Farm-in-the-Zoo

Opened in 1964 and renovated in 2002, Farm-in-the-Zoo incorporates domestic farm animals and play-based learning stations to create a welcome space for first encounters with and exploration within the natural world. This space features a Main Barn geared toward open-ended play for toddlers and young children, as well as a Livestock Barn and Dairy Barn with outdoor yards for cows, goats, pigs and ponies.

Promoting experiential learning, Farm-in-the-Zoo enables guests to see, hear, and smell real farm animals and immerse themselves in the day-to-day happenings on a farm. Seasonal programs here allow early learners to feed chickens and cows—as long as the animals choose to participate.

Farm-in-the-Zoo also features two seasonal Edible Gardens, tended by volunteers and filled with organic plants that thrive in Illinois. The gardens are the result of a partnership with Green City Market and The Organic Gardener, Ltd. They produce enough that the zoo is able to donate more than 2,000 pounds of food to local communities through The Love Fridge each year.