Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum

How long has it been since you visited the Tulsa Zoo?  For me, it had been close to 20 years.  Years ago, my mom and I made frequent trips to the zoo with my cousins, Chelsea and Sophey and it was always a great way to spend the afternoon and enjoy a little family time. 

The Tulsa Zoo opened in 1928 with 35 animals.  Today, the zoo has expanded to 84 acres and is now home to nearly 2800 animals, many of which or rare or endangered.  The zoo also works as a miniature botanical garden in the beautiful landscaping and creation of natural habitats for the animals.

Recently mom and I made our way back to the zoo to see what had changed, improved, or was still the same.  The weather was ideal – cool but sunny – and it wasn’t too crowded.  We started with the elephant exhibit and just found ourselves meandering through the park with no particular agenda in mind. 

We checked out the giraffes (you know, they are really odd looking creatures if you study them hard enough), the Chimpanzee Connection (monkeys are funny!), the children’s petting zoo, and all the other exhibits including the various buildings.  Some of the highlights of our day included:

·         The Children’s Zoo – when they say “fun for all ages”, they mean it!  I freakin’ love the children’s zoo area.  You get the opportunity to get up close and personal with goats, sheep, and whatever else happens to wander through.  Word to the wise though – be careful where you step!

 

·         The Sea Lions and Penguins – housed next door to one another, these animals are considered the “clowns of the ocean”.  Well, the sea lions are; penguins are their more formal cousin.  But either way – I think I could have spent hours just watching these animals frolic and totter around.  Delightful!

·         The Brown Bear – the brown bear is a magnificent creature but it’s even more exciting when you stumble across his exhibit during feeding time!  We stood mesmerized, while Mr. Bear worked his way around his area, sniffing out the treats left by the zoo personnel. 

 

We also walked through the living museum buildings and I can safely say I still do not care for snakes or bats.  As a matter of fact, had the bats taken off from their perch, I probably would have knocked down every 6 year old in my way to get out of the building.  And then I probably would have peed on myself from the sheer fright.  You think I’m kidding.  I’m not.

 

Most people only think of going to the zoo during the summer months but you should really check out the zoo on the cooler days.  It’s been my experience that the animals are livelier and more prone to be outside and therefore, your chances of seeing the animals out and about are greater.







Visit www.tulsazoo.org for more details, hours of operation, directions and all kinds of useful information.

 

And now you tell me – is there something about Tulsa that you think deserves a blog post?