The Minnesota Zoo is an AZA-accredited zoological park situated on 485 acres in Apple Valley, Minnesota, home to more than 4,500 animals representing 505 species in award-winning exhibits. Organized by living environment rather than species type, the zoo was innovative in its design when it opened in 1978 and today features beloved areas including Discovery Bay, Russia's Grizzly Coast, Tropics Trail, the Wells Fargo Family Farm, 3M Penguins of the African Coast, and the Medtronic Minnesota Trail. Conservation is deeply woven into the zoo's mission, with pioneering programs to save endangered Poweshiek skipperling and Dakota skipper butterflies, native mussel restoration in Minnesota rivers, and turtle road mortality research in partnership with the state DNR. The Minnesota Zoo is a premier destination for families in the Twin Cities metro area and beyond.
