I have a family of animal lovers. So, when I heard about Watertown’s Bramble Park Zoo, I knew a 2-hour road trip to Watertown, South Dakota was in order!
Bramble Park Zoo has been operating since 1912. What started as a small collection of pheasants and waterfowl grew exponentially over the years. Now, Bramble Park Zoo sprawls across 15 acres and is home to over 600 animals, representing 130 species from around the world.
Bramble Park Zoo is also accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Accreditation is important to us as visitors because it indicates the animals are receiving the highest standard of care. AZA-accredited zoos are also leaders in conservation education, meaning a visit to Bramble Park Zoo is a great learning experience for the family.
Bramble Park Zoo
The mission of Bramble Park Zoo is to increase awareness of the natural world around us.
Bramble Park Zoo’s exhibits are designed to enhance our understanding of wildlife and the need to protect it.
Discovery Center
The zoo’s main building is known as the Discovery Center. Be sure to tour these indoor exhibits before heading outside to see the animals!
Inside the Discovery Center, guests will find several exhibits which include dinosaurs, early Native American artifacts, and numerous aquariums.
My kids particularly enjoyed the Coral Reef and Amazon River aquariums.
The Discovery Center also houses a gift shop and concessions area where you can purchase hot dogs, popcorn, ice cream, and an assortment of beverages.
The Animals
The outdoor exhibits are home to a multitude of mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish.
If you plan your visit between Memorial Day and Labor Day, you can catch keeper talks and training demonstrations on the weekends.
We were fortunate to catch the black bears right at their 11:00 a.m. feeding time. The kids got a kick out of the bears sitting at the table like humans and eating many of the same foods as us!
My daughter is a cat lover, so she was thrilled to see the leopard and tiger enclosures.
My son enjoyed watching the primates most. Bramble Park Zoo is home to seven different species of primates including spider monkeys, lemurs, and tamarins.
My personal favorite was the river otters. They were very active and playful — I could watch them swim all day!
Over at the children’s zoo, guests can feed and pet several farm animals including goats, ponies, pigs, and alpacas. This is a great environment for little ones to safely interact with the animals.
Amenities
There are several picnic areas located throughout the zoo. My personal favorite was tucked away next to the kangaroo enclosure. This was a fantastic place to enjoy some concessions from the Discovery Center while admiring these amazing animals.
Another thing I appreciated was the number of playgrounds at the zoo, which were perfect for letting the kids run wild. The first one we encountered was Dino Park, a dinosaur-themed play area with sand pits, play structures, and even a small carousel!
Over by the children’s zoo, there is a playground with a slide, bouncy horses, and a large woodpile with wheelbarrows for kids to get creative. My daughter was on a mission to build us a house!
Nearby you will find another play area with various tractors and farm animals for kids to climb on. This was my son’s favorite stop of the day — he did not want to leave!
Visiting Bramble Park Zoo
Bramble Park Zoo is open daily from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. all year round. On Saturdays during the summer months, guests can enjoy extended hours until 7:00 p.m.
The cost of admission is $11.45 for guests ages three to 12, and $13.63 for guests ages 13 and older. Kids two and under are free!
If you have a membership to Fargo’s Red River Zoo, your admission to Bramble Park Zoo is FREE due to the reciprocity program!
Guided group tours are also available to reserve at Bramble Park Zoo as well as several shelters and multi-purpose rooms. You can even celebrate a birthday with one of the zoo’s Wild Birthday Party packages!
We really enjoyed our visit to Bramble Park Zoo. You could easily spend a few hours there or take advantage of the picnic areas and playgrounds to make it a full day excursion.
A visit to Bramble Park Zoo is a great opportunity to learn about wildlife and habitat conservation while creating a fun and memorable experience with your family!
