Mesker Park Zoo and Botanical Gardens Reviews

It s a nice zoo. The City should put more money into it. I miss the things they used to have like the monkey building.

Although I did enjoy parts of the zoo I CANNOT stop thinking about that poor poor tiger! It looked thin, anxious and in no freaking way did he have near enough space. It broke my heart! I couldn't fully enjoy the rest of the zoo after seeing that miserable creature. I also don't understand why the Giraffes can walk straight up to you and reach out to you but you're not allowed to touch them??? Make it to where they cant be touched if you don't want them to be interacted with

Love this Zoo! If it wasn't so cheap to live in Evansville, the would have more money for exhibits. Love visiting the tiger with the kiddos.

It's a good zoo for a local adventure. Could be better. Not as many animals as bigger zoo's and I feel as if Evansville is big enough to handle expanding it. But the 3 year old loves it!

The animals were much more animated. The Rhinos were amazing!! Feeding the giraffes is my favorite!

Great place. Nice assortment of animal species. They're involved in breeding endangered hell benders.....the staff is professional.

A bunch of the animals weren't out. It was a park full of grass.....

Awesome place to take people of all ages! Watch out for the hills though, and bring comfy shoes!!

Decent park, but was disturbed by how unhappy all their cats are. Pacing, frothing, visually unhappy.

Great place to spend an afternoon with the family. Small but so worth it. The giraffes were so friendly.

Most of sitting places didn't have proper shade. Many vendor machines were out of order

We took our grand kids here and they enjoyed the zoo. We weren't able to see some of the animals though.

Awesome local zoo, can spend about 2-3 hours here and usually most of the animals are out

It was hot and all of the animals were sleeping, except the rhinos you can get super close to them.There is an indoor exhibit to cool off.

Once upon a time there were more/bigger critters, but, it's still a well maintained zoo full of fun critters and great people. Visit the noctural exhibit, but the bars are in Amazonia.

I have loved this zoo since I was a kid. They have worked really hard to keep making it better. We got a new rhino, Rupert, at the end of last year and just recently received a new Giraffe, Clementine. Love the carousel too. A small zoo compared to others like Cincinnati or others but worth taking in.

This time of year lot of the animals are put up didn't get to see a lot of them

Parts of the zoo was closed off,, buildings mainly, C-19 concerns. Otherwise once inside the main gate, we followed the green arrows, wich led us through the zoo exhibits, in an orderly fashion. Wore mask inside Amazonia, removed while outside.

Hoping to see more animals.and two paddle boats were dirty one swan had water all in bottom of swan feet soaked with swamp water.

We absolutely LOVE the Zoo, having 4 kids/family of 6, we went ahead and bought a Family Membership... It was worth every cent, within the first 2 weeks of purchasing it, we'd saved money by going so much LoL It's fun and something for everyone!! The 3 older kiddos are in school during the day, so I take our 2 yr old, sometimes, several times a week!! She cannot get enough of the entire place, but especially of Clementine , the baby giraffe!! You can feed the Giraffes (there are 3) at 11a & 2p, for 2 tokens (tokens are $1ea, and you can buy them throughout the Zoo: You can use them (the tokens) to feed giraffes, ride the paddle boats, the carousel, and more!! You can also buy a refillable cup for, I believe $5 w/drink... Then we just take it with us, and it's only $2 to refill it !! The entire family thoroughly enjoys going to Mesker... Whether for the exercise/walking (there are hills galore LoL ); exploring; there's a few playground/ areas, Enchanted Forest, the Petting Zoo, and more for kids of all ages!! The botanical garden has some phenomenally awesome, tropical plants!!

If you have a family get a membership, it is well worth it. It is affordable education and entertainment.

Set up well for pandemic safety. Mask requirements inside.

The best part was the paddle boat in the sprinkles for the kids. And seeing a tiger

More than we expected for the price. Definitely would return!!!!

Not a lot of animals were out. The ones we seen looked sad and stressed out. One bird was completely without feathers. Its a nice zoo but I think some changes should be made in regards to the animals.

Small exhibits.. very small enclosures for the bigger animals.. was sad for them..

Had a wonderful time, but be prepared to do some walking

If you have not visited in a while you are in for a surprise. It is great

I feel as though the zoo hasn't been as lively as people are hyping it up to be. They're supposed to be getting a penguin exhibit in the future, but I doubt it with the conditions I saw. Please note my visit was taken on a Tuesday in Mid-March, so take what I saw with a grain of salt.
When I was a child, I felt as though the zoo was more busy? Overall, it felt very empty. There were maybe 10-20 other attendants at the zoo besides myself. I saw at most 2 people on the tram and I believe I saw 2 trams running. I walked into the cafe up front to observe that a burger was $9.50. As I walked out, the attendant said he had 2 orders all day by around 1 pm. The cafe up in the front entrance (the gift shop was also doubling at the ticket booth) is the only place to eat in the zoo. There are multiple beverage vending machines around the zoo, but it costs $3 for a bottle of water.
The animal variety is also small as well compared to other places.
It became obvious as I made it to the area across from the Discovery Center that a lot of the zoo has been left abandoned for what appears to be years now. Old exhibits have been covered up, concrete pathways are covered in cracks, and it's clear in the middle of the sitatunga pen that at some point in the past, this used to be 2 exhibits because of the closed gates and the obvious pathway in the middle.
The age also shows around the park with worn signs and old penny machines that cost 51 cents and you got the penny back. Also the cotton candy vending machines in the Kley Building and the Discovery Center have been turned off.
I was also confused where/what happened to the botanical garden that was alongside the zoo. It wasn't specified on the map yet I vaguely remember it being there right around the rhino area.
That was another thing. A lot of the animal exhibits felt sprawled all over the zoo and not in specific areas. (I did some searching and they added a giant anteater which I don't recall seeing?)
Also I think that the animals are underfed and employees are not aware of the animals. I walked past the giraffe enclosure twice and saw them trying to eat the guardrails. The Siberian Tiger enclosure was also small for one tiger. It was sad.
For $8.50 for local residents ($9.50 if you live outside Vanderburgh County) it's worth maybe a trip on an annual basis, but it's not something I would go back and do anytime soon.
You get a better deal at the St. Louis Zoo (where admission is FREE.)

Really great small zoo. Free parking. Clean restrooms. Good grill. We got to feed the giraffes for $2, watched a free rhino talk and got to see them feed the cheeta.

We have been to many zoos and thought this one was great! It had lots of natural plants around making it an authentic experience. The habitats were well kept. Great educational experience too.

This zoo is better than it was years ago. The amazon area was very nice. In all honesty I went just to get there 1 year pass. It is good to get in to most every zoo in the country except Indianapolis, 172 in total. For a Family it is $65. Way less expensive than most other zoos. Fort Wayne for example is $115. None the less is it nice to see that they are making improvements.

Very nice park good enclosures friendly staff easy walking

I love everything about the place. It's great exercise, educational and they do a variety of promo days. Amazonia alone is worth a visit.

It's ok if you like walking up hill to everything. And they don't have much to see. The paddle board are never open

Smaller zoo that's good for part of a day trip to Evansville. Small enough that you can walk the paths and see everything but it not take up your full day. Very clean and kid friendly. There are several kids areas separate from the main zoo attractions for getting extra energy out or just helping them learn about conservation. They have a giraffe encounter most days at 11am and 2pm that are very easy to make part of your trip and only cost 2 of the zoo's currency that can be bought anywhere in the park before hand. It's a really cool thing to do for kids or adults. Part of the year they even have paddle boats and a carousel.

45 acres..good hike, misting stations, water fountains, over 700 animals...staff friendly the volunteers friendly, they weren't afraid to answer questions. The Amazonia area beautiful....love the waterfall. The price to get in under ten bucks per adult. There is a Discovery Area for kids to learn as well as play area. Something for everyone to see and do! Great place it takes about3.5 hrs they have bumper cars for kids. They have paddle boats for adults. Just heads up they take tokens...you can get them while entering. For carousel lovers...they have one too! Grade from me...A++

Drove from Illinois to come here and well worth it. Very clean, nice and open, nice staff. It's very pretty. Will definitely be a return member. For a short portion we even had a beautiful peacock as our guide lol.

Loved the visit today. My 2 year old really enjoyed the boo at the zoo. We took the annual couple pass for 55 dollars! Awesome deal! Free for kids below 3 years. There are a variety of species there. Worth visiting.

This place use to be amazing now its 90% a waste of time. Very few animals and the tram will leave u if u let ur kids off at the stop to ride the carousel.

The staff were very polite! We got to feed the giraffes and the young man helping with it offered to take a picture of me and my boyfriend feeding them. Overall a great experience.

It's a great zoo for the metropolitan area it serves, but keep in mind, it's a small metropolitan area. That's why it's 4 star, size. They do a great job with what they have, it's always clean, and it has a defense variety of animals. The "Amazonia" building is their pride and joy, and it should be. Looking forward to the prairie dog exhibit!

Great zoo! We got the yearly Membership... We'll be back again!

Such a great little zoo ! They have so many animals to see and alot of events. Good for kids and adults. Price was 9.50 for an adult which is perfect. A great place to walk around and see all the animals at!

A lot of animals weren't out. I suppose because of the cooler weather.

It was very nice are granddaughter Ella Rose had her birthday party there an it was awesome

It was really nice to come back home and go to the Evansville Mesker Park Zoo. The staff was friendly and aimed on keeping everyone safe. The animals were well taken care of and pretty relaxed. The red panda and jaguar were CUTE and BEAUTIFUL (respectively). They offer free sunblock and have a lovely carousel. They also offer single and double strollers for rent (VERY cheap). All in all, I was very impressed. I was informed about a grandparents seasonal pass and plan on taking advantage very soon!

Really nice place to have it fun with the family and friends

Awesome zoo, definitely get a family membership if you live nearby

We had the best time, perfect weather and the animals were very active

This place should rent segways. SO many hills. Great place to get your workout, oh and see some animals along the way. Doesn't help we went on one of the hottest days of the summer. Next time we'll probably go in a cooler month.

It's one of our favorite places to go and it was a beautiful day at the zoo today. Thank you Mesker Park for being such nice environment to go to year-round.

Old time charm with new age wonder. Super friendly staff. Animals seemed well taken care of and comfortable. The tiger enclosure was lacking in space and shelter, but otherwise the exhibits were all great! I love the rooftop overlooks and the pond. The amazonian house was spectacular!

Perfect place to take the kids and get some exercise!

Didn't see a lot of the animals, not very well maintained

Hills! Be prepared for a work out. You do not want to push a wheel chair around here.

My kids and I really enjoyed the zoo. I thought, for its size, that the zoo had a really good variety of animals. Admission is very reasonable..all three of us in for well under $30. If you re in the Evansville area, I recommend you give it a try. If I were local, I would get the membership just to go walk the hills.

We always love visiting our zoo! I think it's great that a town our size has a zoo as nice as this. There have been a lot of upgrades and improvements over the last few years. Amazonia is a gem, and last year's addition of the carousel is wonderful. The plants throughout the zoo are gorgeous! Keep up the good work!

Rainy day, but it was ok. Just a small zoo... so don't expect too much.

Very hilly, attractions are sparse and spread out. It seems the petting zoo is never open. Major attractions are giraffe feeding, jaguar, and tiger

Amazing facility. My grandson and I loved the peddle boats and carousel!

Great place, a lot of renovation but still a lot of fun!!

It's not a huge zoo but it is very nice, clean, and well-maintained. It's also a botanical garden. There are play areas, activties, and shows for kids. We loved feeding the giraffes! A nice place to spend a day with the family.

Haven't been to the Zoo in 10 years, it was just wonderful.

Clean and a good zoo for a town the size of Evansville

It would be nice if they provide handicap chairs that people could rent out to ride in