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Brookfield Zoo — Rhinoceros in a broad grassy enclosure with rockworkPhoto: Ronincmc · CC BY-SA 4.0 · edited
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Brookfield Zoo

Zoos & aquariums ·Brookfield ·Open now
4.630.6K
#1Things to do in BrookfieldMost reviewed in Brookfield
  • from USD 29.95
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About

Brookfield Zoo is a zoo in Brookfield, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, with indoor rainforest habitats, marine animals and wildlife conservation projects.

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Brookfield Zoo — Orangutan resting among rocks inside a shaded habitat Ronincmc · CC BY-SA 4.0 · edited
Brookfield Zoo — Orangutan resting among rocks inside a shaded habitatBrookfield Zoo — Two monkeys moving through branches in a wooded enclosureBrookfield Zoo — Small black and white monkeys perched on habitat branchesBrookfield Zoo — Dolphin leaping from the pool before a full audienceBrookfield Zoo — Gorilla looking forward against a softly blurred backgroundBrookfield Zoo — Peacock displaying its spread tail beside an enclosureBrookfield Zoo — Gibbon climbing a large branch structure inside its habitat

What's on here

Reindeer Run Reindeer Run Saturday, 19:0029.95 USD Holiday Magic: Sip & Stroll Holiday Magic: Sip & Stroll Friday · All day29.95 USD Senior Holiday Lights Tours Senior Holiday Lights Tours 30 Nov – 16 Dec

Why go

  • Tropic World was the world’s largest indoor zoo exhibit when introduced in the 1980s.
  • Tropical Forests expanded Tropic World with indoor and outdoor exhibits in July 2025.

Opening hours

Today10:00 – 17:00Show all
Monday10:00 – 17:00
Tuesday10:00 – 17:00
Wednesday10:00 – 17:00
Thursday10:00 – 17:00
Friday10:00 – 17:00
Saturday10:00 – 17:00
Sunday10:00 – 17:00

Don't miss

  • Tropic WorldBornean orangutans, giant anteaters and western lowland gorillas live in this indoor rainforest simulation.Tropic World
  • Seven SeasBottlenose dolphins are featured at Seven Seas.Seven Seas
  • The Living CoastHumboldt penguins, cownose rays and leopard sharks are among the marine animals here.The Living Coast
  • Great Bear WildernessAmerican bison, bald eagles, brown bears and polar bears live here.Great Bear Wilderness
  • Wild EncountersWild Encounters occupies the former Children’s Zoo site.Former Children’s Zoo site

With kids

  • Family attractions include the Hamill Family Play Zoo, a seasonal nature plaza and animal encounters with goats, llamas, parakeets and red pandas.
  • Children under 14 must remain supervised.
  • Strollers are prohibited in Tropic World, Australia House, The Fragile Kingdom and Dolphin Bay.

Know before you go

  • Visitors may bring their own food and nonalcoholic drinks.
  • Glass containers are prohibited.
  • Personal photography and video are allowed, but cannot be distributed or sold. Tripods and monopods are prohibited.
  • Bicycles, skates, skateboards and scooters are prohibited inside the zoo.

Tips for your visit

  • Use the zoo app’s GPS-enabled map to find your way around.
  • For zoo enquiries, call (708) 688-8000.
  • The zoo currently displays neither elephants nor Nile hippopotamuses.
  • The former reptile house became the Mary Ann McLean Conservation Leadership Center, which displays no live animals.
  • Su Lin, a giant panda formerly exhibited here, is displayed at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History.

Shorts

History

The zoo opened in 1934 on land donated by Edith Rockefeller McCormick. Cookie, a Major Mitchell’s cockatoo, lived in the collection from its opening until his death in 2016.

  1. 1919Edith Rockefeller McCormick donated land for a zoological garden.
  2. 1921The Chicago Zoological Society was established.
  3. 1934Brookfield Zoo opened on July 1. By September, more than one million people had visited.
  4. 1960The zoo opened the first fully indoor bottlenose dolphin exhibit in the United States.
  5. 1984French architect Pierre Venoa’s Tropic World indoor rainforest simulation was completed.
Show all
  1. 1996Gorilla Binti Jua tended to a boy who had fallen into her enclosure until staff rescued him.
  2. 2010Great Bear Wilderness opened for grizzly and polar bears.
  3. 2023The zoo received a $40 million donation, its largest private gift to date.

How to get there

  • CarThe zoo is at 8400 W 31st St.
  • TrainHollywood station (Zoo Stop) on the METRA commuter rail is about 700 metres south of the zoo.
  • BusPace bus route 331, between Cumberland and LaGrange, serves the zoo.

Sources: Brookfield Zoo Chicago - Wikipedia · Brookfield (Illinois) - Wikivoyage (see) · Brookfield Zoo Chicago · Visit | Brookfield Zoo Chicago · About Us | Brookfield Zoo Chicago · Brookfield Zoo - Wikipedia · Zoo de Brookfield - Wikipedia · checked 10 Oct 2026

Where
8400 31st Street (1st Avenue and 31st Street), Brookfield, IL, Brookfield Illinois

Plan from here: With kids →

Questions and answers

What other animal habitats can I explore at Brookfield Zoo?

The zoo has Australia, Big Cats and Clouded Leopard Rain Forest exhibits.

Does Brookfield Zoo have a wolf exhibit?

Yes. Regenstein Wolf Woods is at the zoo.

When is Brookfield Zoo open?

It is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00, except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

What African habitats are represented at Brookfield Zoo?

Forest, kopje and savanna habitats.

What happened to the original Children’s Zoo at Brookfield Zoo?

It opened in August 1953 and was dismantled in early 2013.

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