Lake Superior Zoo and Zoological Society, Duluth, MN

The Lake Superior Zoo and Zoological Society of Duluth, Minnesota sits at Fairmont Park in the west section of the city. It is over 16 acres in size with Spirit Mountain rising above it. The rocky hillside, pine trees and Kingsbury Creek all add to the beauty of the zoo grounds. The zoo was begun in 1923 by the hands of Bert Onsgard. He had the community and city of Duluth to support his endeavor in creating a place for children and families to learn about the animals of the world. By the 1920's he had more than 220 animals, reptiles and birds in the zoo. It first started with a white tailed deer which was named Billy.

Today visitors can see all their favorite animals like African Lions, tigers, polar bears, cougars, Alaska grizzly bear, and more. The zoo has summer and winter hours for visitors. The summer hours are 10am to 5pm, and during winter the zoo closes an hour earlier. They are open seven days a week except for major holidays. Admission will vary depending on age and group size. For regular attendees admission is $9 for ages 13 and older and $4 for children 3 to 12. Children 2 and under are free. Group rates are $7.50 for adults and $3 for children. Reservations are required for group rates. Strollers and wagons are available for $2 and $4 respectively.

The zoo is broken into different sections like Zoo central, Children's Zoo, Australian Outback, Northern Territory and Primate Center. Zoo Central is the hub of the entire attraction. It houses many animals that are kept inside a building in glass cages. For example a Gila Monster, Desert Tortoise, Ball Python, Ferret, Tarantula, Corn Snake, Chinchilla, and Bearded Dragon are all found in Zoo Central.

This main building has birds of varying species, reptiles and amphibians. The Children's Zoo is for little children who wish to learn about the animals on display in an up close manner. A Pygmy goat, Common Peafowl, Shetland Sheep, Prairie Dog, and other animals are in this section. The Canada Geese and Bantam Rooster are able to roam free in this area of the zoo and some animals for petting are also there.

Northern Territory is all about the Kodiak and Grizzly Bear for its main attractions. However, the Puma is also high on the list of must sees. Among the other animals in the Northern Territory are the Red Tail Hawk, Wild Turkey and White Tail Deer. Nocturnal Trail is a small building one can walk through to see a variety of different bats and reptiles. This building offers the reticulated python, two toes sloth, African fruit bat, Kinkajou, and burrowing owl.

Like all zoos, the Lake Superior Zoo is about more than education. The zoological society is about conserving the world's animals by giving them a safe place to live. They study the animals in hopes of protecting them in their natural habitat a bit better.