Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

One of the first places we visited in Colorado Springs was the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. It was started in 1926. Below is the Giraffe Cam at the zoo.


 from CMZoo.org


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This is just a few miles up the road from the Broadmoor if you happen to be staying there. It is a beautiful drive up the mountain and the zoo is one of the nicest I have been to in the United States.
My biggest memory of this zoo is the exhibit of giraffes. In the photo above, my son, Andrew, poses by some of the giraffes. I have always loved giraffes and at this zoo, you can buy crackers and actually feed the giraffes. They lean right over the fence where you are and take the crackers out of your hand with their huge black tongues. They are fascinating creatures up close and personal and are so much fun to feed.

Your kids will either be extremely excited or screaming in terror. Mine were thrilled to pieces to see the giraffes that close and to feed the crackers to the giraffes. They laughed at those long black tongues sucking up the crackers. Other kids were so afraid that they just screamed. We thought that was pretty funny.

Be sure that you wear good walking shoes like sneakers or tennis shoes and thick socks. There is a lot of walking uphill. You get a good workout, especially if you are pushing a stroller with two babies in it, like I did on one visit. (My two youngest are a year apart.) Plus I had to keep running after a four year old!

This was one of the most enjoyable places we have ever gone. The kids had a great time all over that zoo. The monkeys and the elephants are always enjoyable. There are even penguins.

There is a kiddie playground and an area where kids can touch the animals. This zoo is big and spacious with over 650 different species of animals. Lots of the animals are in man-made realistic looking nature habitats. Others are in cages.

There is a tram you can ride to tour the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for an extra fee.

Take a stroller or plan to rent one there for the little ones because they will get tired. Bring a camera, hats, and sunscreen because you will be in the sunlight most of the day. It will be nice and cool up on the mountain, but you still will want to protect the little ones from the sun's rays.

Tickets are currently (December 2008) $12 for adults and $6 for kids, ages 3 to 11.