Typical small city zoo with iron cage bars and listless sad looking animals. The two wolves are always agitated. They seem unhappy. The snow leopard is so pathetic It can bring a tear to one's eye. It is overweight and just lays there. The people who work there are doing their best; but they are limited by money and material. Manitowoc needs a new vision. It could be the gem of the Lake Michigan coast; but it's still stuck in its 1940's and 1950's manufacturing glory years. Years that are never coming back.
My daughter and I stopped at the zoo after visiting someone in the area. The park is nice with picnic area and playground. The zoo is small and the enclosures for the animals are small (probably because the park is landlocked.) We checked it out because my daughter is a preschool teacher and wants options for field trips. I suggested this would be a good stopping point for a family on their way home from "up north" or Bay Beach. The interactive areas are nice, the cages and platforms allow good viewing. This park would be a good community project for some group because it does need a little attention. I understand fully about stretched budgets so if some group took on this project and helped with weeding, edging, borders, or fundraising to make more improvements. (To the person who made the comment about the animals being restless-Yes, the wolves were restless but I would be too with the biting flies eating away at my ears!
Donations taken for admittance. Nice paths for walking or strollers. A nice variety of animals, some you can get pretty close too.
Love the groundhogs. Plenty to see and it is well maintained. There is no one collecting money when you go in, but they do ask for donations.
My family & I visited the zoo for the very first time on Labor Day. Free Admission & Free Parking. Zoo accepts donations. Nothing special to write home about here. There is only about a dozen or so animals to see. So if you are looking for a small family friendly zoo then this is for you. You can browse at your own pace. Your trip should last about an hour. Worth a visit if you are looking for a no thrills zoo. The zoo is run & paid for by the city of Manitowoc.
I found Lincoln Park (the zoo is inside of the park) interesting and a nice respite from the city that surrounds it. However the "zoo" itself is kind of a joke with few animal cages and even fewer animals occupying the space. The real laugh was when we came across Bambi and family who was sponsored by a local hunting group.......are you kidding me?
Small zoo in a small park. Its free but asks for donations. They have Prarie Dogs, a Wolf, Snow Leopard, Cougar, Bear, Buffalo, Farm Animals, Birds of Prey, Reptiles, and a play ground. Cages are setup for good views of the animals. Interactive stations where the kids can play and learn about the animals. None of the food places and gift shops of a big zoo. Daughter (12 ) and granddaughter (5) have a ball.
The zoo is free. Not many of the free zoos left. Small for the area and the animals look unhappy. The zoo is very clean and tidy. Beautiful location - Let's give them more $$ to expand......
Very small but have interesting things. A small building where there is air conditioning and a few animals. Won't take long to look through so great for small children.
This was a great stop for our 2 yo grandson. All new sidewalks in 2011. We should support a zoo like this. Prairie dogs, eagle, owl, hawk, bison, wolves, deer, sheep, goats, crane, ducks, geese, turkeys, are all here. Cougar and leopard were not to be seen today. Our grandson loved it! Thanks to the City of Manitowoc. Don't just leave a buck if you can.