Some of our favorite family adventures are not the ones that require flights, hotel reservations, or months of planning. Sometimes they are the places close to home that slowly become part of your family’s story, and for us, one of those places is the Milwaukee County Zoo.

Since moving back to Wisconsin in 2019, the zoo has become one of our favorite local spots. We visit a few times a year, attend special events, sign the kids up for zoo camp, and usually make time for at least one behind-the-scenes experience each year.

It is close enough to feel easy, familiar enough to feel comfortable, and still full of little surprises each time we visit.

The kids love seeing the animals, playing outside, riding the train, and feeding the goats. I also love watching them wander through the zoo in their own way. It gives them a chance to learn, ask questions, notice details, and experience animals in a way that feels both fun and meaningful.

How the Zoo Became Part of Our Family’s Story

When we moved back to Wisconsin, becoming members at the Milwaukee County Zoo felt like a natural next step. It gave us another place where the kids could be outside, explore, learn, and build memories in a way that felt simple but special.

Letting Their Curiosity Lead

Over the years, our visits have changed as the kids have grown, but the heart of it has stayed the same. We usually arrive right when the zoo opens, especially in the summer or on busier weekends. We rarely go in with a strict plan. Instead, we let the kids help guide the day.

They choose which way to go and which animals to see next. They also decide when it is time for a snack, a train ride, or a stop at the playground. I know there are plenty of outings where having a plan is helpful, but at the zoo, I actually love letting them lead.

I love seeing what they remember from past visits or zoo camp. They point out animals and share facts. Sometimes they talk about something they learned or remind us of a spot they want to visit again. Some days they move quickly from one area to the next, and other days they want to linger.

The Small Moments That Make Each Visit Feel Special

Lincoln, on the other hand, has always loved the giraffes. When giraffe feeding is available, it is one of our favorite things to do. Both kids love being that close to them. It is such a fun way to see just how tall and gentle they really are.

Lincoln especially loved watching their dark tongues reach out for the lettuce. He also learned that the coloring helps protect their tongues from the sun while they reach for leaves.

We also love seeing the elephants, stopping by the bears, watching the peacocks wander around, and feeding the goats. The peacocks are especially entertaining when they squawk loudly. Lincoln, being the chatterbox he is, will mimic the same sound. When the peacocks reply, we all laugh. We joke that he could stand there talking back to a peacock all day if we let him.

Those are the little things I love most about places like the zoo. Of course, the bigger experiences are memorable. But so are the tiny moments: a child noticing how an animal moves, laughing at a peacock, or asking to see one more thing before we leave.

More Than a Place We Visit: Supporting the Milwaukee County Zoo

The Milwaukee County Zoo has become more than a place we visit a few times a year. It is a place we have genuinely loved supporting in different ways.

Why Membership Has Been Worth It for Us

For our family, becoming Platypus members at the Milwaukee County Zoo has been worth it. It allows us to support the zoo in a more meaningful way, while also giving us access to special experiences we may not have tried otherwise.

One thing I love about having a membership is that it takes some of the pressure off each visit. We do not feel like we have to see every animal or make the day perfect. A visit can be just a couple of hours, or it can turn into a half-day or full-day outing.

If we want to keep it simple, we might pack sandwiches and eat by the pond. During events like Zoo a la Carte, we usually buy food there so everyone can choose something different from the food trucks around the zoo.

I love having a local place that can be a quick morning outing or a slower half-day adventure. It can be whatever we need it to be that day.

A Tradition That Started With My Dad

One year for my birthday when I was younger, my dad sponsored Lamako, a bonobo at the Milwaukee County Zoo. I remember feeling so proud that I had “adopted” him. I wanted Noelle to experience that same feeling.

That became another way we have loved supporting the zoo: through animal sponsorships. What started as a birthday gift for Noelle slowly became a family tradition.

At the time, she was a huge flamingo lover, so she was able to sponsor two flamingos named Versace and Prada. It made her feel connected to animals she already loved visiting, and it gave us another reason to stop by and check on “her” flamingos during our zoo days.

Once that birthday tradition started with Noelle, it became something we wanted to continue. When it was Lincoln’s turn to choose an animal to sponsor, he chose Ziggy the giraffe.

That sponsorship felt especially meaningful when we learned Ziggy was born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom before making her way to the Milwaukee County Zoo. Disney, animals, Lincoln’s zoo sponsorship, and one of our favorite local places all wrapped into one sweet little story.

Lincoln also learned an easy way to spot her. Ziggy is the only giraffe with white markings inside the darker spots on her body. Now, when we visit the giraffes, it feels like a little game to see if we can find her.

More Reasons to Come Back Each Year

We have also enjoyed member-only events, Zoo a la Carte, Girl Scout Zoo Day with Noelle’s troop, and seasonal exhibits. Each one gives us another reason to experience the zoo in a slightly different way.

Tony and I attend Zoo Ball each year too, which has become a special night out for us and a meaningful way to support the zoo. Getting dressed up for the black-tie event makes it feel extra special, and the auction items are always fun to see. I also love hearing how the money raised will be reinvested into the zoo, its exhibits, and the animals. We usually try to win something fun for the kids too, which makes the night feel connected to them even though it is an adult evening out.

The zoo keeps giving us new reasons to come back, and each one adds another layer to how connected our family feels to this place.

A Summer Tradition of Their Own

Zoo camp has also become part of our family’s summer rhythm.

Noelle started zoo camp in first grade. Since then, both kids have enjoyed the different themed camps the zoo offers. They come home with stories about scavenger hunts, games, and crafts. They also love sharing what they learned about the animals.

One of my favorite parts is visiting the zoo with them after camp. They come back with stories, facts, and favorite stops they are excited to share with us. They point things out, tell us what they learned, and lead us through the zoo with a little more confidence and ownership.

It is one thing to visit the zoo as a family. It is another thing to watch your kids build their own connection to it.

The Bigger Picture Behind a Zoo Visit

As an adult, I have come to appreciate the zoo in a different way than I did as a child. I remember going to the Milwaukee County Zoo with my dad and reading the placards at each exhibit. As a kid, I probably did not always appreciate the slower pace of stopping to read every sign. Now, I find myself doing the same thing with Noelle and Lincoln.

We read about where the animals are from, what they eat, and how they behave in the wild. Sometimes we also learn the stories behind how they came to live at the zoo.

Helping Them See More Than Just the Animals

I think it is easy, especially as a parent, to think of the zoo simply as a fun place to take the kids. And it is. But the more time we have spent there, the more I have appreciated what happens beyond a regular visit.

When we talk to the kids about why some animals live at the zoo, we explain that not every animal can return to the wild. The zoo gives them a safe home with medical care, enrichment, healthy diets, and people who understand their needs. Many animals can live longer with consistent veterinary care because they are so well cared for.

It helps the kids see the zoo as more than a place to visit. It is also a place where animals are protected, cared for, and given what they need to thrive.

A Second Chance for Animals Like Spoons

One story from the Milwaukee County Zoo that really stood out to me is the story of Spoons. He is an American white pelican who came to the zoo after being found with a severe wing injury. Because he could not safely return to the wild, the zoo became his forever home.

Stories like that remind me that zoos can play an important role in giving animals care, safety, and a second chance. The Milwaukee County Zoo shares more about Spoons’ story on their website, and it is a beautiful example of the bigger purpose behind places like this.

I do not think every zoo visit needs to become a big lesson. But I do love when our kids get little glimpses of that bigger picture. They are not just seeing animals. They are learning about care, responsibility, conservation, and the importance of protecting these places for future generations.

Seeing the Zoo From a Different Side

The Milwaukee County Zoo has become even more special to us because we have experienced parts of it beyond a regular visit.

Through our membership, we have done behind-the-scenes experiences. They have given us a completely different appreciation for the zoo. Being escorted around on a golf cart already makes the day feel special, but it is really the stories and details that stay with you.

One of our favorite behind-the-scenes experiences was with the elephants. We were able to go upstairs and look down over the keeper area and training space. The kids loved watching the elephants reach their trunks up high for the hanging hay. They did not love the smell of the building quite as much.

It was such a good reminder that the training is not just for show. It helps the keepers care for the animals, check on them, feed them, and build trust with them.

Another little detail I still think about came from learning about the impala enclosure. After the enclosure was built, the team realized the fence needed to be higher. Impalas can jump much higher than you might expect. Now there are three black bars added to the top of that enclosure. Every time we pass that area of the zoo, I think about that story.

That is the kind of thing I love learning. It gives you a new way to look at a place you may have walked past many times before.

A Zoo Memory We’ll Never Forget

One of our most meaningful zoo memories actually happened at Brookfield Zoo when we lived near Chicago.

In August 2019, our family did the Hudson High Five experience with Hudson the polar bear. Lincoln was only a few months old, and Noelle was completely in awe. We have photos from that day where you can see the wonder on her face. One of those pictures ended up becoming our Christmas card photo that year.

What made the experience so special was not just that it looked like Hudson was high-fiving us through the glass. It was learning why he was trained to do that behavior in the first place.

By placing his paw on the glass and positioning his body a certain way, the care team could get a better look at him. They could check his paws, belly, armpits, and overall body condition. It gave them a way to check for health concerns in a calm, cooperative way.

That experience has always stayed with me. It was adorable, yes, but it was also meaningful. It gave us a small glimpse into the training, trust, and care between animals and their keepers.

For our family, it became one of those core memories that deepened our appreciation for zoos in general.

Why We Keep Coming Back to the Milwaukee County Zoo

For our family, the Milwaukee County Zoo has become one of those places woven into our kids’ childhood.

They have attended summer camps, fed giraffes, sponsored animals, ridden the train, and played on the playground. They have talked to peacocks, learned new facts, and led us from one exhibit to the next.

Even though the zoo feels familiar, it is never exactly the same. The animals are always doing something a little different, and the kids notice new things as they grow. A simple visit can turn into a new memory, a new question, or a new favorite animal.

And that is what I love most.

Family adventures do not always have to be big or far away to be meaningful. Sometimes they are the places close to home that you return to again and again. They become part of your regular life in the sweetest way.

That is why I wrote Our Family Is at the Heart of Every Adventure: because meaningful memories can happen close to home or wherever your travels take you.

For us, the Milwaukee County Zoo is one of those places.

If you are local to the Milwaukee area, it is worth checking out the zoo’s special events, membership options, camps, and seasonal experiences. Whether you go for a full day, a few hours, or a special event, it can become part of your family’s own rhythm. Over time, those simple visits can turn into memories and traditions.