Minnesota Zoological Garden

The Minnesota Zoological Garden is an AZA-accredited zoo in Apple Valley, Minnesota. When it opened on May 22, 1978, it was fairly revolutionary in its exhibit design. The zoo, built in a suburbanizing rural area, had more space to house exhibits and was one of the first zoos to organize its animals by their living environment as opposed to their species.

Exhibits

Biodiversity Center

The Biodiversity Center is the zoo’s main building complex, encompassing the Zoo’s admissions center, a cafe, main eatery, main gift shop, educational classrooms, a hands-on, play/learn area known as ‘The Great Backyard’ and a special Exhibits Gallery.

A rotation of living and museum-style exhibits are set up around the Biodiversity Center, as well as three permanent exhibits for Meerkats, Penguins and Snow Monkeys

Additional, rotation-style exhibits include the Exhibit Trailheads and the Exhibits Gallery.

Snow Monkeys

Japanese Macaque

Meerkats of the Kalahari

Aardvark
Meerkat

Penguins of the African Coast

African Penguin

Northern Trail

The 3/4 mile (1.21 kilometer) features animals found north of the 45th parallel. Animals in this area include

Sichuan Takin

Pallas’s Cat

Temminck’s Tragopan

Snow Leopard

Asian Wild Horse
Onager
Bactrian Camel
Goitered Gazelle

Markhor

Daurian Pika

Red Panda
Red-crowned Crane
Western Tufted Deer

Moose

Woodland Caribou

Amur Leopard

Wild Boar

Amur Tiger

Rocky Mountain Goat

Mucket
Fatmucket
Higgin’s Eye

Arctic Complex

Built in 1994, the Arctic Complex is a 174,000 sq foot (4 acre), $28 million state of the art exhibit focused on animals from the Arctic Circle. It is situated between Crossroads Park and Family Farm, and has a unique stop on the zoo’s monorail system.. Zoogoers will walk through a braided stream delta at the shoreline of an arctic sea, meander into arctic coastal shoreline areas; and look out to the open seas filled with icebergs and iceflows.

The above-and below-water pathways provide visitors with the unique sensation of actually being within an arctic sea.

The Arctic Complex is designed to be a place which changes with the seasons and

encourages multiple visits by the public. In the winter the exhibit offers snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and sled rides through the simulated arctic wilderness.

The Zoo visitor will arrive at a terraced Entry and Orientation Court bordered by gift

shop, restaurant, retail and restroom facilities all with views of rolling 'tundra-like" landscapes

An earth-sheltered Arctic Interpretive Center provides interpretive exhibits and materials which tell the story of the arctic – its animals, its peoples, its environments, and the forces that have shaped it. Animals in this area include…

Musk Ox

Arctic Fox

Snowy Owl

Sea Otter

Walrus

Polar Bear

Beluga Whale
Harbor Seal

Ice Age Trail

Situated between the Caribou habitat and Outdoor Amphitheater, the Ice Age Trail was built with a donation from the Greene Foundation, it is one of the smaller complexes in the zoo, but is still around 2 acres in size. Animals in this area include…

American Lion

Giant Beaver

Discovery Bay / Oceans Trail

Exterior of Discovery Bay as seen from the main plaza

Discovery Bay serves as the Trailhead for the Oceans Trail. Discovery Bay contains several aquariums with a combined 1,100,000 US gallons (4,200,000 L) of water. Guests have an opportunity to touch sharks, rays, sea stars and sea anemones in the interactive estuary and tide pool. At the entrance to the Tropics building, visitors can see the Wyland mural titled "Our Ocean Family", dedicated on September 8, 1997. Animals in this area include

The Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin Tank as seen from its amphitheater. Dolphin shows are held in this pool daily, providing the animals wish to cooperate

Shark Reef

Queen Angelfish
French Angelfish
Sergeant Major
Bicolor Damselfish
Yellowtail Damselfish
Beuregory
Neon Goby
Porkfish
French Grunt
White Grunt
Bluestriped Grunt
Crevalle Jack
Horse-Eye Jack
Bar Jack
Lookdown
Florida Pompano
Yellow-Fin Mojarra
Permit
Green Moray
Coney
Royal Gramma
Graysby
Orange-Spotted Grouper
Atlantic Spadefish
Atlantic Tarpon
Creole Wrasse
Queen Triggerfish
Longspine Squirrelfish
Spot-Fin Porcupinefish
Southern Stingray
Sand Tiger Shark
Whitetip Reef Shark
Sandbar Shark
Blacktip Reef Shark
Green Sea Turtle
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle

Estuary

Leopard Shark
Horn Shark
Swell Shark
Bat Ray

Tide Pool

Shiner Surfperch
Painted Greenling
White-spotted Rose Anemone
Bat Star
Short-spined Sea Star
Green Anemone
Red Sea Urchin
Purple Sea Urchin
Club-tipped Anemone
Fish-eating Anemone
Giant Green Anemone
Ochre Star
Painted Anemone

Clubhouse Cove

Dwarf Cuttlefish

Green Scat
High Hat
Sailfin Molly
Sailfin Blenny
Sergeant-Major
Slate Pencil Urchin
Threadfin Butterflyfish
Weedy Seadragons!
Lined Seahorse
Spottail Goby
Yellow-Prawn Goby
Link’s Goby
Neon Goby
Bay Pipefish
Atlantic Horseshoe Crab
Red-Legged Hermit Crab
Common Clownfish
Cherub Pygmy Angelfish
Royal Gramma

Leafy Sea Dragon
Weedy Sea Dragon
Eastern Hulafish

Red Lionfish

Rainbow Parrotfish

Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin

Commerson’s Dolphin

The Ocean Trail is a 152,460-square-foot (3.5 acre), $31 million facility and was the most expensive project to date at the zoo, It provides a home for the remainder of the zoo’s cetacean species not housed in the discovery bay or Tropics Trail as well as other marine mammals like monk seals along with various fish and invertebrates.

Kelp Forest

Bat Ray
California Moray
Garibaldi
Horn Shark
Leopard Shark
Swell Shark

Vaquita Porpoise
Dwarf Right Whale

Pacific Reef

Hawksbill Sea Turtle
Coral Catshark
Brown-banded Bamboo Shark
Epaulette Shark
Port Jackson’s Shark
White-spotted Bamboo Shark
Zebra Shark
Fiddler Ray
Blue-spotted Ribbontail Ray
Zebra Moray
Snowflake Moray
Picasso Triggerfish
Threadfin Butterflyfish
Bignose Unicornfish
Brick Soldierfish
Pennant Coralfish
White-spotted Puffer
Emperor Angelfish
Orbicular Batfish
Powder Blue Surgeonfish
Bird Wrasse
Harlequin Tuskfish
Palette Surgeonfish
Convict Tang
Foxface Rabbitfish
Spotted Unicornfish
King Angelfish
Semicircle Angelfish
Yellow Tang
Bluering Angelfish
Regal Angelfish
Flame Angelfish
Bluegirdled Angelfish
Redtail Butterflyfish
Blackback Butterflyfish
Bluecheek Butterflyfish
Pacific Double-saddle Butterflyfish
Atoll Butterflyfish
Saddle Butterflyfish
Sunburst Butterflyfish
Sunset Butterflyfish
Teardrop Butterflyfish
Vagabond Butterflyfish
Spotband Butterflyfish
Raccoon Butterflyfish
Pearlscale Butterflyfish
Silver Moony
Blackstriped Angelfish
Twospined Angelfish
Barred Spinefoot
Longnose Butterflyfish
Copperbanded Butterflyfish
Foxface Rabbitfish
Lemonpeel Angelfish
Russet Angelfish
Twotone Tang
Brown-and-white Butterflyfish
Yellowface Angelfish
Millet Butterflyfish
Latticed Butterflyfish
Whitetail Dascyllus
Bicolor Angelfish
Orangespot Surgeonfish
Sohal Surgeonfish
Spotted Surgeonfish
Bluespine Unicornfish
Clown Triggerfish
Achillies Tang
Japan Surgeonfish
Orange-lined Triggerfish
Lined Surgeonfish
White-spotted Puffer
Long-spined Porcupinefish
Spotted Sharpnose Puffer
Longhorn Cowfish
White-spotted Boxfish
Guineafowl Puffer
Black-spotted Puffer
Yellow Boxfish
Milkfish
Pinecone Soldierfish
Ornamental Wrasse
Crown Squirrelfish
Sea Goldie
Blunt-headed Wrasse
Clown Fairy Wrasse
Brick Soldierfish
Saddle Wrasse
Five-striped Wrasse
Moon Wrasse
Yellow Brown Wrasse
Yellowtail Clownfish
Orange Clownfish
Clown Anemonefish
Black-axil Chromis
Comet
Bartlette's Anthias

White-Spotted Bamboo Shark
Blue-green Chromis
Japan Surgeonfish
Double-Saddle Butterflyfish
Latticed Butterflyfish
Bangai Cardinalfish
Common Clownfish
Redtoothed Triggerfish
Spotted Sharpnose Puffer
Blue Dot Jawfish
Blue-Green Chromis
Naso Tang
Purple Tang
Yellow Tang
Sea Goldie
Palette Surgeonfish
Copperband Butterflyfish
Foxface Rabbitfish
Longnose Hawkfish
Common Clownfish
Lawnmower Blenny
Mandarin Dragonet
Blue-legged Hermit Crab
Aquatic Snails
Plate Coral
Pineapple Brain Coral
Mushroom Polyp
Marshall Island Tricolor Staghorn
Larry Jackson’s Staghorn
Frogspawn Coral
Dendrophyllia Firecracker Coral
Encrusting Coral
Disc Coral
Chalice Coral
Club Finger Coral
Button Polyp
Bird’s Nest Coral
Australian Brain Coral

Spotted Garden Eel
Banded Coral Shrimp
Splendid Garden Eel
Sea Goldie
Purple Firefish
Pajama Cardinalfish
Red-leg Hermit Crab
Blue-leg Hermit Crab

Caribbean Monk Seal
Hawaiian Monk Seal

Alula Whale

North Atlantic

Common Octopus

Atlantic Cod
Atlantic Halibut
Atlantic Horse Mackerel
Atlantic Wolffish
Cuckoo Wrasse
European Flounder
Haddock
John Dory
Lemon Sole
Pollock
Red Gurnard
Striped Bass
Turbot

Open Ocean

Moon Jelly
Short-snouted Dolphin
Biting Sperm Whale
Bottlenose Orca
Hunting Sperm Whale
Killer Sperm Whale
Long-nosed Whale
Macroraptorial Sperm Whale
Shark-toothed Dolphin

Tropics Trail

The Tropics Trail is an indoor trail that gives the impression of being in a tropical rainforest. Animals in this area include:

Free-Flight

Lesser Scaup
Marbled Teal
Mandarin Duck
Madagascar Teal
Ferruginous Duck
Ringed Teal
Chestnut Teal
Falcated Duck
Red-Crested Pochard
White-Faced Whistling Duck
New Zealand Shoveler
Common Shelduck
Baikal Teal
Silver Teal
Indian Spot-Billed Duck
Maccoa Duck
Freckled Duck
Garganey
Spotted Whistling Duck
West Indian Whistling Duck
Hooded Merganser
House Sparrow

Ghosts of Madagascar

Radiated Tortoise

Henkel’s Leaf-tailed Gecko
Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec

Madagascar Hissing Cockroach

Red Ruffed Lemur
Ring-tailed Lemur

Faces of the African Forest

Egyptian Fruit Bat
Straw-colored Fruit Bat
Long-haired Rousette

West African Dwarf Crocodile

Black-and-White Colobus
DeBrazza’s Monkey
Red River Hog
Rock Hyrax

Asia

Komodo Dragon

Bali Mynah
Beautiful Fruit Dove
Grey-Capped Emerald Dove
Indian Star Tortoise

Giant Gourami
Rose-Lined Shark
Archerfish
Rosy Barb
Tinfoil Barb
Tiger Loach
Boeseman’s Rainbowfish

Asian Water Monitor

Baer’s Pochard
Lesser Flamingo
Northern White-cheeked Gibbon

Great Indian Hornbill
A Nicobar Pigeon
Victoria Crowned Pigeon
Nicobar Pigeon
Black-Napped Fruit Dove
Pink-Headed Fruit Dove
Luzon Bleeding Heart Dove
Pied Imperial Pigeon
Grey-Capped Emerald Dove
Domestic Dove
Wompoo Fruit Dove
Golden Crested Mynah
Asian Fairy Bluebird
Blue-Crowned Laughingthrush
White-Crested Laughingthrush
Metallic Starling
Grosbeak Starling
Dhyal Thrush
Black-Napped Oriole
Malay Great Argus
Crested Wood Partridge
Madagascar Partridge
Sri Lankan Junglefowl
Black-Necked Stilt
White-Rumped Shama
Spur Winged Lapwing
Scarlet-Faced Liocichla
Chinese Hwamei
Blue Bellied Roller
Cotton Pygmy Goose
Huia
‘Āmaui
Black Mamo
Hawaii ‘Ō’ō
Kaua’i ‘Ō’ō
Kona Grosbeak
Kākāwahie
Lesser ‘Akialoa

Binturong

Visayan Warty Pig

Asian Forest Tortoise
The Yangtze Finless Porpoise Tank on the Tropics Trail, once home to the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins now found in Discovery Bay.
Yangtze Finless Porpoise
Yangtze River Dolphin

Cape Porcupine
Leopard Tortoise

Bennett’s Wallaby
Matschie’s Tree-Kangaroo

Nocturnal Hall

Pygmy Slow Loris
Sunda Slow Loris

Sunda Pangolin

North Luzon Giant Cloud Rat

Indian Flying Fox
Philippine Colugo

Black-breasted Leaf Turtle

Kuhl’s Gliding Gecko

Tokay Gecko

Gurnsky’s Spectral Tarsier

Large Tree Shrew

Linneau’s Two-toed Sloth
Southern Three-banded Armadillo

Hog Island Boa Constrictor

Creatures Beneath the Canopy

Roseate Spoonbill
Scarlet Ibis
Venezuelan Troupial
Blue Crowned Motmot
Andean Cock-of-the-Rock
Green Aracari
Black-Necked Stilt
American Avocet
Sunbittern
Puna Teal
Laysan Teal

Golden Poison Dart Frog

Bolivian Grey Titi
Red-Rumped Agouti

Southern Three-banded Armadillo
Golden Lion Tamarin

Red-bellied Piranha

Orangutan Forest

Asian Small-clawed Otter

Fishing Cat

Greater Malayan Chevrotain
Silver Leaf Langur

Oriental Fire-bellied Toad

Green Tree Python

Greenhorn Island Cynodont
Greenhorn Island Docodont
Greenhorn Island Euharamiyidan
Greenhorn Island Gondwanathere
Greenhorn Island Multituberculate
Greenhorn Island Snouter
Greenhorn Island Terracete
Queen Sylviorn
Greenhorn Island Tree Ammondosaur
Sundial Horned Turtle
Greenhorn Island Frogbat

Malayan Tapir
Siamang
Sumatran Orangutan

Minnesota Trail

The Medtronic Minnesota Trail features animals native to Minnesota. The trail, which had been nearly the same since it opened in 1978, was reopened in 2007 after a year-long renovation. The trail now features a "north woods" look and includes exhibits for raccoons, coyotes, and gray wolves together with long-time residents like beaver, otter, puma, and lynx. Smaller Minnesota animals, like turtles, frogs and salamanders are featured in the exhibit's "trailhead", which is styled after a lodge. The quarter-mile (400-meter) trail takes guests through more than fifteen wildlife exhibits where they experience a variety of Minnesota landscapes, ranging from views into a beaver pond, a walk alongside a northern forest glade and a bird-watching perch in the treetops. The Minnesota Zoo received the Association of Zoos and Aquarium's (AZA) 2008 Significant Achievement Award for this trail. Animals in this area include:

Western Painted Turtle
False Map Turtle
Spiny Softshell
Smooth Softshell
Blanding's Turtle
Ouchita Map Turtle
Northern Map Turtle
Wood Turtle
Common Snapping Turtle
Orange-Spotted Sunfish

American Bullfrog

Western Hognose Snake

Northern Leopard Frog
American Toad
Mudpuppy

Northern Raccoon

American Beaver

Lake Sturgeon
Longnose Gar
Walleye
Muskellunge
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
Bowfin
Bluegill
Black Crappie
Brook Trout
Channel Catfish
Bullhead

North American River Otter

North American Porcupine

Fisher
American Marten

Coyote

Grey Wolf

Red Fox
Great Horned Owl

Wolverine

Bald Eagle

Cougar

Canada Lynx

American Black Bear

Prairie’s Edge

Prairie’s Edge is the first exhibit area visible when entering from the South or East Entrances as well as from the parking lots. Prairie’s Edge features both Panoramic and close-up views of Minnesota Prairie Wildlife. Animals in this area include:

American Bison
Pronghorn

Black-tailed Prairie Dog

Sandhill Crane

Dakota Skipper
Powesheik Skipperling

Family Farm

The Wells Fargo Family Farm, which opened in May 2000, allows guests to touch and interact with domestic animals. The Farm exhibit showcases goats, sheep, pigs, cows, chickens, and horses in a beautiful farm landscape. The Farm, a seasonal exhibit, is open every day beginning in April; the popular "Farm Babies" event marks the beginning each year. The Farm closes each fall for the season. The farm also gives a chance for visitors to watch the staff milk the cows.

Llama

Horse

Goat
Sheep

Cow

Pig

Rabbit

Chicken

Ambassador Animals

The Zoo’s ambassador animals participate in the World of Birds Show, Wings and Things Demonstrations, “pop up” animal encounters around the upper plaza and the Zoomobile Program. They are not normally on exhibit. Animal Ambassadors include…

Yellow Headed Amazon
Yellow-Naped Amazon
Blue-Throated Macaw
Green-Winged Macaw
Great Green Macaw
Military Macaw
Kea
Red-Lored Amazon
Golden Conure
African Grey Parrot
Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Hooded Vulture
Black Vulture
Andean Condor
Harris Hawk
Aplomado Falcon
African Fish Eagle
Red-legged Seriema
Burrowing Owl
Toco Toucan
Marabou Stork
Domestic Dove
Pied Crow
Trumpeter Hornbill
Knobbed Hornbill
Ground Hornbill
Southern Tamandua
Striped Skunk
Sugar Glider
Western Hognose Snake
Ball Python
Bullsnake
Red-foot Tortoise
Dodo
Laughing Owl
Delcourt's Sticky-toed Gecko
Lyall’s Wren
Major’s Monkey Lemur

Notable Animals

‘Mystery Whales of Minnesota’

All 18 Mystery Whales arrived in 2002 as babies under mysterious circumstances and still reside on the Ocean Trail, To this day it is still unknown who or what left the whales in the zoo parking lot and how or why they were given to the zoo. Many of them have been named after characters from the novel ‘Moby Dick’

Biting Sperm Whale (Brygmophyseter shigensis)
- Queequeg (M)
- Brittney (F)
Bottlenose Orca (Hemisyntrachelus oligodon)
- Chris (M)
- Rachel (F)
Dwarf Right Whale (Piscobalaena nana)
- Bulkington (M)
- Pippin (F)
Hunting Sperm Whale (Acrophyseter robustus)
- Tashtego ‘Tash’ (M)
- Perth (F)
Killer Sperm Whale (Zygophyseter varolai)
- Zoey (F)
- Starbuck (M)
Long-nosed Whale (Ankylorhiza tiedemani)
- Daggoo (M)
- Rosebud (F)
Macroraptorial Sperm Whale (Livyatan melvillei)
- Pearl (F)
- Moby (M)
Shark-toothed Dolphin (Squalodon calvertensis)
- Bruce (F)
- Stubb (M)
Short-snouted Dolphin (Brachydelphis mazeasi)
- Harvey (M)
- Bella (F)

Bottlenose Dolphins

A Bottlenose Dolphin resting at the water's surface

Dolphins were exhibited at the zoo since its opening in 1978. In 1992, Rio gave birth to the zoo's first successful captive-born dolphin, a male named "Shadow" sired by Semo.

In March 2006, Rio died at 35. She came to the Minnesota Zoo from the New York Aquarium in 1980. Rio gave birth to four calves at the Minnesota Zoo.

Two females, Allie and her mother, April, were additions to the Minnesota Zoo's bottlenose dolphin family in 2008. Both arrived on January 14, 2008, from Dolphin Connection in Florida. In September 2009, three bottlenose dolphins from the Brookfield Zoo arrived at the Discovery Bay habitat while their home stadium, the Seven Seas Dolphinarium, was being renovated. The three dolphins, Tapeko, and her daughters Noelani and Allison, remained in Minnesota for roughly six months until the tank in Brookfield was completed in the spring of 2010. This eventually brought the Minnesota Zoo's dolphin population up to 7. On April 15, 2010, Tapeko, Noelani, and Allison, made the return trip back to the Brookfield Zoo. Spree too was sent to Brookfield after it was decided she would have a better chance at acclimating herself to their social structure as she was generally outcast by Semo, April and Allie.

In all, a total of 19 dolphins have been housed at the zoo over the years: Semo, Flipper, April, Rio, Vince, Mindy, Chinook, Allie, Shadow, DJ, Ayla, Mindy's 1997 stillborn, Spree, Harley, Tapeko, Noelani, Allison, Allie's 2009 stillborn, and Taijah.

The zoo is currently home to 7 Dolphins, Tapeko, Chinook, Allie, Shadow, Spree, Noelani, and Allison

Commerson’s Dolphins

The zoo received 4 Commerson’s Dolphins following the closure of SeaWorld: Ohio. Currently the zoo is home to 5 Commerson’s Dolphin, housed in a second dolphin tank in Discovery Bay.

Monk Seals (Hawaiian and Caribbean)

In 2012 the zoo received 5 elderly, non-releasable female Hawaiian Monk Seals (which are the only Hawaiian Monk Seals anywhere outside of Hawaii), currently the last remaining Monk Seal, Ola resides in a tank on the Ocean Trail that she shares with Calypso and Kalinda the Caribbean Monk Seals.

Calypso and Kalinda were found malnourished and sickly on Miami Beach, they were blinded (only partially in Kalinda’s case) and had stomachs full of plastic waste, the two thankfully made a full recovery but were unable to be released, and since the zoo had space offered to take them in.

Beluga Whales

One of the first and perhaps most popular exhibits at the zoo was the beluga whale exhibit. The exhibit was home to two belugas, a male by the name of Anookalik (nicknamed "Big Mouth"), and a female by the name of Anana (nicknamed "Little Girl"). In later years, a bone infection was found within "Big Mouth's" jawbone (resulting from a collision with one of the tank fixtures) and forced immediate transfer of both whales to SeaWorld San Diego in the hopes of obtaining a more sophisticated means of veterinary treatment. In April 1987, a crowd of nearly 30,000 people filled the gates of the Minnesota Zoo to bid their final farewells to the two whales, who were transferred out of the zoo shortly thereafter.

The zoo was able to receive new Belugas in 1994 following the construction of the Arctic Complex, currently the zoo is home to 4 Belugas, being Kenai (M), Whisper (F), Glacier (F) and Qanir (F)

Red Pandas

Cedar and Spruce are the newest superstar additions to the zoo, arriving in the spring of 2025. The two brothers along with their sister Juniper were born at Lincoln Children’s Zoo in Nebraska on August 10, 2024. They share their exhibit with Douglas the Western Tufted Deer from Cleveland MetroParks Zoo in Ohio. He shares an exhibit with the Red Pandas Cedar and Spruce and a pair of Red-crowned Cranes from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo

Binturongs

Garrett and Felix

SeaQuest Rescues

Bugsy the Southern Three-banded Armadillo
Cisco and Chubbs the Bennett’s Wallabies
Chewie the Linneau’s Two-toed Sloth
Toothless the Melanistic Asian Water Monitor
5 Sugar Gliders
Lots of Saltwater Fish

Other Attractions

Monorail

The zoo's monorail opened on September 20, 1979 as the Northern Trek Monorail. However, an incident occurred on May 31, 1980, where an electrical malfunction caused the monorail train to stall, its engine to spark, and produce a lot of smoke. After the incident the monorail would close for two weeks until it reopened. On October 1, 1985, the monorail closed down. The reason for its closing was because of decline in ridership in the fall and winter months. The ride later officially reopened on May 11, 1986.

A second incident on the ride occurred in August 1992, where 10 passengers had to be removed by ladder from a smoke-filled monorail car after an electrical fire broke out in a motor. Another incident occurred in June 2000 when two monorail trains (one containing 80 people and the other containing 70 people) crashed. A fourth incident occurred in March 2011 when a monorail train stalled on the elevated track, people on the train were stuck for 2 hours until Apple Valley firefighters arrived to rescue them. Despite these incidents the Monorail remains a popular attraction among guests providing an easy way to view the zoos animals during bad weather.

The monorail has three stations, one in Discovery Bay, one in the Arctic Complex and one on the Ice Age Trail.

There is also an outdoor amphitheater that is used for bird shows during summer zoo hours. After hours, the amphitheater is used for a popular "Music in the Zoo" series. The Minnesota zoo has a conservation carousel. The ride consists of 56 animals from around the world. In order to ride the conservation carousel, zoo admission is required

Trivia

The Minnesota Zoological Garden or Minnesota Zoo is a real place, however the Saurian War Universe’s version is different to the real life facility, but all the exhibit areas not in the current park are based on real planned or former areas and exhibits.
Saurian War’s author, Achrioptera, works at the real Minnesota Zoo!
Natural Wetlands that can be seen from the Northern Trail.
A 1983 Zoo poster featuring a female Northern White-cheeked Gibbon
Trail marker graphics designed by Lance Wyman, 1981, based off animals found in each trail's respective zones
The zoo's official font and logo, designed by Lance Wyman in 1981
A map of the zoo in 1987