My family and I loved this free zoo! If youre in the Madison area and have kids (or not) check it out. The flamingos, tigers, lions, bears, Badgers, and the zoo itself are all a treat to experience.

This is a fantastic day trip for your family! Entirely free for entrance. The food is pricey but they allow coolers so you can bring your own. You can even ride the carousel or train for only $2 each. There is also a great petting zoo and you can feed the goats for free!

Nice lights. Not all cars had lights on. Should be a reminder posted.

Free, clean place to visit. Couldnt see all the animals because of closed exhibits due to Vivid 19 and because some are hibernating already. Still had a great time!

Friendly helpful staff thats excited to answer any questions. The buildings are closed due to Covid-19 but you can still see most of the outside animals. You must travel along a one way path that you take through the zoo.

This place is an incredible, little gem! It’s nestled nicely in Madison and surrounded by beauty. It’s an amazing attraction to take the kids to or just anywhere in general. It’s free and has plenty of stuff to do. There is a suggested two dollar donation and there’s a few donation boxes around the zoo.Vilas Park is one of my personal favourite ways to spend a whole afternoon. There more than the zoo inside this park but that’s what makes it amazing!

Really nice, clean swimming spot in Madison. The wonderfully diverse People enjoying the park & water very respectfully of distancing & healthy practices.

Cute little zoo that cares about their animals. I only wish there were more signs with the names of the animals on them near their enclosure.

Nice park with a beach and a couple of ChargePoint chargers in their parking lot. One of the ChargePoint chargers is on the north side of the parking lot and the other is on the south side of the parking lot. Its a short walk to the zoo from here.

Nice spacious area to set up for a picnic (brought our own foldable table), great playground area and equipment, and peaceful path to hike along the lake and the woods edge...perfect place to connect with family and enjoy the outdoors.

Nice little zoo with more than youd expect. Free entry with a suggested donation box in front. Animals all seemed healthy. But generally small enclosure areas without a lot in them. Some sad, depressed looking animals, but not all. Kinda what you would expect to see at most zoos, especially smaller ones. Kids loved it. Lions, giraffes, reptile house,bird house, penguins, alpacas, flamingoes, and much more. Cute little gift shop had nice options and very reasonable prices. Some food and ice cream stands available.

Awesome place ..this guy was super funny!

I can see the people who run this zoo put in a tremendous amount of time to make this a good experience. Nice job, everyone! Even threw in a few more extra bucks for the great experience!

Lovely park and zoo! Would recommend. Just be aware that some buildings are currently closed down due to covid, but kids are still kids and run around touching barriers and surfaces. Id keep my hands to myself or carry hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer is available at the entrance to the zoo, which was a nice touch.

I grew up nearby and played all my city league hardball there as a kid. Today I just walked around the park for exercise and was happy to find some nicely paved trails

Nice zoo, especially for young kids. Its clean, not too big and FREE! Great place to spend half a day or so. Take your time and enjoy.

We love to come to Henry Vilas Zoo, with the parks in and around it, as well. The kids have the room to explore freely, while still in our sight and not having to worry about them breaking something along the way. All the while learning something new every time we come.The play area located in the zoo for the kids is just a bonus- plus the train and carousel. And the fact that admission to the zoo ís free allows for us to determine how much we would like to donate, depending on our financial situation at the time. Its nice to have an option, instead of knowing we are going to be out a lot of money Id we want to go, which would ultimately limit/minimize our visits- if we would go at all.

We came on a very hot day. This is a cute tiny zoo. I didnt expect much because is ran on donations only. Most of the exhibits didnt have any animals. The ones that did they looked very sad. I wish they had misting fans like other places because it was way hot a miserable especially for the animals. They had a few areas to get food, the lines were long, and you had to walk all they way back to get to them. The soda machines were all broken. But overall we had a good time. Drove an hour and a half to visit. They had a nice seating area great for large groups with tables, benches, covered area. Check it out. Free day for the family!

Great smaller zoo. We were able to see all the animals . The total layout is very walking friendly. Staff was friendly and helpful. Ice cream is great. Recommend a visit.

This zoo was a lot of fun! There are quite a few attractions for it being a free zoo. It was pretty crowded but that’s to be expected. The food was ok and kinda pricey. The animals all seem pretty happy which was nice. I would recommend this zoo to any family looking to have a nice day of fun. Lots of areas for kids to play as well.

Love the beach. The people who come out to get a tan and a little swimming. They come out with friends or family to enjoy the day at the waters edge. It doesnt get a y better than that...

Free and nice variety of animals from around the world. Unfortunately, inside venues were closed.

Awesome Place .I pray for all the animals to be safe and remain happy

This is a nice park. Its most special thing is that it is adjoined with the zoo of the same name. Dont get me wrong by not giving it 5 stars. I just feel that we shouldnt give 5 to everything just to make sure its fine. It is a larger park and has at least one playground for young kids. It also has a few ponds for ambience. It has one baseball diamond and has volleyball areas as well. Enjoy lunch at the park and follow it with a visit to the zoo for a great family day.

Such a great free zoo! Animals are well cared for, place is clean, and little rides and park are perfect for preschool or kindergarten age. Nice shady spaces. Parking can be tricky but the zoo is free so you really cant complain.

Beautiful open space with great views and access to a world class free zoo.

The Zoo did a phenomenal job keeping everyone safe during these trying times. It was very well organized and clean. Staff was incredibly friendly and helpful.

One of the best free zoos around. Parking is always a challenge so be prepared to find a spot on a nearby street.

Nice place for the kids and family. Great playground area and beautiful view.

Grew up next to this park. Beautiful area. Playground has changed but one thing has not, the famous shoe slide.

Its a good clean park with a good variety of different things to do and see.

I recall coming here as a kid. Being able to bring my kids to this zoo is amazing. It has grown and improved a lot over the years. Still cant believe it is free to come here. Been to other smaller zoos and paid to visit.

Beem some time since Ive been there. Was fun and pretty.

Free but small with not so many animals. It’s rather hard to recognize the animals there as they are often too far

Free and fabulous! Parking is a challenge but that is really the only negative. Its clean no stinky smells. They have penny Squishers! Animals always seem well taken care of and staff is always nice.

I always enjoy coming out to see the animals here. They were plenty lively while we were there, and we got to see the majority of the animals (a handful were in the medical center).The staff are always friendly and knowledgeable, and take pride in their work and the zoo.

We love to come here when the weather is nice. It is located right next to the Grayslake train station and the whole family likes to see the train while at the park. There is a large open grass area and seldom any litter, despite being next to a station. This area is great for picnics and the playground is very close.

Near Vilas zoo, it has a beautiful beach for kids to play around.

Great free zoo with many different animals.

Free zoo has a train and carousel for the kiddos as well as a childrens zoo fun activities Ive been there 10+ times and still havent see it all back behind the zoo is a beach with some sand and a structure love this place one of my most favorite places to go with the family!

Very nice, safe place. There many sanitizer. Cleaned table. One way path. Kind zoo keeper. Beautiful scene. Awesome animals.

Pretty nice place to walk around for a pandemic early winter day.

Lovely little zoo. Close to arboretum.

Wonderful place. got rained on a bit but the giraffe didnt seem to mind lol

Very nice inner city park. With free zoo nearby

I was very pleased with the safety precautions. They spaced people out as they entered and the line went quickly. One way traffic with physical distancing. Plenty of hand sanitizer throughout. I loved that they had signs on glass stating high touch surface and had hand sanitizer nearby. My husband has MS and I was worried about going to the zoo,however, it was fantastic!

One of my favorite places in Madison (though there are many)... The zoo is spectacular, and the park and beach are pristine.

New to Wisconsin so came here to explore.Best part is its free!!! Walk in and start exploring. They have quite a few variety of animals you can enjoy and watch!

This is one of the better free zoos that I have been to. Been many times and have always enjoyed it. We were in Madison recently and I saw that they had Christmas lights at the zoo, after dark. It was so amazing. Highly recommend stopping anytime, but if you get the chance check out the Christmas lights

A beautiful year-round recreation area that offers a variety of programs with onsite staff at scheduled times.

Lots of walking, food prices sky high, animals look well fed and taken care of, when the tiger wouldnt come out of the tall grass we were told to wait and one of the employees would coax him out, but he didnt even try.

Beautiful area to walk or cross country ski or play disc golf. Includes sled and ski rentals in the winter.

A fantastic free little zoo, no butts about it :)

Got to see the animals. A lot were sleeping.

Went to the zoo lights ! Beautiful loved it !!!

I love going to this Zoo with the kids! Its nestled in nicely in Madison surrounded by nature and water on most sides. There is definitely a lot of parking issues because its by where residential houses are located. It might take you a little bit to find parking. They have lots of animals and theyve been expanding sections, which is great!

My kids love this park, cant wait for it to be open again

Amazing zoo for being free!!!! If you wanted you could hit up the zoo, park and then go swimming behind it!!! My advice would be to park in the back, best parking for when you are ready to go and dont want to carry your kid up the hill and back through the zoo!

The animals were out and active, always nice to spend some time outside

This a great way to spend an hour with the kids. The animals have been active everytime I have been.

Its not like it use to be I understand about the coronavirus and they have it set up pretty good but alot 0f landscaping needs to be done alot of weeds animals looked content wish we could have seen more but I understand

GO HERE! This is the coolest free zoo ever. Honestly, better than the not-free zoo back home. A lot bigger than what I thought it would be. I was expecting a few zoo animals and mostly farm type animals but was pleasantly surprised to find quite the opposite. There are boxes throughout the zoo for donations to support, but no entrance fee and no pressure. Gift shop items reasonably priced too.

Excellent Zoo!!! Free!! But please leave a donation..

Nice place to just go hang out with family and friends

The animals at least seemed more comfortable

Very disappointing. 80+% of the zoo is closed and of limits, and so many of the exhibits that can be seen are empty and unkempt. Where outside, sun and exercise is what is needed right now. Youre not allowed to here.

The zoo is awesome! So many animals. Great family fun! The childrens park is amazing!

Beautiful this fall.

Immaculately maintained zoo, although quite small by international standards. Free access. Among interesting exhibits: two giraffes, two grizzly bears and a very active seal. An excellent herpetological collection

It was a Great Day at the ZOO!!!!!

Such a fun place. Its beautiful and well maintained. I love that families that are budget friendly can enjoy this place without concern. All families from all walks of life can really find their love of zoos and animals here. Come visit!

Great experience with awesome animal availability. This place needs you to visit and you wont be disappointed.

Its a beautiful zoo park. Its free and very well maintained. They have a variety of animals like giraffe, polar bear, seals, badger and more. Wildlife education staff do help you by providing extra information about the animals and their habits.

It’s nice to take kids but never many animals out, I can’t believe it’s going to be a zoo that you must pay for given there is hardly any animals ever out and the petting zoo is always closed.

Its completely free, and even in the winter season its still entertaining. Sometimes I find it hard for me to see any large animal in captivity and not where they belong in nature. Although is zoo is still a great place to observe and learn about foreign wild animals as well as domestic.

FIRST time ever to get into A Zoo for Free. Great zoo.

Great place to visit with young kids. A must stop when visiting Madison.

Love this place. The keepers are enthusiastic about their animals and recently they brought in new toys for some of the exhibits. The polar bear does pave quite a bit which is sad to see but she is otherwise well cared for and has a sizable enclosure. Pleased to see they’re working hard with the breeding program as well. Food is twice what it should be but they won’t stop you from bringing in your own so stop at a grocery store on your way over.

Always a great place to spend the day. There is always something new to see. My kids love seeing all the animals

Love this area wish zoo was open they would have gotten 5 stars

Good park for the family and friends and especially for the kids.

Fun to see the Zoo lights . Our 3 year old grandson loved it.

I love to see others enjoying themselves

Nice park. Fun for family. Decant fishing

For being one of the few free zoos in our state Henry vilas is beautiful. Lots of animals and its only expanding. A beach across the street with tons of places to fish and dont forget to check out the arboretum while you are there

Love the beautiful scenery especially in the fall

Doing the best they can during COVID.

Super cool experience, active giraffe and polar bears!

Fun zoo! Super cool that its free, they have a donation box out front so try to give what you can. Sadly the primate building was closed when we went (my favorite) but it happens. The lemurs were out though so that was pretty cool. Highly recommend stopping here!

Vilas Zoo is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon. Its family friendly withe the Childrens Zoo, to the great exhibits and the ease of getting around. My only complaint is parking, but if youre young and dont mind walking, there is plenty of side street parking.

Free admissions(donations box at the entrance) My family and I had a great time. Good variety of animals and there is plenty of picnic areas or food shops.

Great staff. Beautiful and clean enclosures.

Very nice Zoo. All animals look alive not like the other zoos Ive seen

Lovely zoo. Our children love it so much. We havent been there in a couple years they updates are amazing.

They have many animals from around the world.I loved the way they take care of animals, there is special arrangements for saving them from freezing cold.Loved the place, I also liked there gift shop.

Great beach. They need to get the road open by where again.

Its a great place to visit and the is right.

Awesome park and zoo. A FREE zoo that is fun for kids. The park has a great playground.

Lovely park with lots of green space. Can get a little flooded at times.

Great Zoo, amazing display of animals and extremely nice and courteous staff