Best Things about Como Park Zoo and Conservatory

So it's New Year's Day. The temperatures are hovering around zero. You've got an under-napped toddler who is bouncing off the walls. What do you do? Why, you go to the Como Park Zoo and the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory! Aside from the completely odor-free primate house (which is some kind of atmospheric feat that other zoos need to replicate!) the place is great because:

• It is open 365 days/year.
• It is free (there is a request for a $3/adult and $2/child donation, but you aren't turned away if you fail to donate.)
• The newish Visitor Center and Conservatory architecture is gorgeous (don't miss the deco 1936 zoological building attached to the back side of the visitor's center--it's a gem!)
• It's 85 degrees and humid in the Conservatory.
• It inspired the children's book "Goodnight Gorilla" which this household has memorized.
  
• If you are hardy enough, you can head to the adjacent Como Park and go cross-country skiing or snowshoeing and enjoy a little apres-ski beverage at the cafe there.

We are truly spoiled having such an amazing resource in our backyard.

Image: University of Minnesota Extension, Clay County.