Chicago Zoological Society image

Chicago Zoological Society

Tourist attraction Non profit organization Zoo Education center

One of the Top rated Tourist attractions in Brookfield


Address

3300 Golf Rd, Brookfield, IL 60513

Contact

(708) 688-8000

Rating on Google Maps

4.70 (312 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Friday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Saturday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Sunday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Monday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Tuesday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Wednesday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Thursday: 10 AM to 5 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: animals (15) Great (11) good (6) time (6) year (6) people (6) areas (6) kids (6) Beautiful (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Jeff 3 years ago on Google • 82 reviews
    Always a good time at Brookfield Zoo! Everything is streamlined due to COVID but you can still watch a few hours disappear here. Most of the indoor exhibits are closed, so be sure you plan around the weather.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Plamen P. 3 years ago on Google • 44 reviews
    The hollidays lights are really nice this year. The zoo kept the dinosaurs and decorated them too. If you schedule rigth you can see the animals and also stay for the lights keeping your visit still under 2 and half to 3 hours.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Chris R. 4 years ago on Google
    My first disclaimer is that the staff of the zoo do a good job. So don't misunderstand that aspect. The Zoo has changed over the years from my childhood. It's gotten so much cleaner and things are getting fixed or rehabbed (slowly though). This is the only positive I see left with the zoo. Over the last 5-8 years the zoo is going from an animal showcase to more of a "contribute to the animals to save them in the wild" live infomercial...This doesn't sound bad but you should have the animal that people can connect with so they see why they should donate. Not just a bunch of fluff decor and signs. The bigger animals are giving way to the, what I like to call filler animals. we don't have elephants but we have a new frog now. Really???? Kids and adults like the usual key animals Elephants, Hippos, gators, Lions, tigers, bears, (oh my), giraffe, zebras and so on. It seems that over the years these animals have dwindled in numbers, been just removed (elephants), or there habitats have deteriorated so bad that they are nearly a joke to view. The zoo is spending to much on outside decorations and less on Animal Assets. The zoo collects very high admission, Tax money, personal/corporate sponsors and Grants/trust money. Where is this all going then?....The zoo seems to have stopped with heavy construction also in the last year or so. Bear grottos all closed up and no plans to address or baboon island sitting abandon and so on. Even once exciting things like dolphin shows are now disappointing. These shows are so short now and most of its filled with talking. I'm not saying stop informing on the dolphins but I can watch a documentary at home. Sadly, you'll see lots of pointless money and land space spent on a Nature walk around the pond they have also. Sounds odd that I would say a nature thing in a zoo is pointless, right?... Well consider that the zoo is surrounded by several large forest preserves already. So this one is special I guess because you have to pay to see it. This on top of the many old dead and overgrown areas on that side of the park that make it look run down and just simply make more areas to walk around with nothing to see. NOT sure on the thought process there. Conclusion- Don't waste your money. The zoo is now set up to sell you on donations and carnival rides/attraction shows. In stead of visiting one to say meet an elephant in person and experience what 98% of people will never be able to experience . They'll tell you about their plight and ask you to donate (i mean hey...the picture they use of an elephant is sad looking). Don't worry if there big attraction animals people come to see either are off exhibit or way off in a corner out of sight....they at least have some birds and insects to see ( or was that at home I saw those?????)
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jennifer Hornung (Jenny H. 3 years ago on Google • 234 reviews
    Great job of keeping the zoo safe during the pandemic. Staggered entrance time was perfect.

  • 5/5 Michael E. 4 years ago on Google • 201 reviews
    A.K.A. the Brookfield zoo. It is a great place to take your kids. They are always having special events and are open year round. I would suggest if you live in Chicagoland too become a member. It is worth it.

  • 5/5 John S. 4 years ago on Google • 178 reviews
    Great little zoo free great for families

  • 5/5 Sara L. 4 years ago on Google • 171 reviews
    Great exhibits, animals, and a member breakfast. Best zoo ever!

  • 5/5 ZEE G. 4 years ago on Google
    if you dont appreciate stuff like this, you are a fool
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 T & C K. 6 years ago on Google
    Beautiful!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Susan M. 3 years ago on Google
    Many many people without masks. No one enforcing wearing masks even though it says they are required when entering the zoo and when you can't social distance. When approached security I was told not to come back if I didn't like it or to get Pritzker to enforce it. Been a member for years. Not anymore.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Dave S. 6 years ago on Google
    Nice park in the middle of Northbrook
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Peter K. 6 years ago on Google
    Awesome place!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 GL J. 4 years ago on Google • 153 reviews
    Great zoo, lots of animal habitats. The Boo at the Zoo event is fun with some candy treats for everyone.

  • 5/5 Edna T. 7 years ago on Google • 150 reviews
    Always enjoy visiting this zoo. They are constantly upgrading older areas and building new state of the art animal exhibits. There are summer concerts on the mall. The carousel is beautiful. The free flight show was amazing (performed only during summer). Craft beer is available at several vending areas throughout the park.

  • 5/5 Luis A. 1 year ago on Google • 118 reviews
    Great place to bring your family.

  • 5/5 Debbi S. 4 years ago on Google • 115 reviews
    It has such a wide variety of animals and more than just one of each. Their homes are in realistic settings. Clean bathrooms, good food choices for the whole family.

  • 5/5 Tom T. 5 months ago on Google • 81 reviews
    Another amazing zoo in Chicago, the place is huge with lots to see and do. Well worth the visit

  • 2/5 Truthseeker 1 year ago on Google • 38 reviews
    Zoos…. A place to watch animals have a horrible quality of life by standing or moving is small areas Vs the needed area sizes to keep their muscles moving and hearts working. This is the western worlds biggest flaw. Engineering away from Nature to create a delusional environment for nature. The disconnect and delusion is putrid. Wildlife should be kept on conservation parks NOT a zoos.

  • 5/5 Albert D. 1 year ago on Google • 25 reviews
    Awesome place to bring your family.

  • 5/5 Mark G. 6 months ago on Google • 16 reviews
    Awesome

  • 5/5 Alice S. 8 months ago on Google • 12 reviews
    A.K.A. the Brookfield zoo. It is a great place to take your kids.

  • 4/5 Daniel P. 2 years ago on Google • 9 reviews
    Its always fun, but can be hit or miss. If you're collecting pressed pennies, many of their machines don't work, and are not marked out of order, some even have wasp nests.

  • 5/5 vadim n. 3 years ago on Google
    Nice place

  • 5/5 Dobie D. 3 years ago on Google
    Beautiful.

  • 1/5 Francis J. 3 years ago on Google
    Boring. Kids won't have fun here.

  • 4/5 Kevin J. 5 years ago on Google
    No fire pits? Nice shelters / pavilions. Dog friendly. Plenty of woods. Dumpsters. Close parking. Great for picnicking. Maintained lawn, spacious for pickup games. Place to ditch hot coals but no firepits nor fire rings. Close to interstate 94. ...

  • 5/5 Monica J. 4 years ago on Google
    Love it

  • 5/5 Robert H. 4 years ago on Google
    Very fasinating place Would highly recommend to anyone if you're out west

  • 5/5 Miss Jean A. 4 years ago on Google
    Very Beautiful& Peaceful!

  • 5/5 Jill V. 4 years ago on Google
    Very pretty and I would recommend the park

  • 3/5 Jay M. 4 years ago on Google
    Great I guess .

  • 3/5 Kihlibarn M. 5 years ago on Google
    Those are somme woods

  • 5/5 Fernando R. 5 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) Very nice place (Original) Muy bonito este lugar

  • 5/5 John M. 5 years ago on Google
    Is this a prairie dock/compass plant hybrid?

  • 1/5 Matthew B. 5 years ago on Google
    Like actual Somme

  • 3/5 tatyana r. 6 years ago on Google
    Good place for walking, nothing special.

  • 4/5 Brandon B. 6 years ago on Google
    Surprisingly large grouping of trails and some old trees. Trails are narrow and burrs can be abundant. Lots of volunteers are working on eradicating the invasive species. It can be really wet after any measurable reason event. Rarely crowded.. Never crowded actually. I see deer on most every visit.

  • 5/5 Kevin M. 7 years ago on Google
    It's just so incredibly beautiful

  • 5/5 Brian M. 7 years ago on Google
    Beautiful

  • 5/5 Ms. Kimberly Renee R. 8 months ago on Google • 7 reviews
    Hot day at Brook Field Zoo but the children enjoy see the animals.

  • 1/5 Sharon J. 3 years ago on Google
    The zoo is mostly good with respect to teaching and conservation practices. But, it could be so much better with respect to aquatic mammals. The zoo still has dolphins that they "show" and hold captive. These intelligent mammals should be released to a marine sanctuary and no longer be forced to perform.

  • 5/5 Michael R. 4 years ago on Google
    My family loves it

  • 4/5 Marisela G. 4 years ago on Google
    Not a lot if wildlife but it's good for a walk

  • 5/5 Michael S. 4 years ago on Google
    Love the zoo. Getting a membership is the only way to go if you plan on visiting at least 2 times in a year. Also, get the souvenir cup for free refills all year long. The kids love it!

  • 5/5 Tunisia M. 4 years ago on Google
    We love Cosleys zoo. It's been my daughter favorite since she was 1 years old.

  • 5/5 Karlee C. 4 years ago on Google
    Easy to navigate. Friendly people.

  • 5/5 Ed R. 4 years ago on Google
    This place is awesome great for families and friends.

  • 3/5 Rachel J. 4 years ago on Google
    This Zoo highlights shopping opportunities over learning opportunities. Every turn reveals another gift shop, face painter, beer stand, ice cream cart, animal feeding experience, and so on. The multiple playgrounds in the zoo also serve as a distraction from the animals and beautiful landscaping.....and unfortunately, lunch. I had to avoid large areas of the zoo during our lunchtime if I wanted kids to eat.

  • 4/5 Adekunbi B. 4 years ago on Google
    Good place to be.

  • 4/5 Richard K. 4 years ago on Google
    Rainy, but lots of candy for the kids.

  • 5/5 Lana S. 4 years ago on Google
    Have always loved Brookfield Zoo

  • 5/5 Janis D. 3 years ago on Google
    Had a wonderful time with my grandchildren and daughter. Everything was correct with the rules from the pandemic.

  • 5/5 Doug P. 3 years ago on Google
    The Zoo is doing a great job during Covid as can be expected.. Looking forward to getting back to seeing more of the Zoo when this is all over..

  • 5/5 Ron P. 3 years ago on Google
    Excellent zoo lights.

  • 5/5 Rochelle K. 4 years ago on Google
    I feel all the past times I've been here.

  • 5/5 Dennis M. 3 years ago on Google
    Very well organized during COVID.

  • 3/5 David V. 3 years ago on Google
    They used to have funnel cakes, but apparently, they don't have them anymore. It was just too crowded. Many people were not wearing masks.

  • 5/5 Steven G. 3 years ago on Google
    Beautiful day to visit but grill is already closed

  • 5/5 Claudia B. 3 years ago on Google
    Perfect for a pandemic family outing.

  • 5/5 Margaret S. 4 years ago on Google
    Loved it

  • 5/5 Ed B. 3 years ago on Google
    Love the lights at the zoo, best time ever!

  • 3/5 Brett S. 3 years ago on Google
    They are transforming this area back to prairie with trails, unfortunately not ready yet. We walked around and got tons of ticks, luckily just wood ticks.

  • 5/5 Joel F. 3 years ago on Google
    Beautiful wildflowers hidden in a prairie paradise

  • 5/5 Ed S. 3 years ago on Google
    It's in the process of prairie restoration.

  • 5/5 Jonathan E. 3 years ago on Google
    Great place to park for a bike ride

  • 5/5 Jean Marie L. 4 years ago on Google
    Always a good time

  • 5/5 Linda H. 4 years ago on Google
    Loved the habitats. We had a sloth right overhead!

  • 5/5 Pam N. 4 years ago on Google
    Have loved this zoo since I was a kid!! Never fails me!!

  • 5/5 sergio d. 4 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) The different species of animals (Original) Las diferentes especies de animales

  • 5/5 Louise C. 3 years ago on Google
    Enjoying Autumn leaves colors,

  • 5/5 Rosalva M. 4 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) Very beautiful place (Original) Muy bonito Lugar

  • 5/5 Dan M. 4 years ago on Google
    Great time of year to go, animals more active and so many to see. Wild encounters worth it

  • 4/5 Theresa F. 4 years ago on Google
    Great place to see animals and walk around. You can also ride around on the tram.

  • 5/5 JohnnyReb 1. 4 years ago on Google
    My kids always have fun there. Great place.

  • 5/5 James W. 4 years ago on Google
    Love it enjoy around

  • 5/5 JEFFRY T. 4 years ago on Google
    Awesome places

  • 5/5 Tanya L. 4 years ago on Google
    We obsessively love Brookfield Zoo.

  • 5/5 derwin r. 4 years ago on Google
    Woo didn't know I had so many relative


Call (708) 688-8000 Open on Google Maps

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