Courtesy of Explore Minnesota

At the Minnesota Zoo, experience animals and habitats from around the globe, in exciting exhibits of over 500 species and more than 4,000 animals.

The Northern Trail features caribou, the Amur Tiger, gazelles and other winter-hardy animals accustomed to this climate. The Minnesota Trail showcases regional landscapes and animals such as birds, otters, snakes, lynx and coyotes, and another exhibit features Minnesota farm animals.

Russia’s Grizzly Coast is a habitat with bears, leopards and boars from this vast wilderness area. The Tropics Trail heats up with lush rain forest foliage and animals including toucans, monkeys, lemurs, pandas, kangaroos and more.

The zoo’s aquatic displays are a highlight, with ponds, reefs, tide pools and tanks filled with creatures ranging from tiny pygmy seahorses to 10-foot sand tiger sharks. Discovery Bay and the Tropics Trail offer spectacular underwater views of ocean and reef-dwellers like sharks, eels, sea turtles, sea dragons and tropical fish.

African penguin feedings and shark feedings are just a few of the zoo’s programs. The Minnesota Zoo is located in Apple Valley, on the south side of the Twin Cities area, and is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas.