The Dos and Don’ts of Visiting the Zoo’s Newest Exhibit (and More!) This Summer
We got a jump start on our summer adventure guide before school was even officially out for the summer, taking an impromptu zoo trip a couple of weekends ago when the weather was a beautiful 70 degrees and sunny, not a cloud in the sky.
A new LEGO exhibit, Brick Safari, opened at Brookfield Zoo at the end of May and I knew this was a must-see for my brick-obsessed boys. If your kids are similarly into LEGOs, preview the exhibit here and decide if it’s worth the trip. If your kids aren’t into LEGOs yet, count yourself lucky on so many levels and check out my pictures of the sculptures instead of paying to see it yourself.
Here’s what you need to know before you go!
Where:
Brookfield Zoo
8400 W 31st St
Brookfield, IL 60513
Get directions
Plan your visit: https://www.czs.org/brookfield-zoo/home
NOTE: The Brick Safari exhibit is an additional cost on top of general admission fees; $5 for adults and $3 for kids ages 3-11 (or you can purchase a more extensive admission ticket with multiple attractions included).
Make the most of your visit with these tips
DO: Go first thing in the morning.
In the summer, the zoo opens at 9:30 AM. Get ready early and get there as early as possible. Why? It’s not as hot outside yet and it’s less crowded. You’ll thank me around 2 PM when you’re heading for the parking lot and people are pouring in in droves with the sun beating down on them.
DO: Visit the Brick Safari exhibit early as well.
We didn’t make it our first stop (see next item below), but we did make it our second stop. By 10:30 AM, the exhibit was already getting crowded and we needed to wait in lines for all of the photo ops. The exhibit follows a path, so you move through in a herd, going from LEGO creation to LEGO creation with the rest of the pack. It can be congested, especially with strollers everywhere. Getting there early helps to beat some of the crowds and lets you explore the LEGO exhibit with a little more freedom.
DON’T: Argue with your kids if they insist on visiting the Hamill Family Play Zoo first.
It’s not worth it, and it’s right on the way to the Brick Safari exhibit. Stop in and let the kids stretch their legs and get a little playtime in before moving on to the rest of your zoo trip. Plus, the Hamill Family Play Zoo has the best restroom facilities for kids, so make a pit stop before you leave.
DO: Paint your kids’ faces for fun.
Another family tradition, let your kids paint their faces at the Play Zoo so they look like their favorite animals. Sure, they’ll have that paint smudged all over their face for the rest of your zoo pics, but if it makes them so happy, why not? My little lion roared fiercely and happily the rest of the day.
DON’T: Forget sunscreen, hats, and lots of water.
Much of Brookfield Zoo is in full sun during the day, so you’ll want to apply and reapply sunscreen throughout your visit. Hats are a must for my fair-skinned kiddos. Bring water bottles for everyone so you stay hydrated with all of the walking (and sweating) you’re about to do.
The Brick Safari exhibit happens to be along a shady path, but to get there, you’ll traverse the main zoo grounds under the blazing hot summer sun. Strolling under the trees along the Safari path is a nice little respite from the heat, especially when there’s a breeze blowing.
DO: Read the signs!
Each LEGO creation has a sign that notes how many bricks were used, how much the statue weighs, and how long it took the artist to build. Some of them were absolutely mind-blowing — the rhino used more than 250,000 bricks! You can make it into a game as you go along, trying to guess how many bricks for each statue or which statue took longer to build.
DON’T: Pose with every LEGO creation or for every photo op.
I mean, I did. But I regretted it. Many of the dedicated photo setups required a short wait just to get your kids in there, and then you know no one’s kids can just smile nicely under pressure while everyone taps their feet behind you as you beg your kids to JUST LOOK AT THE CAMERA AND SMILE DAMN IT. My posed pictures came out approximately as badly as I expected:
Nah, opt for the candids instead, and keep your posed shots for your favorite animals. Like me with this lemur, which is honestly the entire reason I was excited about the Brick Safari exhibit!
DO: Take your time because once you exit the exhibit, you cannot reenter it.
That being said, we walked through at a leisurely pace but I would by no means say we lingered anywhere. We did the exhibit in about 20 minutes total. It was cool to experience but there wasn’t anything I feel I needed to go back and see again, if you know what I mean. See it once, soak it in, and move on to the next thing.
DO: Hustle your kids through the extensive gift shop at the end by distracting them with the idea of snacks.
It’s a beautifully curated gift shop, with interactive stations where kids can build and play (at no charge). Unfortunately, my kids and gift shops are a recipe for disaster, so I steeled myself for the worst and basically dragged them through it, promising an Icee and a snack break next. It worked — there were no tears (and no dollars spent on gift shop garbage).
DO: Check out my gallery here for more pictures of our favorite displays!
This is just the tip of the iceberg — there were a lot more sculptures that didn’t make the cut, including otters, a Tasmanian devil, an anteater, tiger cubs, and more.
DON’T: Miss visiting other animals, especially the albino alligator on display in the Swamp.
Once you’ve gotten your fill of LEGOs, there’s still an entire zoo to explore. Snowflake the albino alligator is visiting Brookfield Zoo this summer and is on display in the Swamp. The Swamp is also home to my favorite — the playful river otters.
DON’T: Try to see every animal in the zoo in one day until you have really energetic, non-whiny kids. (And if you do, can you share your secrets?)
Pick a few exhibits instead of all exhibits, and look at the map in advance to plan out how you’ll visit them to prevent excessive walking back and forth. Visiting the zoo calls for a lot of walking, so wear comfortable shoes instead of flip-flops even though it’s summer. This visit we did the Hamill Family Play Zoo, Brick Safari, The Swamp, Tropic World, and a quick view of the big cats on our way out.
DO: Consider a zoo membership if you think you’ll be back at least one more time this year.
As long as a family of four visits twice in the year, you’ll get your money’s worth. Zoo membership makes parking free (instead of $15) every visit and discounts attractions (some membership levels include a select number of free attraction tickets too). Plus, you’ll get free guest tickets for friends or family to join you for your return trip.
DON’T: Assume your kids are too old for a stroller.
Sawyer is 3 and has refused to ride in a stroller for months. So this was our first family field trip where we left the stroller at home. Mistake? Maybe. His little legs tired out from all that walking pretty quickly, and we ended up carrying his 35-lb deadweight body around for more than half the trip. Nothing like a little extra strength training with my daily cardio.
DO: Know when to call it quits and leave before a meltdown occurs.
We arrived at 9:30 AM and left at 1:30 PM — the perfect half day adventure that zoo membership makes possible. I knew it was time to go home when we were out of snacks, out of water, and Sawyer refused to take another step. The goal is to leave BEFORE you feel like these lions:
If you’re lucky, the kids will fall asleep on the way home, and if someone else is driving, you might get to catch a catnap too.
Is a local zoo on your Summer Bucket List? What’s your favorite zoo animal? Share in the comments below or on social media with #NeverDoneWithFun. Keep following our summer adventures on Instagram and our summer projects on Pinterest!
Looking for more local Chicagoland adventures? Visit the Garfield Park Conservatory, hunt for trolls at the Morton Arboretum, explore the Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier, and more with the #NeverDoneWithFun Family Field Trip series!
