Winter is a great time to visit the Louisville Zoo. There are no crowds and the animals that inhabit the zoo are calmer. They have some breathing room. The only disadvantage is some exhibits are not available (meaning some animals are not accessible). The exhibits at the Louisville Zoo are seen on the thumbnail map above. The above map if clicked takes you to a larger map on the Mobilemaplets website.
After parking and paying my admission, I headed for the pond area (by Islands Café) where Canada Geese, Mallard Ducks, Wood Ducks, Black Swans, and other Waterfowl hang out. The Herpa Aquarium and Islands Exhibit are close by, but I usually save them for last as I make a second stop before I leave to see the Waterfowl. After visiting the pond area I head to the Eagles and Cats of the Americas Exhibit. It would be nice if the cats had more space. Just constructive criticism, but I realize the zoo is in a city and is limited on space.
The Flamingos are not on exhibit in the Winter and some of the cats may not be available also. One of my favorite exhibits is the Sea Lions and California Seals. Temperature permitting they are out swimming in the water, enjoying their day. They offer a feeling of calmness to the bystander. They appear to be in a moment of blessed zen as they make their loops around to some instrumental music.
If you are lucky enough, you will hear the male lion roaring from the other side of the zoo proclaiming his authority and territory. I was. As I was photographing the Waterfowl I could hear his roars of royalty and quickly made it through the other exhibits till I reached him. There he lay next to his queen upon their sandstone exhibit. Majestic in appearance he looked directly at me offering me incredible photo ops until he grew bored with my presence.
The Meerkats were grooming each other. I felt as if I were interrupting their salon session. The children were looked after by the elders and protected from the onlookers. The den mother appeared to be anxious that the kids might get too close to the visitors.
The Zoo has a beautiful carousel near the end of the exhibits. It’s in excellent condition. It was not in operation on this day, which was to my benefit to photograph some of the carousel animals. I’m sure it is used frequently in the summertime.
This concludes this visit to the Louisville Zoo. I frequent the zoo about 2-3 times a year. The Zoo is located at 1100 Trevilian Way, Louisville, KY 40213. The hours vary according to the season. Check out their website for further details: https://louisvillezoo.org/
Last modified: April 23, 2020
