A small, historic animal park has a modern African safari, Arctic exhibit and children’s petting farm and play area among its top attractions.
The small Maryland Zoo is a place to come and observe or interact with animals from all over the world. The African and Arctic exhibits are complemented by a Maryland Wilderness section, which includes a Children’s Zoo. All animals are housed in enclosures that replicate their natural habitats.
Founded in 1876 as Baltimore Zoo, this is one of the oldest zoos in the country. It is set on 160 acres (65 hectares) in Druid Hill Park and started out as a donation of four swans on public display. The zoo opened its first elephant house in the 1920s and remains committed to the long-term survival of elephants in the wild.
Today you can come here to see more than 2,000 amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles from all over the globe. Follow the trails of African Journey, the zoo’s largest exhibit, and observe elephants, cheetahs, chimpanzees and many more animals from the African continent. For a small fee you can feed the giraffes.
Watch for the various presentations by zoo keepers throughout the day. You’ll learn about nature and observe animals being fed. See polar bears swim gracefully underwater at Polar Bear Watch, or grab a brush to groom a goat at the zoo’s farmyard in the Maryland Wilderness section.
There is also a Children’s Zoo, which offers activities, animal encounters and playgrounds. The popular, but quite expensive, VIP-Experience Breakfast with the Animals is only scheduled on certain days during the warmer months.
Maryland Zoo is open daily during warmer months. The limited opening hours and attractions in winter are made up for by a 50 percent discount on admission. Maryland Zoo might be small, however, it is less than 10-minutes’ drive from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and makes for a good morning out with the family when the weather is fine. Parking is free and there is a café.
