Potawatomi zoo Reviews

Lots of animals not too big. Just right to enjoy an afternoon!

Family fun!!!! We enjoy the zoo and they have a great place for company picnics too.

Why do I love the zoo? The animals don't judge me. Except that one camel. You never know what he's thinking!

This zoo in South Bend Indiana has undergone a lot of good changes over the years and keeps getting better all the time. A nice clean zoo for the family to visit for a day.

Nice small zoo. Made for a nice Sunday afternoon. Lots of construction going on, but it didn't interfere with our enjoyment.

Cant Wait for the New Zoo Layouts and Plans!!! #Giraffe #ZipLine Needs a Better Train Ride Route! #ThisCowHasStolenHerHeart

Fun field trip to the zoo! I wish I had brought more money. Everything costs. From the merry go round to the little train. It's under construction. So no reptiles and bats. The other animals were awake and active. The employees were all nice helpful and knowledgeable.

So much to see and yet small enough to feel homey and doable for the littlest people.

Had an awesome time the lions roared abd i was in aw. The kids will love it...

A very clean zoo and well respected by the business industry. Several educational buildings. Updates are being made to upgrade exhibits and support other animals. We look forward to visit again to this relaxing and peaceful zoo.

This is a one star rating solely due to how they are handling coronavirus. There was no social distancing whatsoever and almost no one wearing a mask. The wife and I would be looking at an exhibit when a crowd of people would surround us, some leaning over her shoulders, without any mask or concern about social distancing. This place needs to change its mask policy fast, as it is going to serve as a hot spot for spreading coronavirus.

I enjoy watching my daughters face light up when she sees the animals pure joy

Love the closeness to the animals. Can't wait to take my kiddo for the giraffes!

They zoo needs to get produ tive animals or shut down, little interest there. Only very small animals you cant see, was disappointed, an wanted a refund, very poor upkeep.

Three of my grandsons joined me at the Potawatomi Zoo last Friday. It was cooler than usual, but we had so much fun we didn't notice. Loved that old alligator. Sheree VanAusdal

it is a good zoo to go to if you are vsitng SB but ive came here so many times and it gets boring. giftshop is overpriced andd i mean WAY overpriced

This is my all time favorite zoo.Facilities are now fabulous , the animals the cleanest ever. I would be happier if they were open later in the summertime. And Zoo Brew could start earlier in the day.There must be a way to do away with the long lines for special events. Over all the service is good,Everyone I've been in contact with at this zoo is pleasant and helpful. South Bend can be proud of the efforts that brought this zoo back from what it was in the 70's.

Love taking our 4 year old here, we go about once a month. They have some really neat new upgrades, you can really tell they take alot of Pride in this zoo. We are happy
pass holders :)

Like that they were spraying all the rides and tables

Its a nice zoo, but its a small zoo, so I would say 1-2 hrs is enough time to look at eveything.

Lots of different animals, much bigger than expected.

It's a nice small zoo. Something to just kill some time with.

So hopeful this zoo will be better. Feel so bad for the animals.

3 cars and a couple hour drive north, the whole family arrived at the Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend Indiana! This is a beautiful place even on the outside. There is a ton of shade as there is a park outside the park. The shade doesn t stop there. The entire zoo has plenty of shade to help keep you cool on a hot sunny day. The prices for entry are very good. Our part is 4 people and a trip here cost us just $28 to get in. $10 per adult, 1 pre-teen at $8 and out 2 year old was free. Compared to half the drive to Indy but $105 for the same 4 people to just get in. We have been to both now and I m here to tell you, it is worth the extra drive! The animals are much the same if not better at Potawatomi! The petting and feeding area is fun for all ages. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and the staff is for the most part very friendly. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 was for this reason here. We purchased a couple items from the store in the red barn. We used our debit card. The girl asked if we wanted a copy of the receipt. I got one but my sister in law behind me declined as she likes to save a tree. We headed toward the exit and stopped by the spider and snake exhibit and used the restrooms. I pushed the stroller to the stroller exit and headed to the car. My wife and daughter was stopped by a side vender at the entrance/exit and asked for a receipt for the stuffed animal my daughter had. I waited for 10 minutes and decided to return. Everyone was just walking out the door. I asked what happed and they said that the employee was not going to let them leave because they couldn t provide a receipt showing proof of purchase. This is not a good practice period. If you are asked if you want a copy of your receipt in one store, the outside vendor at the door 100 yards away from that store should not be asking people for a receipt, let alone detaining people for 10 minutes questioning their purchase. It takes a lot to boil my blood but this one hit that point. I would definitely recommend this zoo. It heist has some PR work to do with some of the staff. Thank you for a wonderful day at the zoo.

It was a great zoo experience. The only problem was the crazy lines for the Cafe and gift shop . Even though there were signs displayed that said masks were required and social distancing (indoors), it was packed and rules didn't appear to be enforced. Workers seemed to be really understaffed.... maybe because it was the first gorgeous weekend... but they were all very courteous! The zoo is beautiful and the planned renovations will make it even better. Lots of places to stop and enjoy the scenery and fairly well shaded. Rental prices for carts and strollers and electric wheelchairs were really affordable and regular wheelchairs were offered for free. Cafe prices were decent and the food was pretty good. The burgers are huge, the grilled chicken sandwich was juicy, and they had great fries. Bathrooms were clean. Train ride was nice....though short. But it was only $3 (and they offered discount tickets for the carousel and train when bought in bulk). The kids loved it....and so did the adults!

Very neat zoo, well worth the price too see all the different animals. Also getting to feed the goats and llamas was very fun for kids.

They are currently under construction so access was limited

Amazing experience every time. Being a member is a great thing

Great zoo for being a smaller one. Kids enjoyed everything and all the exhibits. Good way to get a full experience of a zoo without the crowds and done in about 2 hrs

They're in the middle of upgrading it but it seems to be a great place.

Good experience but it is depressing to see animals that are supposed to be active in small enclosures laying dormant, is that really living?

The animals seemed to be very neglected and a lot of the animals were missing. They kept the kangaroos enclosed with nothing but a chain so it's very likely they could just leave. I won't go back!

It was nice. They were doing some construction, but other than that I can't think of anything to complain about.

Very nice zoo. They don't have some of the big animals like elephants or giraffe, but they have some fun smaller animals like red panda and okapi.

We love our family pass! Especially with the great park and playground just outside, which makes picnics a great addition to our zoo visits.

Great Zoo. Really did a great job on the renovations.

Lol I just want you to know what you want me to send you an idea of what you think

Very good. Clean park, friendly staff. Very accommodating

Always a good time! It's a pretty small zoo and the signage is not very good but it's a fun 2 hours if you take your time. I like that they are working hard to make improvements in recent years. You can see enrichment items in the enclosures and the newer enclosures especially are nice. Some of the animals there are almost as old as I am so I feel really nostalgic about the whole place.

Took the kids to the roars event, they all had a great time

Great place to take the kids for a couple hours. Need to schedule ahead of time due to covid.

Fabulous place I LOVE IT. The employees are chill. they dont oversell the attractions its real chill. even hubs enjoys humself

We have the family passes and were able to get in quickly. The carousel rides are priced well as are the train rides. I personally enjoyed the entire visit.

Very good set up. Well kept facility. Always a great family adventure

This was a place that I always took my girls when they were little. Now it was the first zoo experience for our grandchildren. So enjoyable!

Great small zoo! Lots of animals and there is a carousel and train for the family (small extra fee). Free parking and food on site. Lots of picnic space surrounding the zoo too!

We went here for a birthday party today and we really enjoyed ourselves! The adults had a great time watching and the kids had a blast. The birthday boy was allowed to pick out the animals that he wanted to see and we got to learn all about them and even pet a few. We did get to take pictures with all of them. We also got to take a tour of the inside portion of the zoo. If it were warmer outside, we would have been able to go outside as well. The kids got to color animal masks and play pictionary. The staff was very friendly and good with the kids.

A local gem! More people should frequent this zoo. Fun for all ages. Great for grandchildren!

Baught a membership in April and didnt get our cards until July. Used code Rhino still no Rhino exhibit. Try to take our kids today to the zoo but get denied because it's an 21 or older day on a Saturday at 3:30? Why not do it after 5pm? Declined at 4pm a month ago, because they close at 5pm. The staff is a joke. The zoo is rundown. Save your money. Wish I could leave a zero star review.

They did a great job of remodeling. Great little zoo.

Great zoo for a small city. It's the perfect size for young kids!

Well kept, animals look healthy. Friendly employees

Love that it is so close,wish they bad more animals!

They are under construction right now. Not listed on there website. So not much to do or see at the moment...they have half of the zoo closed. And charge full price.

I really enjoyed our day at Potawatomi Zoo, it wasn't over crowded so we could enjoy watching the animals. The animals they have are different from others I've been to, so that was nice. A fun place to go.

Picture a charming park replete with small idyllic ponds , meandering trails, and lovely forestry...and then add cool animals! I've never been to a "pretty" or "peaceful" zoo up until now. Quite an experience!

We like going here and have for years. The enclosures are small for some of the animals. I don't understand why there isn't a zoo with our woodland creatures. Wolves, raccoons, beavers, skunk, bear ,possum etc. I would think our animals are just as important to be educated about!

Had a really wonderful experience here. The domestic farm where we can feed the animals is wonderful and joyful for the kids.

If you re in the South Bend area and don t want to drive 2 hours to Fort Wayne, this is the zoo to go to. It s definitely not as good as San Diego Zoo or Fort Wayne. It s much smaller but also much cheaper. It s a zoo. You can feed some goats and llamas, see your typical animals, and see a few big cats. They re doing what they can with what they have. For under $10/person, I d say it s still well worth it to occasionally visit if you have kids (or just like animals).

Love to he zoo and enjoy the concerts on Sunday evening