John Ball Zoo, Grand Rapids

We're in the area currently for a concert and needed some time to kill before checking into our hotel, so we stumbled across this zoo. And I will say, it's really nice! Spacious enclosures for the animals, nice graphics that talk about the animals, facts about how endangered they are. The aquarium was really cool, and the penguin habitat was great. They seemed really happy. The animals appeared to be healthy and well cared for. They have a petting zoo as well, which was fun to do. Because of the time of year, only a few places to eat were open, and the one place we went to had a pretty long wait (like 20ish minutes). But the food was decent, normal zoo food. Really enjoyed going here. The price of admission wasn't insane either. Would love to come back in the summer when more animals are out.

What an amazing zoo!!! So much to see and do. The "extras" are definitely worth it. Never been to a zoo on a forest foothill before. Worth every penny. Lots of shaded areas. Enclosures for the animals were great...lots of room for them and enrichment. We will definitely return the next time we are in the area.