1 / 2Potawatomi Zoo
📍 South Bend, IN
One of the region's most loved zoos, especially for families who want well-tended animals and hands-on moments without an all-day trek.
🏆 Family Action Verdict
This suits families who want a manageable, close-up zoo visit rather than an all-day trek, with plenty for younger children between the animals, petting zoo, train, carousel, and face painting. Kid-free visitors can see everything in a couple of hours; families should plan for longer.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →6,396 Google reviews
G Reviews from Google
Jen Leigh
“This was Our First Time at the Potawatomi Zoo and it did not disappoint!! It is a Very Nice and Clean Zoo that you can actually Feed The Giraffes for an additional $3 a person (Soooo Worth It and they will take your picture with your camera so you can feed them!!!) We got to feed Seymour the Giraffe 🦒 ❤️🥰 General admission is $16 per adult ( totally reasonable!) It's a Great Family Zoo having a petting zoo you can feed the animals, a Train the goes through the park, and a Carousel( at a meaneal price) for the Little Ones. They Allow you to bring in water but no coolers or food. They have a Cafe if you wanted to buy food. They also have a nice sized gift shop with some great stuff! My Boyfriend and I were Kid free so it took us about 2 hrs to see everything in the Zoo, ( with kids I'm sure you will spend more time here!) it's a Great Little Zoo that's so close to home! How exciting! I Highly Recommend this Zoo ( and the Giraffes!) 🦒 🦒 🦒 and We will definitely be back!!”
Brenden
“Great zoo, you can tell they take good care of the animals and have great relationships with them. Axolotyl is in the reptile/mammal center as well as the Fennec fox- two animals we were looking for and finally found on our way out. The enclosures were really nice as well, seemed to be well maintained as well there wasn’t a lot of animal poop anywhere. Overall one of the best 10 zoos I’ve ever been to! Really enjoyed visiting here. Snow leopard, lion, tiger, axolotyl, leopard, rhino, fennec fox, sand cat, giraffes were our favorite animals we saw here.”
Stephanie Smith
“We visited the Zoo Luminate event last week, and it was an unforgettable experience for our whole group! I went with my two sons, daughter-in-law, two grandkids, and my son’s friend, and everyone had a great time! It’s the perfect evening activity if you're looking for a fun, immersive, and family-friendly event. The paths were easy to walk, the atmosphere was wonderful, and the memories we made are priceless. We will definitely be making this a tradition! Highly recommend going if you get a chance!”
💬 What parents mention
Overview
The care shows: keepers clearly know their animals, and the reptile and mammal center hides finds like the axolotl and fennec fox for kids on a mission. Giraffe feeding is the headline encounter, and come autumn the after-dark Zoo Luminate event draws whole extended families out for the evening.
