This year, my daughter’s local Girl Scout troop invited us all to a special day at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. Visiting this zoo was a first for my daughters. Not only did we see the new baby giraffe and the new Southern White Rhino, but we also had our own special animal encounter. The Girl Scouts had reserved a special behind the scenes experience with a animal handler. While this experience was unique to our group, anyone can sign up for this additional service with a Behind-the-Scenes Tour.
A Day Out At The Maryland Zoo In Baltimore
For our special encounter, an animal handler brought out a small owl. Although the children were disappointed that they couldn’t hold the owl, they were excited to see it up close. They also learned about the eating habits of some of the animals there. This was a fantastic start to our tour of the zoo. Having a close animal encounter made everyone enthusiastic to explore the animal kingdom at the Maryland Zoo.
At our special animal encounter, the children met a small owl! With Behind-the-Scenes tours and the 2017 summer camp that offers up-close animal visits, children become enthusiastic about animal life.
Next, we saw the rhinos. The rhino exhibit was one of my favorite parts of the zoo. I liked that the animals were easy to view. My youngest daughter was in awe at seeing them up close, compared to the pictures she has seen in her books at home.
Recently, the Maryland Zoo welcomed a new Southern White Rhino.
We stopped in a bird enclosure, but we didn’t stay long. Although seeing ducks walk past us was interesting, we had many more animals to see. From the crocodile to the bears, the many fascinating exhibits kept us moving at a quick pace.
At the bird exhibit, the animals roam free in a small enclosure. Walk through to find out what types of birds you will discover!
I was surprised with how close we were able to get to the giraffes. The zoo offers another special feature where you can pay to get closer to them. While we didn’t do that this time, I promised my daughters we would the next time we go.
At the giraffe exhibit, you can get close to the animals.
Seeing the baby giraffe was very educational since my daughters had no idea that baby giraffes were so big.
Another highlight of the trip was the lion. I haven’t been to many zoos that have lions because of a lack of space for their enclosure. Although the lion didn’t come close to us, he was beautiful to see from afar.
The lion was one of the most interesting exhibits. Although we couldn’t get too close, he looked very regal from a distance.
We also enjoyed seeing the elephants. One of my daughter’s favorite children’s book is The Saggy Baggy Elephant. She said all the elephants at the zoo did, in fact, have very saggy, baggy skin.
With over 1500 animals, the zoo holds over 200 species.
If you are visiting the zoo, I recommend going during the spring time. The weather was perfect. After walking around, no one needed jackets, but it was cool enough for everyone to enjoy the time outside. From a playground to a gigantic tree slide, you can find plenty of play areas for children.
Visiting with my daughter reminded me of how fun animal encounters were for me when I was her age.
Also, arrive as early as you can to get good parking. The parking is free, but it fills up fast. We had a short walk to the car, but we were able to take a fun tram ride back to make the walk more comfortable for the children.
Some upcoming events at the Maryland Zoo include Craft Safari, Bunny BonanZoo, Breakfast with Bunny, and Stroller Safari. Find out more in the Special Events section.
For more ideas of spring break outings your children will enjoy, check out Theresa’s Reviews 2017 Guide To Spring Break Family Fun In Baltimore. You can also follow Theresa’s Reviews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Youtube.
A sunny, spring day is the perfect time to enjoy the Maryland Zoo.
While the animals enjoy the water, your children will also enjoy the Children’s Zoo, where they can also splash in the water as they walk across lily pads!
In addition to seeing the animals, children can find many play areas.
Have you been to the Maryland Zoo? Share your tips in the comments!
Disclosure
I received a free item, but it in no way influenced my opinion!
[…] Incredible Animal Encounters At The Maryland Zoo In Baltimore […]
That sounds like a wonderful zoo. I would love to take my kids to experience these amazing animal encounters.
We love visiting different zoos. Haven’t been to this one yet
Very interesting blog and in my list!
This is such a great post and reminder about how fun a trip to he zoo is, especially when the weather is right. Thanks for the images!
I love visiting local zoos when I travel places for vacation. Each one is so different and unique. My local zoo actually does have lions and the Lions have even had a couple sets of clubs it’s been very exciting over the past few years. Unfortunately the mate past and when they try to introduce A new made things didn’t go so well and so now we have a lot less lines then we used to .
I took my son to that zoo when he was 3 (he’s 11 now). It was a fun day. It looks like they added even more excitement since we were there! Your daughter is adorable!
This looks like so much fun! I would love to see owls and the flamingos!
Looks like the kids had a fun time. We live fairly close to Baltimore, I think an hour away. We should definitely try going here with the kids next time.
Belle | One Awesome Momma
I really appreciate the education that zoos can provide. Its amazing to learn about native species and wildlife as well as get a treat of seeing animals that native to the area.
Great photos. 🙂 love this field trip for the kids. I love bringing lids to the zoo. 🙂
We love to visit zoos everywhere we travel. If we ever make it to Maryland, we’ll check this place out for sure! It looks like a lovely zoo.
I haven’t been to Maryland before but we have a relative that lives there so if we ever go visit we will definitely hit up the zoo. I love the zoo and we go once a week during the warm spring days, summer and cool fall days with our membership. The kids love it! We love looking at the animals. The giraffes and tigers are my favorite.
My son loves going to the zoo! I think smaller zoos, like this are far more personable too. They seem to really take care of their customers with special experiences.
I haven’t been to this zoo before but I love animals and my kids love them too! It looks like such a fun place to visit especially during nice weather. It’s amazing how much there is to see when you visit the zoo!
I love taking the kids to places like this. The zoo is a great way to introduce them to animals and make them care more about the environment. It looks like you guys had a great time there!
This zoo looks amazing, so many unique animals there.
This looks like a fun zoo! I love the flamingos. My sister is moving to Maryland this week so I’ll pass this on!
I haven’t been to a zoo is so long. I think zoos provide a great way to see a variety of animals and hopefully help you appreciate nature.
Looks like you’ve had a wonderful time! I’m not a huge fan of zoos but I do appreciate a good one when I see it 🙂 x
Now that the weather is warmer it makes a great trip with kids or friends and I am sure they can learn a lot from the enclosures. Great images as well x
I had no idea there was a zoo in Baltimore! It looks lovely! I will have to make sure we visit next time we go to the inner harbor!
Awwwww we love going to the zoo!!! Always a blast. Hope y’all had a great time
This place looks awesome! There are so many exhibits and awesome animals. Were you able to hold the owl?
This sounds like a really fun time! That’s so cool that you were so close up to the animals, i’d love to do that sometime!
My kids love the zoo and this would definitely be no different! If we make it up to Baltimore, I will definitely check this place out!
aww looks like a lot of fun and perfect for the kids! I love seeing all the beautiful animals! Can’t beat the zoo
Wow – looks like you guys had a lot of fun!
They seem like they have a ton of animals here! I love that you can get so close. How fun.
looks like a blast. my kids and i love going to the zoo
I was never a fan of zoos but my sister and I recently went to the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago and I loved it so much! I will definitely be visiting a few more this summer. This zoo looks so fun!
It looks like you had a fantastic visit to the zoo! I love visiting zoos – I haven’t visited this one, but I’m definitely adding it to my list when I’m in the area next. Great pictures 🙂
Looks like you had an amazing day, I love visiting zoos but I never get a chance these days. I have never visited this zoo but its now on my list!
I’ve never been to Maryland but In hope to go one a day and visit this zoo too!
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[…] or visit the petting zoo, the zoo has plenty to offer that the other nearby zoos – the Maryland Zoo and Smithsonian’s National Zoo – don’t […]