Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
You won’t want to miss a trip to “One of the Top 10 Zoos in the Nation”. With over 38 acres of animals, rides and beautiful landscaped grounds, the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo is sure to be a family favorite. Did I mention it’s only around 3 hours from Detroit? The short distance from Detroit makes the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo the perfect road trip for family, friends, significant others and more. Since it’s only three hours away you can even day trip it, if you’re just looking to fill some wanderlust in your life.
What sets the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo apart from others:
Affordable ticket prices, $15 for adults and $10 for children 18 and younger the zoo makes for an affordable day trip that’s jam-packed with fun for the whole family.
2019 Ticket Prices
Adults (ages 19-61) $15.00
Child (ages 2-18) $10.00
Seniors (ages 62+) $12.00
Babies (ages 1 and under) FREE
All Zoos are designed with children in mind, however, the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo takes it to the next level by allowing kids to get up close and personal with several animals, including feeding the giraffes. Unfortunately, when I was around the giraffes they didn’t want to come to eat some yummy lettuce… maybe next time. As someone who is 4’10” it’s nice to not have to stand on my tippy toes in hopes of getting a glimpse at the animals – therefore I personally loved it being catered to children and their height.
There are four distinct sections of the zoo offering rides, hands-on experiences and of course amazing animals.
Begin your trip around the zoo in the African Journey area. Here you will find lions, hyenas, monkeys and more!
Hands-on experience: Hand-feed giraffes.
Take a ride: Hop on the Sky Safari (like a ski lift) and take a ride 38 feet in the air to get a bird’s eye view of lions, zebras and much more!
G’day mate! It’s time to head on an Australian Adventure. Here you will find kangaroos, the reef and more.
Hands-on experience: Pet a stingray.
Take a ride: Climb into your own dugout canoe and explore the Outback on the Crocodile Creek Adventure Ride. During this ride, you’ll see the life cycle of a crocodile while you float past kangaroos and dingoes.
Head to the jungle and come nose-to-nose with orangutans, tigers and more in the Indonesian Rain Forest.
Hands-on experience: Trek the Tree Top Trail.
Take a ride: Take a spin on the Endangered Species Carousel.
Don’t miss out on some of the newest exhibits located in the Central Zoo including Monkey Island and river otters.
Hands-on experience: Brush a goat at the Indiana Family Farm.
Take a ride: All aboard the Z.O.&O Railroad or take a pony ride.
What to Eat?
When lunchtime comes around there are plenty of delicious food spots to stop at where you will find burgers, sandwiches, chicken fingers, wraps, cold drinks, Dole Whip and more. I decided to eat at Ray’s Barefoot Grill and went with an Italian wrap, bag of barbecue chips and ice-cold lemonade.
Don’t forget to add the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo to your summer adventure list. The Zoo is located at 3411 Sherman Blvd, Fort Wayne, IN, and parking is free!
Where to Stay in Fort Wayne – Hampton Inn Ft. Wayne – Southwest
During a recent trip to Fort Wayne, Indiana I stayed at the Hampton Inn Ft. Wayne – Southwest. This hotel is located near the expressway, in a great location and is only a short drive from the main sightseeing attractions. When it comes to hotels the thing I care about most is that it’s clean – typically I am not staying for an extended period of time and I spend very little time in the hotel. All I really need is a clean place to stay and that’s exactly what I got at the Hampton Inn. After a long day of visiting the zoo, walking around the city and watching a TinCaps game I was thrilled to check into my hotel. The hotel staff was very personable and provided a warm welcome. My room had a comfortable king-size bed, where I was able to sprawl out watch TV and catch up on Instagram using their free WiFi.
The hotel is home to 118 rooms, all of which have a microwave and mini-fridge. There is also a business center, indoor pool and fitness center to keep you moving while you’re away. Oh, and you can’t forget the free breakfast in the morning.
In the morning, before hitting the road to head back to Detroit, I went downstairs for Hampton’s free hot breakfast buffet. Let me tell you this is not your typical breakfast buffet. While it had some quintessential breakfast essentials like waffles, bagels, toast, and cereal you could also find oatmeal with plenty of yummy toppings, turkey sausage, egg white omelets, yogurt, fresh fruit, a freshly-squeezed juice bar and much more.
If you’re headed to Fort Wayne I highly recommend booking your stay at the Hampton Inn Ft. Wayne – Southwest, you won’t regret it!
Restaurant Review: The Yummi Bunni
Have you heard of The Yummi Bunni before? If not, don’t worry I have the inside scoop! The Yummi Bunni has easily become a favorite sweet spot in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Imagine, a freshly made chunky, deep-fried doughnut. Slice that doughnut in half. Put ice cream in between the slices and add your favorite topping – and this my friends is the Yummi Bun. Served in a handheld wrapper to make it easy to walk around the city streets while you indulge in the sugary goodness. The Yummi Bunni is located at 123 Main Street and is right next to Fort Wayne’s very own Famous Coney Island. Grab your all-American hot dog and pop and then head next door for your Yummi Bun. Besides serving up ice cream in its speciality “bun”, you can get a scoop in a cup. The Yummi Bunni features 16 flavors that rotate seasonally, and has a wide variety of toppings for you to select from including Captain Crunch, Fruity Pebbles, sprinkles and more. During my first Yummi Bun experience I decided to go with the Bun of the Week: S’mores. This bun featured fireside graham ice cream and s’more toppings – it definitely had me craving a fire by the lake. While The Yummi Bunni will definitely put you into a sugary coma, it’s definitely one stop in Fort Wayne you won’t want to miss out on.
24 Hours in Fort Wayne, Indiana: Summer Edition
Back in April, I traveled to Fort Wayne, Indiana for the first time. During that trip, it was freezing and the brisk temperatures made it difficult to want to be outside. Fast forward to a couple weeks ago and I hit the road for a solo three-hour road trip back to Fort Wayne. Fort Wayne is located in the heart of the midwest and is just 160 miles (3 hours) from Detroit!
Chicago: 148 miles
Milwaukee: 251 miles
Grand Rapids: 158 miles
Detroit: 160 miles
Toledo: 104 miles
Cleveland: 197 miles
Columbus: 152 miles
Louisville: 244 miles
Indianapolis: 120 miles
After spending 24 hours in Fort Wayne, I now have a list of the best things to do!
Head to the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo: With 38 acres of animals, rides and beautifully landscaped grounds, the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo is a must-see destination. Take an African Journey, see the Indonesian Rain Forest, go on an Australian Adventure and visit the Central Zoo. Once you’ve taken a trip through the zoo you will see why Trip Advisor calls the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo the 7th Best Zoo in the U.S. and the 20th Best Zoo in the World!
Enjoy a ride:
Tokens cost $1 each and are available at machines conveniently located throughout the zoo.
Z.O.&O. Railroad: 2 tokens
Endangered Species Carousel: 2 tokens
Sky Safari Ride: 2 tokens
Crocodile Creek Adventure Ride: 2 tokens
Enjoy an animal experience:
Tokens cost $1 each and are available at machines located throughout the zoo.
Giraffe Feeding: 1 token
Goat Food: 1 token
Pony Trail: 6 tokens
Get closer to your favorite animals with a Wild Encounter: There are five different Wild Encounters that range in price – you can check out my Wild Encounter post here.
Head Downtown for Lunch at Dash-In. The Dash-In offers comfort food at its finest, and I highly recommend getting a grilled cheese sandwich. If you’re eating on a budget Fort Wayne’s Famous Coney Island is a great option as well.
Burn Off Lunch as you take an urban exploration around downtown and discover the various murals.
Indulge in a luxury sweet treat at DeBrand Fine Chocolates. DeBrand Fine Chocolates is a luxury chocolatier offering unique chocolates, delicious ice cream and more.
Hit the trails: Whenever I travel, I like to hit the trails to see what kind of adventure the town has to offer. Since I knew Fort Wayne is home to more than 100 miles of trails, I made sure to bring my bike along to explore the city\’s extensive trail network!
Get an even sweeter treat at The Yummi Bunni: The Yummi Bunni is home of the Yummi Bun, and this sweetness overload is one you don’t want to miss. The Yummi Bun begins with a doughnut that has been sliced in half, then comes the topping, followed by your choice of ice cream and the other half of the doughnut (base layer). Instead of creating my own (which would have just consisted of vanilla ice cream with sprinkles) I opted for the Bun of the Week: S’more which featured a glazed bun, fireside graham ice cream and a s’ more’s cereal topping….yum!
Catch a TinCaps Baseball Game: From lawn seats to seats right in the action behind home plate, there really is no bad seat in the house. I went to the TinCaps game on a Friday night, and got to watch the spectacular fireworks display at the end of the game – honestly one of the best fireworks shows I have seen.
Check-in to Hampton Inn Ft. Wayne – Southwest. After a long day of adventuring, I was thrilled to check into my hotel. As soon as I stepped foot in the hotel I received a welcome from the friendly hotel staff. My room had a comfortable and clean king-size bed, and I was able to watch TV or stay connected to their free WiFi as I settled in for the night. In the morning before hitting the road to head home, I went downstairs for Hampton’s free hot breakfast buffet, which included waffles, bagels, oatmeal, toast, turkey sausage, egg white omelet, yogurt, fresh fruit, a unique fresh-squeezed juice bar and more! The hotel also offers a free fitness center and indoor pool.
Weekend Forecast: TinCaps Baseball
Food
The food selection at Parkview Field is filled with a wide variety of options. You can enjoy anything from chicken sandwiches and funnel cake to TinCaps salads, veggies and hummus, vegetarian black bean burgers or a peanut butter and jelly kids meal. Of course they also have the classics like nachos and hot dogs, if that is more your style. Parkview Field definitely plays on the apple theme and even has an Apple Cart concession stand that is jam packed with fresh apples, apple dumplings, caramel apples and more! With such an amazing lineup of food, there\’s sure to be something for everyone.
Tickets
Opening day usually brings in upwards of 6,727 fans, and the stadium is sometimes sold-out. However, I was told that they never turn people away, and will find seating for fans who walk up and buy a ticket right before the game – how nice is that? Ticket prices are low, with lawn seats starting at under $10. Stick around Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights to see an incredible firework show. Every home game is fun:
Sundays: Postgame Autographs presented by Subway
Mondays: US Foods Family Feast Nights ($1 food deals)
Thursdays: Thirsty Thursdays™ presented by Rudy\’s Shop ($1 beer & other drink specials)
Fridays: Theme Nights
Saturdays: National Entertainment Acts
All Games: Run the Bases presented by Trine University Fort Wayne
Fireworks
The TinCaps are spending the 2019 season leading the way in Minor League Baseball with 30, yes you read that correctly 30 Postgame Fireworks Nights. See the fireworks schedule below:
Thursday, July 4 presented by the City of Fort Wayne
Friday, July 5
Thursday, July 18
Friday, July 19
Saturday, July 20 presented by the Three Rivers Festival
Monday, July 22 presented by Lutheran Services
Saturday, July 27 presented by Basement Doctor
Monday, July 29
Saturday, Aug. 3
Monday, Aug. 5
Thursday, Aug. 8
Friday, Aug. 9
Saturday, Aug. 17
Thursday, Aug. 29
Friday, Aug. 30
Saturday, Aug. 31
Sunday, Sept. 1
Theme Nights
The TinCaps 70-game regular season home schedule runs through Labor Day (September 2), and is filled with plenty of great theme nights. I was there for the absolutely hilarious The Office Night, where TinCaps players traded in their traditional uniforms for fun yellow ones that featured a tie. Check out what theme nights Parkview Field has coming up below:
Star Wars Night (Friday, July 5)
Christmas in July (Friday, July 19)*
Princess Night (Monday, July 29)*
Superhero Night (Monday, Aug. 5)*
Harry Potter Night (Friday, Aug. 9)*
Military Appreciation Night presented by OmniSource & Steel Dynamics (Monday, Aug. 19)
Fan\’s Choice Night (Friday, Aug. 30)*
Fashion meets Food 