Miller Park Zoo offers a variety of fun and educational programs throughout the year. Parents can sign children up for classes and teachers can bring classes to the zoo. Learn more about all educational opportunities the Miller Park Zoo offers! Phone the Zoo at (309) 434-2250 for details.

• Classes and Camps
• School Programs and Group Reservations

Education at the Zoo

Summer at the Zoo brings so many new experiences. For the Education Department, it means the chance to bring the animals & guests closer together! Our Junior Zookeepers are out in full force & ready to share their knowledge with you. These JZKs work very hard during their school year classes to prepare themselves to be Zoo ambassadors & interpreters. They’re very excited to introduce you to our bundle of baby goats, let you feel a millipede massage your hand, show you that a blue-tongued skink feels just like corn-on-the-cob, & tell you The Otters’ Tale before the twice-daily otter feed. Don’t miss them at the Rainforest Theater for an educational animal chat!



But do kids need to wait until they’re old enough to be JZKs to learn about animals in classes at the Zoo? No way!!
We offer Animal Crackers classes for kids 3-5 years (with an adult) and ZooKids classes for kids 6-7 years (no adults!)
The kids in our week-long summer camps always have a blast. There are still a few spaces in Zoo Safari Camp for 8-9 year olds and Animal Adventure camp for 10-12 year olds...don’t miss out!!
Our brand new Jeepers Keepers mini-camp has been a big hit! Our early summer sessions filled fast so we added another later this summer. There’s still space in the session for 10-17 year olds, and the 7-9 year old session is nearly full, so don’t delay!

It’s never too late to get involved in Zoo education. If you’re an active 55+ senior, plan to stop by for our tour on the second Wednesday of each month at 8:30am. For just $5, you can walk part of the Zoo with an educator, maybe get a peek behind the scenes, & see what’s happening before the Zoo opens.

Our educators hope everyone who visits the Zoo leaves knowing something about the animals they didn’t before…and that they’ll be back soon to learn more!

Rainforest Exhibit Bird Guide

Click here to learn more about our birds on exhibit in the Miller Park Zoo Rainforest Exhibit