Ever heard the phrase “some of the best things in life are free?” That is SO true! One of those things is the Salisbury Zoo. It’s hard to believe that a zoo could be completely, 100% FREE!! And, not only that, the zoo is located in this beautiful wooded area along a creek with not one, but TWO playgrounds. Also FREE! Did I say the word free enough to get your attention?
My brother was visiting from out of town so I checked The Bucket calendar and we decided to go for the zoo’s Earth Day Celebration, so we really got our money’s worth out of this visit. We made a stop at the playground on our way in because it’s too good to pass up! We’ve been to a LOT of playgrounds, so I am pretty critical and I can easily say that this one is in my top 5 favorite playgrounds EVER. It’s a huge, all wooden structure that is completely fenced in (so no runaway babies) with plenty of swings and activities for all ages. Multiple sandboxes (complete with digging equipment) and a misting pad for when it’s super hot and muggy during the Summer are some of our favorite features.
Outside the playground is a lovely picnic area by the water, so you can socialize with the local waterfowl while you chow down. The creek is shallow enough that you can see fish and turtles swimming around, especially with your polarized sunglasses. You can even get polarized sunglasses for the kiddos for $10 on amazon so they can see too!
If you can make it past the playground to actually go in to the zoo, you will find that it is very stroller friendly with wide, flat pathways. There are public restrooms available as well as a concession stand. Some of our favorites to visit there are the flamingos, the wolves, the jaguar and the baby Andean bear. Baby O especially loved the ducks and other birds that were just the right height to be eye-to-eye. Since we were there during their Earth Day event, they even brought some of the animals out so we could get a better look. D got to touch a snake, pet a bunny on a leash and get up close and personal with a hawk and an owl. In addition to that they were giving away free trees, had arts and crafts galore and even a bouncy house. The zoo definitely knows how to put on a quality event!
The Salisbury Zoo is moderately sized, so you won’t see large animals like elephants, giraffes, tigers, etc. so don’t go making any promises to the kids on the way to see those guys! All exhibits are outdoors, with very few sheltered areas so if it looks like it might rain, pack your umbrella and go anyway 🙂
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