If you’re looking for some wild times, take a daylong stroll through the venerable Brookfield Zoo, 14 miles west of downtown Chicago and home to more than 3,000 critters.
From addaxes and bears to wallabies and zebras, visitors have the opportunity to observe amazing animals from around the world and have up-close experiences with some of them.
Treat yourself to a frosty treat — or even a Mai Tai — as you explore the 216-acre park with ecosystem-themed venues such as Australia House, Habitat Africa! The Savannah, Fragile Desert, Pinniped Point, Feathers and Scales, Seven Seas and The Swamp.
Be sure to take a spin on the carousel featuring hand-carved wooden animals, and flutter through the butterfly house, open for the season.
You also can party after hours from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday thanks to the zoo’s returning Summer Nights schedule that runs from June 16 to Aug. 12 and offers 18 evenings packed with live music, kids entertainment, roaming performers, a beer and wine garden, and zoo chats with animal ambassadors — all of it topped with a laser light show.
Some of the main stage acts include In The Valley Below (June 17), Keith Anderson (June 30), Sixteen Candles (July 7), We Are Scientists (July 8) and Dishwalla (Aug. 12).
Cost is regular zoo admission: $19.85 for adults and $14.50 for kids and seniors.
Come early to see the animals; most of the exhibits will close according to regular zoo hours.
Be sure to pack a blanket or lawn chairs. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase; outside alcoholic beverages are not allowed.
If scales and claws are your thing — or you have a T-Rex fan in the house — dig the temporary exhibit Dinos & Dragons, which runs to Sept. 17 and also will be open late during Summer Nights.
Showcasing 17 animatronic creatures, the winding exhibit explores the myths and legends of these extinct beasts.
Visitors can then view a multitude of live reptiles, including a frilled dragon, plumed basilisk and a 6-foot-long Komodo dragon making its debut at the zoo.
There’s also a dinosaur dissection lab, dino dig boxes and an excavation site.
In addition to zoo admission, admission to Dinos & Dragons is $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors.
Those 21 and older can sample from an array of more than 80 beers at the sixth annual ZooBrew on Aug. 25-26. The event includes all-day admission to the zoo and the ZooBrew tent from 5 to 9 p.m. in the east mall.
There is always something new at the zoo, and it doesn’t get much cuter than baby animals, especially the zoo’s youngest orangutan, which was born last December at Tropic World.
As for other zoo newbies, you can visit the Grevy’s zebra born last November and Temur, the Amur leopard cub born last July. There’s also a new polar bear in town, 21-year-old Nan, who arrived in February at Great Bear Wilderness.
When hitting the zoo this summer, be sure to dress for the weather and stay hydrated.
A quick tip for cooling off: Sit in the splash zone during the Dolphins in Action show ($3-$5).
You also can put the splash pad near the Living Coast to good use.
Most indoor venues and shops are air-conditioned if you need a place to chill.
Jen Banowetz is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
Brookfield Zoo
3300 Golf Road in Brookfield
Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., starting May 27
Cost: $19.85 adults, $14.50 seniors and kids 3-11. (Save $1 and skip the lines by buying tickets online ahead of time.) Parking is $12. Some attractions have additional fees.
Information: 708-688-8000 or
