Cosley Zoo (2026)
Published on HivePostify by @byzantinecat · Wed Jun 03 2026
Good day!
This time around I'm going to be reviewing Cosley Zoo, a tiny local zoo in Wheaton, Illinois, in the west suburbs of Chicago. Wheaton is most known for being the home to Wheaton College, a very conservative private Evangelical school, despite the city itself leaning Democratic.
Other attractions in the Chicago suburbs include:
C1: [Morton Arboretum (2025)](https://peakd.com/travel/@byzantinecat/morton-arboretum-2025)
C2: Cosley Zoo (2026) (this post)
And my backlog includes:
- Brookfield Zoo (2025) - Brookfield Zoo (2024) - Cosley Zoo (2025) - Morton Arboretum (2024) - Six Flags Great America - Six Flags Great America - Fright Fest
All of the pictures in this post were taken by me except for the map of the zoo. If you want to use any of my photos, please contact me to first obtain permission.
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COSLEY ZOO
1356 N. Gary Ave. Wheaton, IL 60187
Website: https://cosleyzoo.org/
Hours:
Generally open 9 AM - 4 PM daily (last admission 3:15 PM).
From April - October, open 9 AM - 5 PM daily (last admission 4:15 PM).
Different hours for certain holiday periods.
Cost (as of 2026):
Non-Resident Adults (Ages 12 - 59): $12 Non-Resident Adults (Ages 60+): $10 Children (Ages 11 and Under): Free!
Wheaton Park District Residents: Free! with a Wheaton Park District Universal Resident ID. Cosley Zoo Members: Free! Please show your Cosley Zoo membership card and a photo ID. Gold Star Family Member: Free! Please show your Illinois driver’s license or id card with the Gold Star Emblem to receive free zoo admission for you and one additional adult.
Advanced reservations are required for all groups of 10 or more individuals.
Parking is free.
Cosley Zoo participates in the AZA reciprocity program at the 100% level. Members of institutions participating at 100% get free admission at other institutions participating at the 100% level and 50% off admission at institutions participating at the 50% level. Members of institutions participating at 50% get half off admission at all participating institutions.
Since I was a member of Buttonwood Park Zoo, I got free admission and did not need to pay the $12 admission.
Estimated Time: 30 - 60 minutes.
On this 2026 visit I spent about an hour and went through the whole zoo twice.
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SUMMARY
I rate Cosley Zoo as one star despite enjoying my time there. The one star rating is due to size and scope relative to cost. Cosley Zoo isn't merely a small zoo - I'd classify it as a tiny zoo. All the animals are local to Illinois state (other than the domesticated llamas) so there isn't anything exotic. As a result, the admission cost is pricey for what you get. If it was a free zoo, it would be an average but respectable two stars.
In Cosley Zoo's favor, the zoo is clean and well-maintained, the employees are friendly and hard-working, and the animals seem well taken care of. Most of the guests seem to be parents with little kids, so the smaller scale of the zoo is perfect for a brief outing and it's equivalent to going for a walk in the park. Also, young children probably don't care as much what types of animals they are seeing.
The cost issue can be sidestepped if you are a member of a zoo participating in the AZA reciprocity program at the 100% level.
To summarize, Cosley Zoo is quaint and cozy. If you can get in for free, it may be worth a visit. Otherwise, it's unlikely to be worthwhile unless you are a local and/or have small children.
I did see most of the animals on exhibit except for a handful of the birds. It was also too early in the season for the butterfly garden. Cosley Zoo has about a dozen animals that are mainly used for educational purposes and can't normally be seen at the zoo (e.g. hedgehog, armadillo, macaw, and a variety of reptiles and invertebrates).
Comparing Cosley Zoo to other zoos:
5 stars:
- San Diego Zoo (San Diego, CA) - Brookfield Zoo (Brookfield, IL) - Taipei Zoo (Taipei City, Taiwan)
4 stars:
- San Diego Safari Park (San Diego, CA) - Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden (Cincinnati, OH) - Oklahoma City Zoo (Oklahoma City, OK) - Milwaukee County Zoo (Milwaukee, WI) - Houston Zoo (Houston, TX) - Oakland Zoo (Oakland, CA)
3 stars:
- Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago, IL, Free) - Zoo Atlanta (Atlanta, GA) - Buttonwood Park Zoo (New Bedford, MA) - Butterflies of Cape Cod (Bourne, MA) - International Crane Foundation (Baraboo, WI) - Henry Vilas Zoo (Madison, WI, Free) - Indianapolis Zoo (Indianapolis, IN) - Sacramento Zoo (Sacramento, CA) - Santa Barbara Zoo (Santa Barbara, CA) - Fort Worth Zoo (Fort Worth, TX) - Fort Wayne Zoo (Fort Wayne, IN) - Zoo Knoxville (Knoxville, TN) - ZooTampa (Tampa, FL) - Busch Gardens (Tampa, FL) - Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens (Los Angeles, CA) - Detroit Zoo (Detroit, MI) - Virginia Zoological Park (Norfolk, VA) - Virginia Living Museum (Newport News, VA) - Minnesota Zoo (Apple Valley, MN)
2 stars:
- Audubon Insectarium (New Orleans, LA) - Audubon Zoo (New Orleans, LA) - Sarasota Jungle Gardens (Sarasota, FL) - Save Our Seabirds Wild Bird Learning Center (Sarasota, FL, Free) - San Francisco Zoo & Gardens (San Francisco, CA) - Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo, CA) - Franklin Park Zoo (Boston, MA) - Capron Park Zoo (Attleboro, MA) - Taylor-Bray Farm (Yarmouth Port, MA, Free) - Racine Zoo (Racine, WI) - Ochsner Park Zoo (Baraboo, WI, Free) - John Ball Zoo (Grand Rapids, MI) - Potter Park Zoo (Lansing, MI) - Antalya Zoo (Antalya, Turkey) - Marine Mammal Center (Sausalito, CA, Free) - Santa Ana Zoo (Santa Ana, CA) - San Antonio Zoological Society (San Antonio, TX) - Cameron Park Zoo (Waco, TX) - Dallas Zoo (Dallas, TX) - Caldwell Zoo (Tyler, TX) - Peoria Zoo (Peoria, IL) - Miller Park Zoo (Bloomington, IL) - Scovill Zoo (Decatur, IL) - Potawatomi Zoo (South Bend, IN) - Como Park Zoo & Conservatory (St. Paul, MN, Free)
1 star:
- Cosley Zoo (Wheaton, IL) - Stone Zoo (Stoneham, MA) - Timbavati Wildlife Park (Wisconsin Dells, WI) - Binder Park Zoo (Battle Creek, MI) - Happy Hollow Park & Zoo (San Jose, CA) - CuriOdyssey (San Mateo, CA)
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MAMMALS
Canada Lynx Lynx canadensis
These raccoons were doing "what comes naturally to animals." One nearby parent was telling their kids that the raccoons were "friends." My response was "I think they're more than just friends...." 😹
It did make for some good pictures though!
Raccoon Procyon lotor
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
Tags: #travel#travelblog#wanderlust#wheaton#chicago#illinois#zoo#animals#cute#giftshop