- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Como Zoo and Marjorie McNeely Conseravtory
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
21 reviews for Como Zoo and Marjorie McNeely Conseravtory
A free zoo and awesome conservatory? Sign me up! This place was great. You can get so close to the animals when they are in their winter enclosures, its a whole new experience. The zoo isn't crowded and you can just wander at your leisure. The gorillas were hysterical and the tiny emperor tamarind monkeys stole my heart.
The conservatory is beautiful, not to mention nice and warm when its super cold outside! The little sloth that lives in the tropical portion is adorable too.
I really recommend the Como Zoo and Conservatory if you're in Saint Paul and looking for something to do.
It might be small and can't compare to bigger zoos but it's FREE! Kids will enjoy Sparky the seal, the primate exhibit, butterfly garden, and some of the other animals they have. There's also a carousel and other rides/games that kids will love.
The food is pretty bad and parking close to the entrance can be tough to come by. But there's plenty of street parking (if you don't mind walking a bit) and grassy areas for kids to run around before or after the zoo.
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
Today was one of the first warmer days for this spring and we decided to hit the zoo with my sister-in-law, her husband and her little boy. Come to find out, when it's nice out, people are swarming all over the Como Zoo & Conservatory area. Parking was a bitch. Thought we were stalking people just to find a spot.
It's wonderful that the Twin Cities has a place where people can roam the zoo and conservatory for "free" - meaning donation. It's a great place to bring tourists, you get to go to the zoo and a garden for free! Great for photographers who want some scenic garden shots. The zoo was a decent size. Great to people watch. There's such a diverse amount of people that come here and it's fun to watch. If you come on a hot day, don't forget to pack yourself a bottle or two of water. At the zoo they sell for $2.50 a bottle! Anyway, fun place, great for all ages and tons to see!
I am a Saint Paul-ite from birth and I love coming here. Just got married here last month in the Sunken Garden room at the Conservatory - so beautiful!! It warms my heart to see the place so busy all the time. The grounds are great and have good amenities that are well used. Parking is tough on the weekends when it is nice out so plan ahead! The event staff is tough to get a hold of if you're looking to use their space after hours for a wedding or party. I mostly played phone tag with them when I had questions. They were really helpful when I finally did get to speak with them. Email is best I think! Can't wait to see the new polar bear enclosure when it is done. It'll be nice to see
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
This is a smaller zoo compared to most zoos. However, it has its share of a wide variety of animals.
The Conservatory and the tropical forest are a total treat.
Flowers were remarkably beautiful at the conservatory.
Kids seem to like the outdoorsy feeling of this zoo.
The food at the cafetaria sucked....but, oh well. We cant have it all!
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
It's great! It's free! The Conservatory is beautiful, but small. The zoo isn't as interesting at the Conservatory. Lot's of people. Especially, during the summer.
I'm pretty sure that every time the cousins were all together at Grandma's house, the aunties would be put in charge of rouding us up and taking us to the zoo.
Its not show-stopping in the way that The Minnesota Zoo is, but they have the standard menagerie of giraffes, zebras, little monkeys, orangutans/gorillas, polar bears and seals. Its the kind of place you could go to for any amount of time and bring your child/parents/friends/date.
The last time I was here, it was almost closing time, and they must feed the animals at that point or shortly thereafter because all of the animals including the big cats were moving about their habitats, which was fun.
Plus, they've updated the amusement park rides area with a new theme and safer looking rides than they used to sport back in the 90's.
Its always clean and never dull. Will continue coming back as long as the zoo still stands.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (2)
I had my wedding here--ceremony and reception. The ceremony got rained out but you can have the service outside by the flamingos and the golden turtle statue.
I had my whole shebang in the large hallway on the right-hand side of the entrance. It was the only place left in all the Twin Cities that could hold 150 people besides the mansions, which for some reason I despise. So we chose the zoo. The space was nice. We had a late ceremony and reception so the space looked great with all the windows and candles and stars and darkness.
We had a live band and contrary to what I thought might happen, it did not sound echo-ey in the least once all the tables were set up. The floor is already a dance floor so we saved money there. They set up the entrance and lobby as bar and such so there is also a mingling area apart from the dining room. There was really no need to rent the extra fern garden, although you can.
I was slightly resentful that they had contracts with catering and bakeries so that I couldn't really choose anything else or bring my own food without paying exorbitant prices just to walk in the door (ahem $3 per per person for a different cake!!!)
Also if you are trying to be as cheap as possible, be aware that they charge tons of extra money aside from room rental to put up the decorations. I saw all the pictures with nice lights and drapery and chair covers and it all looked very elegant. Then I found it out it was $1,000 for the drapery, another $1,000 for special lights, and $2-3 a chair for covers. Ridiculous. We didnt have any of that and it was fine--nobody even noticed so save your money.
If you can get your mind wrapped around the idea that your event will be fun because of who is there not because of how decorated it is, you'll get a good deal from this location. What else can I really say? It worked out really well.
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
- Cool (3)
Had an engagement photo session at the Conservatory over the weekend. Forgot that it was Easter weekend. It was hugely busy, but we were still able to maneuver around people to get some nice shots. They have a very restrictive photo policy, and will charge you $25 for a photo pass that's only good for 30 minutes. We went over by a few minutes, and they didn't send the greenhouse gestapo after us or anything. It's a really beautiful setting. I can see why it's such a popular wedding spot. Be wary of taking photos right now - the difference in temp between indoors and out will cause your lens to fog, and we cut precious time off our 30 minutes waiting for it to de-fog.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (3)
I love this place, as Kid we went here almost once a week. I loved the rides, the mini golf, and mostly the animals. - I even liked being able to feed the sealions the sardines (even tho they smelled bad) The giraffes are really cute too.
This is a great zoo for being free, and for what it's worth, being a free zoo, you only can get what you put into it.
How can you not love a park with cheese curds too? I mean seriously!
This is such an amazing park, and being someone who has moved out of the area, and has returned to visit as an adult - I can't begin to tell ya'll enough what a true gem you have admist you and how much you should cherish being able to take your kids to see giraffe's, monkeys and tigers without having to pay upwards of $20 to do so.
So precious, and I hope it remains open for a long long time, cause I'd love to be able to return with my children and grandchildren one day and embrace the historical beauty that is Como park.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (2)
The zoo is interesting (GIRAFFES! YAY!) but the conservatory really shines.
When I went a few weeks ago I was disappointed that the bears were gone because they're rebuilding that whole side of the zoo. I was a little worried about the poor polar bear who did the same circuit over and over and over in his enclosure. Maybe the new enclosure will be better for them.
But back to the conservatory, if you have a chance to go on a weekday when it's not as crowded, take advantage. There are lots of benches upon which you can park and relax your body and mind. The Japanese garden is pretty in the spring.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (2)
Not as impressive as I remember from my childhood, but you cannot shake a stick at a free park. They ask for a donation, so I see no reason why people could not cough up about $5 to support them and enjoy what Como has to offer.
The area surrounding the Zoo is spectacular. During the summer, if weather permits, I suggest taking a walk around the park. When the sun is at its hottest then you can enjoy the refreshing mists within the Botanical Gardens. This building has also been used for weddings.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
A good place to bring kids, or a cheap way to spend a day. But if you want to visit a good zoo, I recommend paying the $15 to get into the Minnesota Zoo.
Entrance to the zoo and conservatory, picnic areas, and parking are all free. You are allowed to bring food and beverage in. The only things you'd pay for are food, rides, and a 'suggested donation' of $2 for adults, $1 for kids.
As a zoo, I was pretty disappointed. It's quite small overall, and the animal enclosures are tiny. The only enclosure that resembled a 'natural habitat' was the wolf area.
The Conservatory was pretty cool. The 'tropical room' was quite nice.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
A nice little zoo that requires only a small "donation" upon entering.
My daughter just loved seeing the tiger (is that what a tiger barricade is supposed to look like?) and giraffes. Mommy enjoyed the cheese curds at the concession stand.
As with all zoos, it was sad to see the animals caged up.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
It's the local como zoo. It's not the big production that the Minnesota Zoo is, but it is likely a much shorter drive.
Come and feed the seals and check out the timber wolves. It should be a fun hour or two for kids or adult children. ;)
This zoo is best visited in the summer.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
Nice small zoo. My kids and I visited while in Minnesota. I'm sure we would have had a better time if my son hadn't fell and scraped his face up.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
A great place to spend a Sunday. This is not the San Diego Zoo, but you can't beat the price!! Pay a quick donation and take a little tour. The cafe there actually is pretty good too with some vegetarian options that were yummy (yes...I said yummy).
I was actually pleased with how animated the animals were, especially compared to the zoo in AZ that I was used to. It might have had something to do with the temperature (early spring, so it was a little chilly), but it was still very impressive.
A great place to visit on a nice afternoon. Although entirely fun, it was a wee but depressing.
One of the Polar bears had an infection on its back, and a buffalo had an infection on its leg. Sad to see animals in pain. Especially when the flies are driving them nuts.
On the up side, Como has many great exhibits and their conservatory is unparalleled. I especially enjoyed their Japanese garden. I'm a big lover of Koi and they had a couple hundred between the sunken garden and the Japanese garden.
The monkeys are always a barrel of fun. They had a sign in one exhibit that said they're expecting a new addition soon. So I'm excited for that.
Definitely a great time, but on the way out we spotted a mother duck and 3 babies swimming in the pond outside (the one with a big cement frog in it). Cute and all, but what really killed the mood was the 3 other dead baby ducks floating amidst a sea of garbage. They should really take better care of that pond. It was a depressing way to end a great day and ultimately ended in the loss of a star.
I like the Como zoo a lot - a great place to take the family for an afternoon. They have a great variety of animals and you can see them all up close.
The big downside is that, yes, the conditions do seem to be poor and you leave feeling like a jerk for enjoying yourself.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
This place is free, and the grounds aren't bad but the zoo always makes me feel sad. They are trying to update a bit, but most of the areas are too small for the animals and they clearly need more money. I don't recommend if you're sensitive to animal conditions.
Pretty cool Zoo, Nice to walk around but there are NO water fountains!!!
on a hot day that's not a good thing, Me and my friends used to wander down there.
not as good as henery Vilas Zoo but still fun to walk around.
