
A Designer Zoo - View this location on map ![]() 'Design - specifically zoo design - is a major claim to fame for the 70-year-old, 216-acre Brookfield Zoo (708-485-0263), about seven miles southwest of Oak Park. Brookfield was among the first to place several species together in indoor 'immersion' settings resembling their natural environments. The zoo's Tropic World features South American, Asian and African animals, including birds, otters, monkeys and apes, in a huge simulated indoor tropical rain forest, complete with waterfalls, orchids and even thunderstorms. Other highlights include the Dolphinarium, Living Coast (fish, sharks, penguins), Wolf Woods and Habitat Africa. Admission is $8, $4 for children ages 3 to 11 and adults age 65 and over.'' New York Times 31st Street and First Avenue, brookfield, IL Kids, Active |