Peoria Zoo, spread across 14 hectares (35 acres), houses over 200 animals from around the world.
The zoo connects you with wildlife and nature in a tranquil atmosphere and lets you understand what animals eat, what threats they face, and how we can protect them from going extinct.
This article covers everything you must know before booking tickets for Peoria Zoo.
Top Tickets for Peoria Zoo
# Tickets for Peoria Zoo
# Chicago City Pass
What to expect
At Peoria Zoo, walk past six amazing animal exhibits, including Africa, Australia, Asia, Tropics, Contact Barn, and Conservation Center.
Africa: Meet the colobus monkey, Thomson’s gazelle, white rhinoceros, African lion, giraffe, mandrill, red river hog, etc., in this exhibit.
Australia: Come closer to emus, laughing kookaburra, red-necked wallaby, black swan, and budgerigar in the Australian Walk-About exhibit.
Asian Trail: Stroll through the Asian trail to view Galapagos tortoises, tigers, Chinese muntjacs, and takins.
Tropics Building: In this building, see slender-tailed meerkats, tarantulas, black-handed spider monkeys, pythons, mongoose lemurs, ring-tailed lemurs, and many more species.
Contact Barn: Get nose-to-nose with donkeys, Nigerian dwarf goats, chickens, zebu, and llamas.
Conservation Center: Explore this center where endangered amphibians and reptiles are kept, including prehensile-tailed skink, Chinese alligator, spotted turtle, and green and black poison dart frog.
Where to buy Peoria Zoo tickets
You can buy Peoria Zoo tickets online and at the ticket booth at the main gate.
We strongly suggest you purchase online tickets to save money and time.
Online ticket prices tend to be cheaper than tickets at the venue.
When you buy online, you can avoid the long queues at the ticket counters.
Because some zoos sell a limited number of tickets, booking early helps avoid last-minute disappointment.
How online ticket works
Go to the Peoria Zoo ticket booking page, select the number of tickets and date you wish to visit and book your tickets right away!
After completing the payment, you will receive a confirmation email.
There’s no need to take ticket printouts. On the day of your visit, show the ticket on your smartphone at the zoo entrance gate and walk in!
Remember to bring your official IDs.
Ticket prices
The tickets for Peoria Zoo are priced at US$12 for adults aged between 13 and 64 years.
Seniors over 65 years old can get the ticket at US$11.
Children’s tickets cost US$8 for those between two to 12 years old.
Infants below one year of age get free admission to the zoo.
Peoria Zoo admission tickets
With this ticket, you get admission to the zoo and access to all six exhibits, including Africa, Australia, Asia, Tropics, Contact Barn, and Conservation Center.
Attend the daily keeper chats to hear some interesting stories from the zoo keepers.
Let your kids go wild at the Playground with the rock wall.
To experience animal feeding and behind-the-scenes encounters, you must buy a separate ticket at the zoo.
Ticket Prices
Adult Ticket (13 to 64 years): US$12
Senior Ticket (65+ years): US$11
Child Ticket (2 to 12 years): US$8
Infant Ticket (up to 1 year): Free
Save time & money! Buy Chicago City Pass, visit the Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium, Skydeck Chicago, and many more popular attractions, and go on a Shoreline Sightseeing Architecture River Tour.
How to reach
The Peoria Zoo is located inside Glen Oak Park.
Address: 2320 N Prospect Rd, Peoria, IL 61603, United States. Get Directions
You can reach the zoo by bus or car.
By Bus
The nearest bus stops to the zoo are Prospect and McClure, Prospect and Gift, and Prospect and Arcadia/Peoria Zoo/Glen Oak, all within walking distance.
By Car
If you’re traveling by car, turn on Google Maps and get started.
Click here to view the nearby car parking lots.
Timings
Peoria Zoo is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm.
The last admission allowed is 30 minutes before the closing time.
The zoo is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.
How long does the zoo take
A tour of Peoria Zoo takes about 4 hours. You can explore all the exhibits and attend animal presentations during this time.
But if you’re here with kids, your stay may get extended by a few more hours.
If you’re in a hurry, you can finish the tour in 2 hours by covering just the highlights.
Best time to visit
The best time to visit Peoria Zoo is as soon as they open at 10 am.
There are four benefits of starting early – the animals are very active early in the morning, the temperatures are still cool or moderate, the crowd is yet to pour in, and you have the whole day to spend at the attraction.
As the day gets hotter, animals prefer staying inside their shelters, and you may get disappointed when you don’t see them in their exhibit.
Weekdays are better for a peaceful visit, and the rush peaks on weekends and school holidays.
The zoo is most crowded on weekends, especially between 11 am and 2 pm.
If you are on a short holiday in Peoria, starting early also allows you to add another attraction to the day’s itinerary.
Map of Peoria Zoo
A map is a must when visiting Peoria Zoo, which has many animals, attractions, and activities.
With a map, you can easily navigate the zoo to spot exhibits, drinking facilities, washrooms, ATMs, gift shops, etc.
Download the Peoria Zoo map.
FAQs about Peoria Zoo
You can book Zoo Peoria tickets by clicking here.
The last entry to the zoo is at 4.30 pm for all guests.
Yes! The zoo is accessible for guests on wheelchairs.
The zoo has more than 200 animals of different species.
Yes, you can feed giraffes and budgies, but for that, you should buy a separate ticket to the zoo.
Guests can enter through Barton Pavilion and show their smartphone ticket to the staff at the Safari Gift Shop.