ZooMontana with Kids: A Billings Must Visit
ZooMontana in Billings, Montana, is a must see when visiting the area! We loved the natural feel to the zoo and the fact that the zoo is focused on rescue and conservation!
Thank you to Visit Billings for arranging our visit to ZooMontana.
The zoo is located just a few minutes drive from Downtown Billings and is a great way to spend a few hours during your visit to Billings.
We went in the afternoon and were happy to see so many animals out and about enjoying the cool afternoon weather. The zoo has great shade and I think it would be great to visit any time of day.
Visiting ZooMontana with Kids
ZooMontana is located in Billings, Montana, at 2100 Shiloh Road. It’s located just a few minutes from downtown and is quick and easy to get to!
Admission is $9 for adults and $6 for kids aged 3-15 (kids 2 and under are free) making it a really affordable option for families!
The zoo is open every day of the year except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
ZooMontana’s Mission
One of my favorite things about visiting ZooMontana was learning about their fantastic mission. I met with the zoo director, Jeff Ewelt, who told us all about his vision for the zoo.
For one, all of the animals at the zoo are rescues (either from wildlife or from being kept as exotic pets) or are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s Species Survival Plan to help build up endangered species through breeding.
Ewelt said that the zoo also only takes in animals that can naturally live in Montana’s climate, which includes long, cold winters.
“We only have animals from above the 45th parallel,” he said. “Basically if you put your finger on Montana and draw a line around the globe, our animals live at or above that line.”
There are animals from all around the world, but only those that live in a similar climate with snowy winters and warm summers. So you won’t see elephants or zebras at this zoo. But you will see grizzly bears, red pandas, wolverines and more!
“We’re a zoo, not a golf course.”
Jeff Ewelt, ZooMontana Director
ZooMontana also works hard to ensure that the animals at the zoo have an enclosure as close to their natural habitat as possible. Enclosures are landscaped with plant life and rocks that are similar to where they come from and try to let it all grow naturally.
“We don’t mow the grass in the wolf enclosure so they can have long grass to hide in,” Ewelt said. “We’re a zoo, not a golf course.”
The zoo also doesn’t treat water with chemicals either, so the river otter exhibit has green, opaque water. You can still see the otters when they swim close to the glass and you can rest easy knowing that they aren’t being unnecessarily exposed to chemicals.
ZooMontana’s Kid-friendly Highlights
ZooMontana was also extremely kid friendly. We loved the wide, but shaded pathways between all of the animals where the kids could run and stretch their legs!
There are also several playgrounds nestled in among the trees and animals that the kids just loved.
Another thing they thought was really fun was scanning the QR codes at each exhibit to learn more about the animals within. Once you scan a code using your phone’s camera, you can read the stories of each individual animal as well as learn about their species and environment.
Some of our Favorite Animals at ZooMontana
When you visit ZooMontana you can look forward to meeting some of our favorite new friends!
One of our favorites were the bison. We learned a lot about them, for instance bison are NOT the same animal as buffaloes! And it was fun to see them in their natural habitat in Montana.
Another animal we loved seeing was the gray wolf. The wolves were lounging right at the back of their enclosure near a walking path at the zoo. They were huge and so majestic.
My kids loved learning the unique story of each animal and how they got to ZooMontana.
Each of the two grizzly bears were rescues. Bruno used to be an actor and was in movies, but he wasn’t treated very well in Hollywood, so he was brought to ZooMontana where he could retire and relax.
Ozzy used to live in Yellowstone National Park, but he was a yogi bear and kept breaking into campsites to get food. He was posing a threat to humans and need to be taken out of the park or be put down. ZooMontana took him in and he and Bruno are good friends!
The bald eagles are both living with injuries that would make it impossible to survive in the wild. One was injured by a hunter and can’t fly. The other dis-formed his wing when he flew into power lines and also can’t fly.
By staying at the zoo they are both able to live happily and the eggs that are laid by the female are taken to a bald eagle conservatory.
For more things to do with kids in Billings, Montana, check out this post.
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