The girls and I love the zoo. We could go day after day. The Mister not so much. He goes once a year. We are members, because when you are a family, if you go even twice a year, the pass pays for itself — plus free parking with membership, and y’all know how I love free parking!
Also? The Indianapolis Zoo now has this unusual rate variance that adjusts according to the weather conditions and the visitor count, so if one spontaneously decides to visit the zoo on a beautiful day, one will pay for not planning. The cheapest I’ve seen in the last few years is $15 and it’s often in the $20s. My kids like to take friends, and when they don’t have passes I have to pay the going rate.
Don’t get me wrong, more revenue for the zoo is a good thing, and if you love walking, animals, and gardens, it’s well worth the price. However, I don’t think buying a ticket to the zoo should be like playing the stock market. If you woke up and saw how gorgeous it is today and decided to take your two kids to the zoo right now, you’d pay $50.60. If you’re a senior who thought you’d take your grandkids, you’d pay $48.60. Rates will be higher this weekend, though, so you should probably go today. You can use the extra monies to feed giraffes and birds and ride the train, the carousel, the coasters, and ponies. Well, not you, per se, like me, you probably weigh too much to ride a pony, those are for children, but you know what I mean. There’s a lot, I mean alawt, to do at the zoo. Their Coca-Cola is very good.
Anyway, I FRICKIN LOVE THE ZOO!
dolphin doors
doors not for cheetahs
okay!
also too big to ride the pony
pretty in pink
majestic tiger is majestic
bald eagle dabbing
could be in a hurry, you don’t know!
zerdguana
eye contact
bigger than you might think
my favorite
#ThursdayDoors is part of an inspired post series run by Norm Frampton. To see other doors of interest, or to share your own, click the link and find the frog.
joeyfullystated 
I like this post, and I like your approach to the zoo pricing. You don’t need more variables in your life – no one does. I for one, despise variable pricing. I like the doors, but I like the animals more. I like you caption for the turtle.
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Thanks! I like what you said about variables. *nods*
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I used to take my sons to the Cleveland Zoo a lot. We had a family membership which was much cheaper than paying each time. But were we to go now for a day, I’m sure it would cost around the same as yours. We always had a great time, but I was always torn between feeling sorry for the animals and thinking how much kids can learn from the zoo. Not sure I’ve ever reconciled my conflicted feelings about them.
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I understand. Our zoo is great on providing information on animals they’re saving. (Like the vulture who’s lost half of one wing.) But not all the animals are having a better life, and that, too, is something to learn about and discuss.
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A fun take on your usual Door Day. Though, I’m partial to the picture of the flaming flamingo. What a pretty shot! My son hates the zoo. They keep holding the Autism Walk at our local zoo. At best, I can get him past the gate, maybe, two feet before he balks. Sigh.
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Thank you! I have to say, I love the flamingo area because we can get so close to them, and they’re a sort of reserved friendly, like they’ll come up to you, but you know if you get too close, they’ll mess you up! lol I swear they enjoy being photographed. I have photographs mostly of flamingos.
Pity your boy doesn’t enjoy the zoo. At least he enjoys car rides. Imagine that in reverse.
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You had a wonderful time at the zoo I see š It looks really well-maintained, even though yes, it’s a mixed emotion of seeing them captive.
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Always a good time at the zoo š
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Some great shots in this collection Joey. It brings back fond feelings of excitement from school field trips to the zoo back when we still had one here.
I too have mixed feelings about keeping wild animals in cages but there’s no question about the educational aspect.
One thing I don’t have mixed feelings about is this trend, everywhere it seems, towards variable pricing…grrrr!
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Yeah, I’m not all about that, obviously. Thanks! Glad you liked it š
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Thank you for this trip to the zoo on my staycation, Joey. You opened a really nice door for me this morning.
That variable-pricing thing according to the weather, I donāt much like that. I hope the sports squads donāt catch wind of it or itāll start costing more to spontaneously go to a baseball game on a perfect summerās night than when the skies are cloudy and itās cooler.
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From your lips to God’s ears, Mark. It was my pleasure to share.
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Super photos of the animals! We’ve never had a zoo here, but I’ve been to a few in different cities. Like others have said, I like seeing them, but feel sorry for them, too.
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Kids love the zoo. You captured two of may faves: the giraffe and the sea animal. We are spoiled here with Seaworld – there is something about a huge fish that’s very intriguing to me.
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š I do so love the giraffes!
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You might already know this fact, but the giraffe is the only animal that can kill a lion. It kicks its victim to death – this friendly looking animal!
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I did NOT know that! How fascinating! I shall Google the things! š
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I like zoos. We had a couple of good ones in Chicago (Lincoln Park and Brookfield) and been to the ones in Minneapolis, Arnhem in The Netherlands, Milwaukee, Atlanta, and Honolulu. Honolulu had a platform you could stand on and get eye-to-eye with the giraffes. They’re fun to watch.
My brothers and I spent an afternoon at the Milwaukee Zoo standing in front of Samson the Gorilla’s display, trying to teach him to give the finger. We didn’t get very far…
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Haha! We have a giraffe deck for feeding. It’s one of my favorite things š
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We never went very often and I don’t know why. Now we have a zookeeper living right next door who offers to let me go pet a koala anytime I want and I still don’t go. Shame on me!
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Oh that’s really neat! My father knew the tv guy who did the zoo report when the zoo opened its new location and we got a private tour. I got to touch the anaconda and there were other things, but I will never get over the feel of that snake. She was sooooo soft!
You should totally go pet a koala with the zookeeper! š
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I don’t really like to see wild animals in cages but I know that without zoos, many more animals would have gone extinct so…. I do support them. You were lucky to get the shot of the tiger – they can be kind of shy!
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Yep. The zoo does a lot for conservation and education. Our tiger area has several windows and I’m glad. The lions are the ones I can’t get a good shot of.
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Would never have thought of the zoo as a place for interesting doors, but I guess once you’re sensitized to doors, they’re everywhere!
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I like the zoo but don’t go very often to the two big ones in the Bay Area.
Family membership is the way to go if we were going more than once a year.
I have a membership for myself and #1 Grandson at our small local park and zoo.
I imagine he’ll outgrow it in the next year. My two did by the time they were 6.
I loved the tiger, and flamingo, an the doors.
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Thanks, Deborah š
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I haven’t been to the zoo in quite a while, but when my daughter was young we lived near a small zoo. We LOVED the giraffes and would take a snack, eat outside, and watch them. I’m not sure how families can afford to do anything these days – $60 for four people to go to a movie or the zoo?? Really.
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Yeah. Families enjoy more board games and Netflix these days — or at least we do š For two adults and two kids today, the zoo would be $71.20.
I’m glad you also enjoy the giraffes!
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I love the zoo!!! Thanks for bringing me along…and at no additional cost. š
janet
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My pleasure! My rates will never change š
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Hurrah!
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Thanks for taking us with you! I love the zoo. We used to have zoo passes to L.A. Zoo when my kids were little. Loved it!!!! Went lots! Miss going.
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Oh my pleasure!
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š
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I’ve been to the Indianapolis Zoo! It was a sunny day and what I remember is how flat it was. I visit a zoo that is hilly, so what a delight to just walk around. I like your photos, and you’ve given me an idea to do a similar door project the next time I hit the zoo.
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That’s funny! Shows how relative flat and hilly are. We think ours is rather hilly and curvy! š
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Perspective. It always comes down to perspective.
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That is an interesting way to price admittance. So if you picked a cold and sleety day would they let you in for free? Nice animals.
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No, but if you pick a day about two weeks out, you can get in for a lot less.
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I guess the variable pricing helps them control attendance. Weather for high attendance + high price = lower attendance = manageable crowds. Girl, I love your door pictures and your animal pictures, but your captions win the internet! lol! Hey, ‘member this? Your post made me think of it: Simon and Garfunkel’s “At the Zoo”
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I don’t remember it the way you do, but there’s a little girl inside me who has heard that song a time or two and thinks maybe her mother liked it enough to play it from time to time, because I feel very dancing with Maman in the fast section…
I’m glad you liked my captions š Thanks!
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Thanks. Looks like wonderful zoo with doors aplenty.
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Giraffes are stunning, aren’t they – such elegant creatures. Joey if you love the zoo you would adore an African Game Reserve where such creatures roam free. I do hope you make it over some day.
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Giraffes are my favorite. I’m tellin ya, I’d really love to visit South Africa. I have friends there. I want to see the gardens, the mountain, the coast, and the wildlife!
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Yes!
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I love zoos. My wife rolls her eyes when I mention going, but I remind her we have grandkids. Boise zoo is small, and we lost some of our senior animals this year. They were all big cats too.
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Oh that’s a pity! Hopefully some other zoos can provide you new big cat couples in the coming years.
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I hope that’s the case. There is a pride of lionesses only here now.
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That reminds me that we have somehow not taken Baby Girl to the zoo yet. Must do that before it gets too hot. My favorite is the penguin exhibit. Watching them eat is awesome.
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Our penguins have breaks from the public, yeah? Groovy, right? Everyone wants happy penguins. ‘Cept their breaks are lining up with our visits! lol
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What a beautiful colour that flamingo is. When we lived in Spain, there were flamingoes all over the salt lakes, so colourful.
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We had a membership to the zoo in Naples when the kids were little, plus we were fans of Busch Garden which has many animals. I love dolphins!! We’ve been to some aquariums where I just sit mesmerized by them. Love them in the wild too, but seeing them underwater is quite majestic.
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I have mixed feelings about zoos, but there are also for kids and so many people the only way to see animals they would not otherwise. Plus, when the zoo does a great job, it can be phenomenal. I love the San Diego zoo, an early role model for so many others. I heard that Atlanta has a great zoo too and saw the birth of a baby panda not so long ago. Yours sounds awesome too.
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Ours is better than Atlanta’s, but not as grand as San Diego.
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You have a winner with the Dolphin Door! Great photos, Joey. Somehow I think you would be a lot of fun to go to the zoo with š
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Thanks! I went again today. Let me know when you’re in town š
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It’s a date š
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