Indianapolis Zoo

Although I live in Chicago where we have two wonderful zoos, I always like to check out zoos when we travel to see something new and see animals in different environments.

We have one zoo that offers quite a bit, but is so massive in size and so spread out that it's almost impossible to get through the whole place in one day. Our other zoo is smaller and much more compact with the advantage of being free, but parking is always a challenge and sometimes it's hard to get around with the large crowds.

The Indianapolis Zoo falls somewhere in between. It's big enough to offer a good variety of exhibits, but not so large that you log a dozen miles on a visit. It's easy to manuever and there's a lot to see and do.

Just outside the entrance is the White River Gardens, which you can visit with your zoo admission. There are some fun opportunities of upgrades you can add to your day, some of which are feeding giraffes, being a Jr. Dolphin Trainer or taking a train ride.

Some of the zoo highlights are the "Race-A-Cheetah" section where you can test your speed against these speedy cats, the Shark Touch Pool, the Dolphin Show and the new International Orangutan Center.

For more information, visit indianapoliszoo.com