John Ball Zoo

About this activity

Are you excited for that WILD day out in Grand Rapids, kids? You just have to head to John Ball Zoo to spend the day exploring your wild side, and enjoy amazing animal encounters with creatures from all over the world!

Have you ever come face to face with those feline predators - the tiger? Perhaps you want to immerse yourself in the world of aquatic animals, as you explore the coast of Pategonia, or even as local as the Michigan stream?

Kids can watch those cheeky penguins play, come face to face with eels, or admire the tropical fish all in a 40,000 gallon Kelp Forest tank and tide pool.

Those grand and iconic bald eagles call John Ball Zoo home, or you can see what wonders the tropics hold with their vast diversity of reptiles and amphibians.  Don't miss those beautiful mammals too, including the sloth!

It wouldn't be a zoo without a trip into the Savannahs of Africa, where you can picture yourself on the plans of Mokomboso Valley with baboons, monkeys, chimps - all in one of the largest exhibits in the nation!

Kids can also enjoy a camel ride too - pretty cool! The fun doesn't stop either at John Ball Zoo for kids with Red's Hobby Farm, where kids can pretend to be sailing with the pirates, or trying to spot the ring tailed lemurs. 

From mountain lions, to grizzly bears, to the smallest frogs, John Ball Zoo is a great way for kids to learn all about the creatures of the world - and you don't even need to leave Michigan!

Let's get WILD!