Cincinnati Zoo provides a roarin' good time

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has been delighting visitors for more than 135 years.

The zoo provides a roarin' good time — literally! The zoo is home to some of the world's rarest animals, including a pride of white lions. Only 500 white lions exist in the world — all in captivity except for a tiny few recently released onto a Johannesburg, South Africa, game reserve. Trophy hunters had been hunted these proud creatures to extinction in the wild.

Your little ones can frolic at the Children's Zoo or take in a family-friendly movie at the 4-D Special FX Theater.  Visitors can have birds land on them at Lorikeet Landing or watch endangered river otters cavort. The zoo provides self-guided tour recommendations aimed specially at your interests.

Founded in 1873, the Cincinnati Zoo is the nation's second-oldest zoo. (The zoo's Reptile House, built in 1875, is the oldest existing zoo building in the United States.) Only the Philadelphia Zoo is older. The Cincinnati Zoo has grown from a tiny collection of creatures on 65 acres in central Cincy to one of the country's largest zoos, with more than 500 animal and 3,000 plant species. With so much to see, you'll want to avail yourself of a printable online map of the zoo,

The Cincinnati Zoo has long been home to extremely rare species: The last known Passenger Pigeon died there in 1914, and the last known Carolina parakeet died there in 1918. The zoo is also home to Coco, the first parrot to lead the singing of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at a Major League ballpark. She led the Reds fans in 2004 and makes an appearance at Riverfront Stadium annually.

Zoo admission is $9 for children aged 2 to 12 or seniors 62 or older, free for kids younger than 2 and $13 for everyone else. The Total Experience Package costs an additional $11 and includes unlimited rides and the 4-D movie. Group rates are available for parties of 15 or more. Call (513) 487-3481 for details, or (513) 559-7767 for school field trips. The zoo also hosts private events.

 Zoo members provides free admission zoo, free admission to the PNC Festival of Lights, free or discounted admission to over 100 other zoos nationwide, three half-price guest passes and access to an assortment of discounts and special events. Memberships begin at just a dollar a week! For details, check the Membership Webpage. You can join or renew online.

The zoo has a variety of special programs for teachers, including Explorer Kits aimed at older elementary and middle-school students. These kits are only for teachers in Ohio or the greater Cincinnati area (including southeastern Indiana and Northern Kentucky) within a 50-mile radius of downtown Cincinnati.  For more information, call (513) 961-2739 or e-mail crewscientists@cincinnatizoo.org.

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