Zoos and Aquariums

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Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens - www.cincinnatizoo.org. 3400 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH 45220 (513) 961-1870). This an amazing zoo and , in my opinion, it's the best one we've ever been too!  Luckily for us, my parents came through once again and bought a pass that allows me and my girls  to get in with them so we go to the zoo quite a bit. 

Great Time to Visit: Enjoy 1/2 price admission to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens during Penguin Days (good through Feb. 29, 2012).

There is always something new to see at the Cincinnati Zoo - either from an exhibit standpoint or an animal that we've never seen before.   Check out their new main entrance and you will be pleasantly surprised with the many improvements the Zoo has made recently. My favorite is the gorilla exhibit where you can view gorillas as you've never seen them before and it's really fun to see them when it's lunch time.  K loves the giraffes and you can see their brand new terrain. They have various feeding times during the day and  you can see the giraffes up close and personal.

They have a great Jungle Trail's exhibit with jungle sound effects throughout and monkey's swinging about.   Check out  the insect house - even though I'm squeamish about bugs, children usually aren't and they love to see and learn about all these little creatures.

This zoo has it all.  For an additional charge, they have an adorable mini-train ride, an animal carousel ride and a 4D IMAX movie theatre.  Click here for info on their rides and attractions. There are restaurants on site but we usually get bring our lunch with us. They also updated the play area in the Children's Zoo (hooray) and it they kept the big spider web - kids love climbing all over that. 

See Amy's post on Family Friendly Cincinnati about their new Wild Packs program.

Hours: open everyday at 9am except on Christmas.  Check out their website for admission prices since they have so many different options.  

MasonMetu Tip: There are restaurants on site but we usually bring our lunch and extra drinks with us. 

The zoo also offers great birthday party packages.  See Birthday Parties for more information.

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Newport Aquarium - www.newportaquarium.com. One Aquarium Way, Newport, KY 41071 (859) 261-7444).  If you love all things aquatic, then this is the place to go.  They have over 70 exhibits and 14 galleries but one of our favorite parts is the interactive shark exhibit where you can actually touch a shark.  We also love the shark tanks where you are walking through a large tunnel with sharks surrounding you everywhere. Make sure you see the Dive Theater show - it's really fun having the divers talk to you about what they do in the shark tanks while they are actually in the shark tank.  Denver, the sea turtle, is fun to watch.

You'll also want to take a break and watch the otters frolic about in their wonderful habitat. From there you can feed the lorikeets in the rainforest.  The Frog Bog was a big hit for my girls.  The loved the brightly painted area filled with frogs, toads and more frogs and they enjoyed running, jumping and sliding  in the play area.  The larger than life Frogger game was also a hit.  The penguin exhibit is undergoing renovations but if you visit in the morning, you can see the Penguin Parade (this is on the plaza and it's free).  Shark Central is also a must do - here the kids can actually pet the sand sharks with a two fingered technique the attendant teaches them.  They can even weigh themselves in a shark sling. They are open all year long from 10am-6pm but they have extended hours during the holidays so check out their website for more info.

MasonMetu FYI: Newport Aquarium has Winter Family Days through Feb. 29. Two kids can get in for only $2/each with each full paying adult admission.

General Admission Pricing:

• $22.00 Adults
• $15.00 Children (ages 2 through 12)
• Children under 2 are admitted free

You can also buy an annual pass if you think you might visit more than once.

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