Lake Superior Zoo
Lake Superior Zoo
4
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Located only minutes away from Canal Park, the Lake Superior Zoo is situated on over 16 acres of picturesque scenery like rocky hills, majestic pines and beautiful Kingsbury Creek. Meet over 300 animals and 140 different species from both Minnesota and around the world. You'll see brown bears, gray wolves, river otters, primates, reptiles, and so much more! Take a behind-the-scenes tour and make your Zoo trip unforgettable! Visit our website for information on current rates and hours, educational camps and programs, upcoming events and more. Open year round!
Duration: 2-3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
255 reviews
Excellent
84
Very good
84
Average
44
Poor
30
Terrible
13
zombienic
Minnesota2,014 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
I used to love coming to this zoo. In 2012 I was hired for the summer and ended up staying until October of 2013. It was one of my favorite jobs. As many people know we had a tragic flood in 2012 so I had been at the zoo during the hardest time. I have not been back until a couple days ago. The zoo looks terrible! There is STILL construction going on 8 years later. The parking lot and walkways inside the zoo look like a tornado went through. The grounds are a mess and many of the animals are gone, even the ones that were still there after the flood. No wolves, no deer, the pond that used to be up by Australia with the Black Swan isn't even there anymore. Lots of empty overgrown spots! The zoo does have two cute new bears to replace the bear that used to be there. We thought they were in a new enclosure but they are just back where the old bear was, a sad dirt filled rocky area with no grass. The zoo has implemented a one-way walking system because of Covid. There are signs on every enclosure saying one family at a time and to observe 6ft distance. We were constantly surrounded by people who can't read. One extremely loud "country" family continued to come and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us, with no masks, so we had to keep walking away instead of enjoying the animals that were there. No train, no barnyard (we saw a couple goats but you can't pet or feed them), no playground, and the Griggs room where many animals are was also closed. To top it off you would think the price to get in would be less since there's only half of what should be there but we were charged $12 a piece. Definitely save your money and drive two hours south to either the Minnesota or Como Zoo. Heartbreaking as a former employee to see the zoo has gone so downhill.
Written August 31, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lemieuxg
Thunder Bay, Canada510 contributions
Jul 2022
We went to the zoo on July 10th and were disappointed in the service; nobody was helpful in directing where to go. There is not a route map, so you are literally guessing where to go next. Not may of the animals were out that day; we found it to be very boring for the price we paid.
Written July 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Good Afternoon,
We are always open to feedback from our visitors and want to thank you for taking the time to share your experience.
We recently replaced all of our directional signage in late June 2022, including placing four large-scale maps around zoo grounds. There are also options to download our map through a QR code (one of our green initiatives); however, we also offer paper maps in the gift shop upon request (noted on download signage).
Written October 29, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sonworshipper
Niceville, FL453 contributions
Jul 2023
Basic small zoo. Only took about an hour & a half and as usual, many of the animals were not visible as they were either inside or hiding where they could not be seen. We did enjoy the bears, the cougar, the otters and eventually the tiger (after several visits to it's enclosure!). We never did see the snow leopard, which was disappointing. Parking was iffy for people like us who were pulling an RV...we simply got lucky getting what appeared to be the ONLY spot large enough for us to park. There was nothing really special here but we like supporting the animals so was an ok stop for the price.
Written August 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ron
12 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
What a terrible experience my family had there. We came with our passes from the children's museum in Illinois, which is a part of the ASTC program, giving us free entry into the zoo. The ticket girl Marissa was incredibly rude, and refused to honor their passes. She gave me half off and said it was their policy. I showed her clearly in writing where it says it afforded me free entry and asked to be shown where it says in their policy half off. She refused and when I asked to speak to a manager she told me no. I had to go inside to speak to one. Needed up ruining our whole day, wouldn't reccommend this zoo to anyone.
Written June 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Ron,
We appreciate the chance to further discuss your experience here at the Lake Superior Zoo. We apologize that your expectations for free admission were not met. We are indeed a part of the ASTC Passport program, and I have copied the program rules below:
Before You Travel
1. Check for exclusions. Make sure the science center or museum you are visiting is not located within
90 miles of either your home residence or the science center or museum that you belong to. This
distance is measured as a linear radius, not driving distance.
2. Review the family admittance policy of the venue that you intend to visit. Call before you visit to
confirm your Passport Program benefits.
3. Pack your ID (or other proof of residence). Admissions staff reserve the right to request proof of
residence for benefits to apply. Passport Program venues requesting proof of residence are marked by
“Proof of Residence Required”.
4. Pack your membership card. Passport Program venues are not required to grant benefits to visitors
who forget their cards. There is no universal database with all Passport visitors’ member data for
admission staff to reference. Some venues will allow you to call your home institution to confirm your
membership, but they are under no obligation to do so.
Marissa has been a part of the Guest Experience team for several years, and has received comprehensive training in all aspects of guest service as well as the reciprocal programs we participate in. Upon your use of profanity towards her, a manager on duty was called in to help. From there, we have offered you a full refund of $10.50 once proof of membership (and where you have found information that would be contrary to what is listed above) is provided.
If you would like to discuss this further, you can reply to the email from our Director of Guest Experience or give us a call at 218-730-4500 (extension 204 or 203).
Sincerely,
Haley Cope
Chief Executive Officer
Written June 24, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
adrianna24sings
Traverse City, MI423 contributions
May 2021
So glad I was able to visit this wonderful zoo. An array of animals to observe, and great trails to follow to different spots of the zoo. Lots of exhibits outdoors and indoors too. I enjoyed all the animals and layout of the zoo. When in Duluth the Lake Superior Zoo is a fantastic place to add to your list of attractions to.visit. There's a really great gift shop too.
Written May 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michelle H
64 contributions
May 2021 • Couples
Probably one of the worst zoos we have ever been to. The employees looked bored and showed no signs of wanting to interact with guests.
They advertise a tiger, but never saw it.
We did enjoy the prairie dog exhibit.
This place is not handicapped friendly. We had problems because no doors had handicap assistance. Even though twice employees saw us struggle, they never bothered to help. There is also a very steep incline that my chair almost tipped.
I think it took us about 45 minutes to get thru it, there really isn't that much here.
All in all, it's not worth the admission fee and I would skip this one. Head to the aquarium, it's much more interesting.
They advertise a tiger, but never saw it.
We did enjoy the prairie dog exhibit.
This place is not handicapped friendly. We had problems because no doors had handicap assistance. Even though twice employees saw us struggle, they never bothered to help. There is also a very steep incline that my chair almost tipped.
I think it took us about 45 minutes to get thru it, there really isn't that much here.
All in all, it's not worth the admission fee and I would skip this one. Head to the aquarium, it's much more interesting.
Written May 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
miner4315
Negaunee, MI64 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
What a magical experience for our family - it was our toddler’s first trip to the zoo. Fall was a great time to go - animals were active and it was not crowded. Personally I loved that there wasn’t a crowd. Animals are obviously well cared for.
Written October 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
313kcb
Park Falls, WI101 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
Poorly maintained zoo. All areas need to be upgraded. Very expensive considering the conditions of the buildings and exhibits. Could not see over half the animals. Building advertised as open were locked. Staff was unavailable and not interested in helping us find what exhibits were open. Suggest making the drive to Wildwood zoo in Minocqua. Much better experience for us.
Written February 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mail_lady217
Maple Lake, MN20 contributions
Jun 2023 • Solo
Visit the Lake Superior Zoo every time I visit Duluth. Just love it!! They just got a red panda. Like the Zoo lights in winter! Even went to wedding reception at zoo. The staff are really great!!
Written July 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kevin
Minnesota41 contributions
Jul 2020 • Couples
This was our first time to the Lake Superior Zoo. It was a shame the COVID procedures were in places, because it would’ve been nice to see the whole thing instead of being confined to the one way path and only certain exhibits.
The zoo seemed to do a good job with what they had.
Our only complaint is that some of the walking paths and the parking lot were on extreme disrepair, with chunks of pavement completely coming apart or just plain missing.
The zoo seemed to do a good job with what they had.
Our only complaint is that some of the walking paths and the parking lot were on extreme disrepair, with chunks of pavement completely coming apart or just plain missing.
Written July 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I checked their website for info on accessibility, but didn't find anything. Anyone know if this is wheelchair friendly?
Written April 27, 2021
Sorry about the late reply to this question. The zoo is open from 10-4 on Th-M during the winter months. From May 1 - October 31 we are open 10-5, every day of the week. Also, we will be open later into the evenings on Wednesday nights in June-August.
Written March 24, 2017
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