Como Park Zoo has been a fixture of Saint Paul, Minnesota since 1897, when it began with a gift of three deer to the city. What started as a small municipal animal collection inside Como Park has grown into one of the last free zoos in the United States, still welcoming guests without a required admission fee more than a century later.
Today the zoo covers about 17 acres and is home to roughly 1,700 animals representing 66 species, from western lowland gorillas to Siberian tigers. It sits alongside the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory and a historic 1914 carousel, making Como Park one of the Twin Cities’ most-visited public attractions.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Opened: 1897
- Size: About 17 acres (6.9 ha)
- Species: About 66 species, ~1,700 animals
- Annual visitors: About 1.9 million (Como Park overall)
- Famous for: Free admission and the Sparky the Sea Lion Show, running since 1956
The Animal Collection
Como Park Zoo’s most notable exhibits include Gorilla Forest, which opened in 2013 and houses western lowland gorillas in what’s described as the largest all-mesh gorilla enclosure in North America, and the Polar Bear Odyssey, completed in 2010. The zoo’s Large Cats exhibit, finished in 1980, features Siberian tigers, lions, snow leopards, and cougars; in 1958 Como Zoo recorded the first Siberian tigers successfully raised in captivity.
A newer seal and sea lion exhibit with dual pools was completed in 2021, continuing a marine mammal tradition that dates back to the debut of the Sparky the Sea Lion Show in 1956, still performed today as a conservation-focused educational program.
Visiting Como Park
The zoo charges no required admission, though voluntary donations of $8 per adult and $5 per child are suggested to support the facility. It shares its grounds with the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, a National Register of Historic Places site since 1974 known for its Palm Dome and Japanese garden, as well as the Cafesjian’s Carousel, a wooden carousel built in 1914 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company.
Como Park itself dates to 1873, when Saint Paul acquired roughly 300 acres of land around Como Lake, and the zoo’s free-admission model has made it a recurring stop for Twin Cities families across generations.
Explore more: Explore more zoos and aquariums.
Como Park Zoo FAQs
Is Como Park Zoo really free to visit?
Yes. Como Park Zoo does not charge required admission, though it suggests voluntary donations of $8 per adult and $5 per child to help fund operations.
How many animals live at Como Park Zoo?
The zoo is home to roughly 1,700 animals across about 66 species, including gorillas, Siberian tigers, polar bears, and sea lions.
When did Como Park Zoo open?
The zoo traces its origins to 1897, when it began with a gift of three deer to the city of Saint Paul, making it Minnesota’s first zoo.
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Photo: RxS at English Wikipedia / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.