updates to the older enclosures. The Austrailian Walkabout is currently closed. However, you can still see many of the animals. I do still feel that they should have more animals that are native to the area but i am no expert and do not know how licensing works. However, you cannot beat the admittance price and if you are just looking for something to do to get out of the house this is a great place to go. Great place to take the kids on the weekend that won't break the bank, or even if you want to take the wife on a date!

I enjoyed my time at this zoo. It isn't very large but it is easy to walk, the landscaping is pretty, and the animals are easy to view. One of the pelicans was playing with a pair of sticks which was interesting to watch and the gibbons were very playful with one another on the day I visited. We paid to feed the tortoise and my daughter loved it. My only complaints are water availability and the amount of shade in the enclosures. My daughter was thirsty but the two vending machines we found were out of stock, one water fountain was out of order, and the gift shop had a full refrigerator with every drink but water. We eventually found a working water fountain. A number of animals were up against the glass which made for great viewing but the reason it happened was because it was the spot with the most shade at that time of day so I'd love to see more shady areas provided for them. I'll still definitely make another visit as we enjoyed the zoo overall a lot.

CHEAP and such good zoo. They had cool close animals. They definitely care about these animals too because all animals looked respected and guarded for them to stay safe as well.

Very nice little zoo. Great for the whole family and surprisingly wheelchair accessible throughout. Because I visited during COVID I only got to see the outdoor exhibits, but that was more than enough to fill a morning. The Australian Walkabout allows you to walk around inside the enclosure with the emus and wallabies - very cool.

When we visited, they were gearing up for some significant renovations which may deter some visitors. We had a chance to speak with a person we assumed to be the director based on some other parts of the conversation. Having been to some of the other zoo's he had worked at, we were impressed and encouraged with the condition of this zoo. The animals seemed to have plenty of room given what the zoo had to work with and they didn't seem to be stressed. The day we visited was extremely cold but even so there were plenty of aminals in the exhibits. We will be keeping this in mind the next time we are back in town. We look forward to returning after the renovations as some of them were directed at making the zoo easier to get through.

This place is so great $5 for adults $3 for children some enclosures are under construction. This is well worth it make sure to get a drink at the gift shop before you start your journey there are no concessions available at this time. The Asia enclosure will be open soon it is under construction. If you're a penny collector they have the penny smashing machine with silicone bracelets to you put them in so that you can wear them. They do not have stickers but they do have patches.

The Sunset zoo while not very big was a fun little find in the area. The zoo was clean, the animals seemed well taken care of and the staff was friendly. We made it through the whole zoo in a little over an hour however, it is priced very well and was enjoyable!! I would recommend any animal lover stop by and check it out. Good family fun!!

Small but mighty! This zoo is incredible! One of my favorite stops while in Manhattan.

Two visits during the day in warm winter. Tigers and chimpanzees are especially interesting. The animals are active and small, but full zoo. The red panda is so cute. I plan to go there frequently this year as a member of the year.

Absolutely great zoo experience. The trail layout is nice. The exhibits are wonderful and the park is a nice place for kids to play. Feeding the tortoise was a fun experience. It was exceptionally hot the day we went but they had misters set up throughout the zoo which was a pleasant surprise. They have information on all the animals. The concessions have a wide variety of food and drinks, both hot and cold. Overall a really great zoo.

I was pretty disappointed. I understand it’s cheap to go to this zoo. I was impressed with the price until we got in and I realized why it was so cheap. Half of the animals were either hidden or not in their area. We saw monkeys,birds and a cheetah and just the wolves. The red pandas we went there for cause my daughter loves them were nowhere to be seen. The tigers,otters,bobcat,all the big cool animals we didn’t see. I know it’s hot out but still on days the animals are up and hiding they should offer discounts or money back. We took our whole day and even got their early to go cause we were excited. Completely bummed

I just moved to Manhattan, and being the aspiring connoisseur of zoos that I am I immediately got a membership at the Sunset Zoo. It is only $30 for a year which also gets you into most zoos in the U.S. for free or half price. They also have military discounts. I didn't expect much before going, as it is just Manhattan, KS, but the entrance was new and looked very similar to big city zoos. They have a decent variety of animals including a Cheetah, Tiger, Chimpanzees, etc. Many of the cages/exhibits were on the smaller side, especially the small space for their Cheetah. I did like the way a few exhibits are set up that allow you to walk in to an area where the animals can walk right up to you if they wanted. It is pretty small, you could see the whole zoo in a little over an hour probably, but provides many peaceful sitting areas that you could spend hours relaxing or reading while being surrounded by animals and nature. There is only one concession stand (which is a good thing in my opinion) and it is not nearly as overpriced as big city zoos. Overall, it can't compete with big city zoos purely because of the small size of Manhattan, but for residents of Manhattan I strongly suggest becoming a member because outside of K State events (there aren't many in the summer) this is one of the best attractions in town.

A great zoo for a smaller town. Beautifully landscaped with plenty of animals. Warning - it is on a steep hill so walking uphill is expected

We were driving through Manhattan on our way back from a day trip to Nebraska, saw the sign for the zoo, and decided to stop in. Admission is $5, there are some pretty impressive animals, and you can see the whole zoo in about two hours. Definitely worth your time!

I go here every year. It's always changing. Its absolutely beautiful!!! Good prices. Food places everywhere. Good interactions for kids. Always have fun here! The staff is always really nice and very informational!

Very cute Place small but the animal seemed happy and the people were very pleasant.

Great day for a zoo stroll. Family of 4 (2yr old, 3 month old) walked the place in about an hour and a half before nap time. Just the right amount to keep the littles entertained. Easy in and easy out.

Was in town and needed something to do, so I figured I'd stop by and see if it was any good. It's a nice little small zoo, with some cool animals, and has a fair ticket price. Unfortunately we were unable to see most of the larger animals like the big cats or the sloth bear, but that may have been because we arrived shortly after the zoo opened and maybe they weren't out.

Very nice zoo for its size, friendly staff and most active animals I have ever seen they get very close up and personal so it is nice for us photographers kind of upset I did not bring my good camera for the experience. I visited late October so many of the exhibits were closed due to weather and a large portion was closed due to unsafe steep ramps but for 5$ an adult I would definitely go back after renovations or during the warmer months.

Worse zoo we ever been too. None of the animals were out we paid so much money to see 3 animals total. The landscaping down the ramp was so grown up that it hit the kids in the face in the strollers. Don't waste your money.

I have taken my family twice. Once in the summer and once in the winter. Pros: It's nice to have a place in town to take the kids to see animals. It is budget, family, and kid friendly. But, do not expect the Houston or Oklahoma City zoo. Some of the animals exhibits need a lot of work and few animals have not been out on either trip. All this being said, it is still a good weekday place to take young kids to see animals and walk around.

This is a great small zoo for families. It has a nice assortment of animals. We visited at the end of October so it wasn't busy.

Wonderful! I love this zoo. It is small enough that you won't get tired out before you finish but boasts a variety of animals that are well looked after. Staff is always nice and it's affordable. Great for families, there's a playground and they have a bunch of great volunteer and childcare programs, and they do birthday parties. Very very good zoo couldn't be more pleased

Small zoo, but very well kept. Saw almost all of the animals. The kids loved it.

I have always loved this zoo. And even though I have not been back in years, I always have admired the hard work of the owners and staff to make it a wonderful experience for everyone. Some of my favorite memories of growing up come from going to this zoo with my parents, loved the peacocks 😍 but fell in love with all of the animals.

This is a really nice, small zoo. It wasn't very busy which was really nice. The only things that sucked was the petting zoo was shut down and my kids really were looking forward to that. The other thing is there's a very steep hill you have to go up as your looking at the exhibits and it is extremely tiring to walk up. The good things are that there's a playground for the kids and a picnic area as well as a concession stand. The Australian exhibit was my favorite bc the kangaroos are not in cages and you can get really close to them if they don't get scared and hop away.

SPOOKtacular was an awesome event, the children had a blast. We take the kids probably once a month to visit his favorite animals. Very affordable. Only downside is it’s kind of a smaller zoo and you can tell they don’t have a good budget from the enclosures and landscape. I’d even be willing to pay more to know to goes towards the animals habitats

Lovely, inexpensive zoo!

We had our son's 3rd birthday party here and it was a GREAT experience!! All the kids had fun and staff was amazing!!

Had a wonderful time at the zoo with my wife, parents and baby. Easy to get around with stroller, very clean zoo, prices are great for the family. We went in January, brrrrrr but most exhibits were open and animals seemed well cared for. We saw remnants of Christmas presents for some of the animals. Large enclosures, many exhibits. Good for an afternoon or keeping the kids busy for a few hours. Excited to see the other exhibits during spring and summer. Good job zoo keepers, this was an excellent zoo experience

(Translated by Google) It is under construction but it is comfortable to be able to walk and see the animals. (Original) Está en construcción pero es reconfortable poder caminar y ver los animales.

I look forward to going back after construction. Unfortunately the day we went the most exciting thing was the playground. It looks to be like a lot of neat things in the works though 😊.

Nice place but they were so much construction most of the zoo was closed. Can’t wait to the construction is over I’m sure it’s gonna be an awesome Zoo

A small zoo worth a trip to visit. The chimpanzees are always amazing. Clean zoo, small exhibit space for a few animals. All animals appear in good health. A bit small enclosure for one of the larger cats. Have visited about 3 times when in Manhattan, KS. Would go again in the future. Easy to see in one day. Great for small kids. Plenty of walking. COVID-19 had concessions and gift shop closed. A great day trip from surrounding areas or if you are passing through and want to stretch your legs. If I lived local I would have a membership and go a few times yearly.

Otters!

Small but had a variety of critters

This local zoo has a lot of history. Find a worker and ask. You will be amazed.

Very Small zoo. For the same price, you can get into the Kansas City Zoo. That zoo takes a day to see everything, if you're rushing. Sunset took an hour with a baby and breaks.

Not sure I saw the whole zoo, I was there for an event, but what I saw was so sad. The exhibits were so small and not catered towards the animals natural habitats. They looked like what would be there if it was a neighborhood or anything else. There was a couple of cheetahs in grass the size of a couple hotel rooms. A singular hyena in the same or slightly smaller space and a bird in an over-grown are with very low neting which looked difficult for the birds to fly in. I don't think this zoo should exist from what I saw..

Little animals to see and many exhibits were closed. I’ve never had my kids beg to leave a zoo before, we were all very disappointed. Also, there were no air conditioned areas other than the gift shop at the begging of zoo. Many areas were difficult or impossible to maneuver with a stroller. We won’t be going back.

Nice little zoo with a lot of shade. The price is affordable and the group rates are well priced.

Very good volunteer

I am glad is was only 15 for 2 adults and children. It was a Saturday and half the exhibits had no animals visible or closed.

Small zoo, but nice.

nice small town Zoo with great exhibits

The hilly layout makes for good exercise and lots of shade. The zoo has a quint atmosphere and several nice exhibits. My wife loves the flamingos with their babies!

This zoo sucks!

Better for children under 6 and for parents who are fit. There are some tricky parts to navigate, it is a kind of 'wandering' style park. Easy to enjoy the nice shaping of the land and exhibits, a very good day out with the family if you are ready for the entire unique experience.

Excellent

Awesome place to take your family. The employees are friendly and the animals are amazing. The jaguar was my favorite!

Visiting the Sunset Zoo was a very enjoyable experience for my family something I would recommend to anybody looking for something fun to do in Manhattan. We have membership at the Sedgwick Co Zoo (Wichita), so Sunset give us a 50% discount. Even without that it's an affordable place. There is a good diversity of animals. The cats: tigers, leopard, cheetahs, and bobcats were a big hit with our kids. The animals have good size, extremely clean enclosures and there were a few walk-through enclosures where you can get up close - such as the Emus. Uniquely, the zoo has paved trails rather than wide roads. The shady trails with beautiful vistas (especially from the Asian area) give the impression of being on a hike. We chatted awhile with a keeper and she was very friendly and knowledgeable. This zoo really impressed!

Such a great city zoo. It is cheap to get in and they have some very amazing animals to see. All the animals are very well taken care. Love it there. Should be on everyone's Manhattan bucket list.

A small zoo but very clean and a lot of animals. You definitely need to stop by and see the turtle, monkeys, and seals! The new rhino exhibit is awesome. I’d recommend a train ride for all of ages. It’s really short and sweet but a lot of fun. The train conductor gives you a lot of fun animal facts. This zoo is fun for all ages (mid 30s male here). BUT it’s really geared towards kids. They have the train, camel rides, a goat petting and feeding area, a giant playground, an awesome seal exhibit, and a prairie dog tunnel area.

Very fun destination for our family get together of 18. Enjoyed the train ride & taking in all the views. Safari area was really neat & all the monkey activity was entertaining. Only knock would be we wished there was elephants or more of an aquatic selection such as dolphins too. Other than that weather was decent & rain held off so that was a plus. Definitely will be revisiting as our 18 month old will be fascinated to go back for future visits as he learns more about the animals & species. Thanks for keeping park safe & protected with social distancing guidelines the best you can! Be blessed

Staff has always been super friendly, Altho not a large zoo it’s always been clean and well kept. My kids loved the night eyes experience!

LOVED this zoo!!!! I would've given 5 stars, but I was getting ready to walk out of the little building, right by the jellyfish, and pulled my mask down to talk to my son with asd (he couldn't understand what I was saying so I pulled my mask down in hopes that would help) and was very rudely told that I needed my mask on. When I pulled it up, she rudely told me that "NO..it needs to be pulled ALL the way up over your nose" Tall, thin girl with short brown hair and glasses. I would've understood if we were just walking in, or even in the middle of the exhibit, and if she would've asked nicely, but bc of the fact we were RIGHT by the door to walk out, made it seem like she was on a power trip.

Really enjoy visiting today. The time frames were perfect on how many people were allowed in. Everyone was friendly and polite.

I visited today with an Adventure Pass from my public library; it was good for two adults and two children. I wish that they required masks for the indoor exhibits during COVID. Fun overall!

Fun park! Interesting mix. Good flow.

A nice and a small zoo in the middle of Des Moines. Some of the animals can be seen from close up. I wish it had some more animals, but it was well maintained.

The Zoo was very nice and while there were people there it wasn't hard to social distance. I was surprised that there were quite a few people without masks but that is everywhere.

Such a fun zoo!

I want in the winter so it was not that great! But it was good time!! I got to see most of the animals!! Only thing I did not see there wolves or smaller many mammals (not sure I they do not have them because of the winter). Indoor was cool! Not much activities during winter (not a critic of it). I would recommend going during summer and during the not highly recommend! Great way to get out of the house!

I love this place last time I was there their were new rinos

Went today 1.9.21. No crowds and the best experience I have had at the zoo. Heard the lions roaring, sat right next to a tiger, and meatball the sea lion was adorable. Came right up to the glass and hung out with us for about 5 mins. And the wonderful lady working the gift shop was amazing and a lot of fun to talk to!! So glad we are members!

We love seeing all the animals here!

Super cute zoo. The animals are super cute and well kept.

Perfect sized zoo for a toddler

Loved it

Lots to offer and remember it's open year round.

Never disappoints! Friendly staff and clean. Security guard was even monitoring masks in discovery center.

A few things were closed but understandably so, we still felt we got our money's worth! Spent about 1.5 hours until closing but could have used more time, we really enjoyed it.

There was only 5 people giving out candy and 10 to 15 people holding up signs telling you what it cost to feed the animals not sure if that's what the kids wanted to see on trick or treat in 2020

Very nice zoo had a great time with family

Fun place,and something to keep the little ones having fun. Something exciting to see or do throughout the zoo.

Nice zoo! I have been coming to Zoo for many, many years!

Good zoo with a good set up of their exhibits so you can see the animals all really well, has a few spots to get drinks and eat inside aswell. The train ride is fun get to see a few exhibits from another side you wouldn't be able to without doing it. We got to go to the additional 'Night Eyes' event for an additional 6 dollars on top of original admission price which goes from 5 to 9pm. It has a lot of interesting light displays set up throughout the zoo and some of the animal exhibits still have their animals in them at night too!

We had a great time. I was pleased that the enforced mask wearing

Nice place to take the family

Love the variety of animals and exhibits.

Great for families with little kids. After spending my early years in Des Moines and living across from the zoo (mid 1980s), I see not much has changed sadly.

Nice place, you are close to the animals, clean and good size

Really a good Zoo for it's size. Great for the kiddos, and the parking as all pretty close to the entrance.

Awesome zoo

There were girafees.

Great place to take the family.

Our group had fun. Kinda sad to see so much blocked off. I understand a good deal of it, but some of it just made 0 sense and seemed more of a staffing issue maybe then a covid-19 issue. Either way, kids had a blast and so did the adults. Would be nice though if they had a paper map or more posted along the way...(the one in the African area was almost illegible, so take a picture at the zoo entrance or you may miss things as the paths diverge). Also would be great if the Hy-Vee Safari Grill offered souvenir cups. Just a thought.

Awesome zoo!

They had a lot of interactive options that were toddler and covid friendly.

My girls love the zoo, especially the train and carousel.

(Translated by Google) Beautiful there is a sea lion trainer and some caves and a very beautiful landscape and the man who drives the train is very kind Beautiful there is a sea lion trainer and some caves and a very beautiful landscape and the man who drives the train is very kind (Original) Precioso hay una entrenadora de los lobos marinos y unas cuevas y un paisaje bien lindo y el señor que maneja el tren es muy amable Beautiful there is a sea lion trainer and some caves and a very beautiful landscape and the man who drives the train is very kind

Great zoo!

Loved it would love to see an expansion

Nice decent sized zoo. Very clean.

To much money to pay after getting in for things to do. Also their should be no charges for the totally disabled people .also the senior prices should be noticed when a person pays shouldn't have to ask cause they charged me full price.

Cool

One of the Emus became my bff. Will be back.

Its super cute for a tiny zoo and maybe great for smaller kids. There is a good bit of walking. Just wish it didnt take so long to fix up the zoo. Seems like they have been doing it 4 out of the 5 years we have been going.

A great little zoo. The price is very reasonable. We got up close to the chimpanzees, which my 2yo loved. A nice little walk around. We will be back after construction is complete.

We got to go to the Sunset Zoo today for the first time and it was so much fun! There was a little Chimp that was extremely playful and kept banging on the window at us. He also reached out his arms for a hug and so did my husband and kids. The black and white monkies were "talking" with my husband. This is the first Zoo we have ever been to that had a playground in it too. The kids really enjoyed the walk through with the wallabys. It was an amazing experience! It was little but cute.

Nice little zoo unfortunately part of it is under construction. We were there in November so I guess most of the staff is gone. Some of the exhibits we're closed. Looks like a little cleaning and upkeep is needed for those areas still open to the public. For $5 it was a nice couple hours. I always wished the animals had more space. I would have liked to have read stories about each individual animal and maybe their names if they have them..... Side note the chimpanzee can be very inappropriate viewer discretion is advised, lol.

Nice little zoo! Will be even nicer when construction is finished!

Had my college graduation reception here, which is a great place to have one! However, we were charged for things after the fact for things we were not aware we were going to. A couple of the guest that were children went to play out in the lobby area for 10 minutes and because of that we were charged for an additional hour. This is fine, however it would have been appreciated for someone to come talk to us about this while it was happening so that we could handle the situation. Also, it was our understanding that the hour we got would not be charged and it was. And hour was taken away from our start time and because of that people showed up “early” and we also got charged for that. I wish there was better communication between us and the administrators and all of this could have been avoided.

Gone many times and now with the construction being done the new part of the zoo looks great and more open than before. From 3 to 4 all the animals were easy to see and appreciate in old and new enclosures. The direction the zoo is taking is certainly an upward trend as I feel the quality of the zoo with this remodeling has improved greatly and if they plan to do this with other areas I'm sure they will be greatly appreciated.

Well maintained small zoo. Good viewing areas to see animals when inside or out. Some steep walkways, but all handicap manageable. Pricing $6 adults, but no senior or military rates.

The zoo is nice and well maintained, but the animals must be in a bigger place. It's sad how animals like a tiger are in such a small place. There are also some species of animals with a single specimen. It would be better to replace species from other continents with native species, adapted to the climate of Kansas. However, it can be a good place for visiting one weekend.

Husband and I took the kids on a Saturday afternoon since the weather was pretty mild. We haven’t seen the newest and most recent renovations since they have been done. I have to say I liked it a lot more before when they did the initial renovations in 2014. There was a lot more bamboo (and shade.) This new renovation you can tell was just for more fancy event space. No peacocks out like before and not a lot of animals out in viewing areas. Which the kids were pretty disappointed about. They blocked off where you used to be able to walk and see kangaroos and the big emus. No baby swings at the playground… They need to put more things around the area for the kids, especially for the days the animals are hiding out. Maybe add on to the playground (because it’s pretty sad)or even add themed playgrounds in the different worlds they are trying to do. Just for more of an attraction to the public - because this zoo is really lacking. No wonder why there wasn’t too many people out there on a Saturday to begin with.

Great staff and easy to navigate, but every time we go, we never see more than 3 or 4 animals... they're all inside for some reason, even in nice weather. If we could catch them with the animals out, that would easily bring my review up to 4, maybe even 5 stars!

We visited this zoo with tickets from the Sunflower Summer program which was nice! While this is a smaller zoo, it was still a good time for the kids. Some of the exhibits were a lot better "landscaped" than others we've seen. We were lucky enough to be able to see some of the bigger animals up close which seems to be something that doesn't happen as often! Overall it was a good stop in our day.

We booked a birthday party for my daughter and she LOVED it. Raja was an amazing educator and made the party super fun. Definitely planning to use our new zoo passes quite a bit this summer.

Despite being such a small zoo this place is awesome. Rare Malayan Tiger, Amur Leopard, Two Beautiful Cheetah's, very clean. I loved the Manned Wolves & many other rare animals. Totally worth the time spent there, plus its an excellent workout.

It's a small zoo and you can tell they are struggling in some aspects despite recent renovations thanks to donors. That said, the animals are well taken care of and it's a great 1 hour or so stroll.

This zoo is as if the Cheyenne Mtn zoo and the Minnesota zoo got together and had a little baby zoo. It’s small but has a great layout where you see everything without having to double back or take a bunch of overlapping paths like some other places. It’s got a lot of potential for growth and honestly was a really good value. Keep up the good work guys. My only complaint is that because I came before the tourist season and when school is still in session, it made the parking options pretty limited since all the high schoolers from next door park in the same lot instead of in their own spaces.

Great zoo, went yesterday but not all of the animals were out and able to view which was a little sad. The chains when you walk into the black swan viewing area were very inconvenient as we had strollers and not sure why they were put there. They were hard to go through.