Como Park Zoo and Conservatory Facts for Kids

This page is about Como Park as a whole. For the zoo itself, see Como Zoo.

Quick facts for kids Como Park Zoo and Marjorie McNeely Conservatory
The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park
Type	Urban park
Location	Saint Paul, Minnesota
Area	759 acres (307 ha)
Created	1873
Visitors	1.9 million
Status	Open all year
Public transit access	Metro Transit
Website	https://comozooconservatory.org

The Como Park Zoo and Marjorie McNeely Conservatory is a super fun place in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It's often called the Como Zoo and Conservatory. This amazing park has a zoo, a beautiful conservatory filled with plants, an amusement park, a carousel, and even a golf course! The City of Saint Paul owns and manages this wonderful spot. Over 1.9 million people visit every year. The best part? It's free to enter the zoo and conservatory! They do suggest a small donation to help keep everything wonderful for everyone.

Welcome to Como Park!
- Exploring Como Park's Fun Spots
  - Cool Art and History in the Park
- Winter Fun at Como Park
Discover the Amazing Como Zoo
- Meet the Animals and Their Homes
  - Famous Animal Art at the Zoo
  - Casey the Gorilla's Big Adventure
Step Inside the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory
- Explore the Beautiful Gardens
  - Artistic Touches in the Conservatory
Gallery
See also

Welcome to Como Park!

Como Park, around the year 1900.

In 1873, the City of Saint Paul bought 300 acres of land. This land around Como Lake became a public park. Today, the park is 384 acres big. It offers lots of fun things to do!

Exploring Como Park's Fun Spots

Over 2 miles of paved trails for walking or biking.
Sports fields for games.
Como Golf Course, an 18-hole course.
Como Lake
- A paved path almost 2 miles long goes around the lake.
- A fishing pier for those who love to fish.
- The Lakeside Pavilion has a restaurant and hosts live music in summer.
- You can rent paddleboats, canoes, paddleboards, and family bikes.
Como Pool for swimming.
Como Town amusement park with rides.
Picnic shelters for outdoor meals.
Putt'er There Mini Golf for a fun challenge.

Cool Art and History in the Park

Cafesjian's Carousel: This historic carousel was built in 1914. It was saved and restored in 1988. It's a classic ride for all ages!
Frog Pond: This pond was finished in 1910. It has a granite frog statue from 1923.
Global Harmony Labyrinth: This special maze was dedicated in 2005. It celebrates the friendship between Saint Paul and Nagasaki, Japan.
Lakeside Pavilion: The building you see today was built in 1992. It looks exactly like the original building from 1905.

Winter Fun at Como Park

Como Park is also a big part of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival. In 1939, Lake Como hosted the Winter Carnival Ice Palace. The Winter Carnival Medallion, a hidden treasure, has been found in Como Park eight times!

Discover the Amazing Como Zoo

The Zoological Building in 1936.

Polar Bears, Buzz and Neil, in their exhibit in 2020.

Elk at the zoo, around 1901.

The first zoo in Saint Paul started in 1897. The city received three deer as a gift. More animals soon joined them. When they needed more space, the animals moved to Como Park. The Como Zoo grew thanks to gifts of animals and money.

The main Zoological Building was designed in 1936. It was part of a big project to create jobs. Other buildings from that time include Monkey Island and the bear grotto.

Meet the Animals and Their Homes

In the 1980s, many new animal homes were built. These included exhibits for large cats and aquatic animals. A special home for primates opened in 1985. An exhibit for land and water birds opened in 1986. The African Hoofed Stock Facility opened in 1987.

A new Polar Bear exhibit opened in 2010. Two twin polar bear brothers, Buzz and Neil, returned to their new home. This exhibit has shallow and deep pools. It also has a cool back room for the bears. A new home for seals and sea lions was finished in 2021. It features two pools for these playful animals.

Famous Animal Art at the Zoo

Don the Gorilla: This bronze statue shows a popular gorilla named Don. It was given to the zoo in 1982. You can find it outside the primate house.
Sparky: This fiberglass sculpture shows 'Sparky' the sea lion. Sparky is famous for entertaining shows at Como Zoo. It was created in 1997 to celebrate the zoo's 100th birthday.
Toby the Tortoise: This bronze sculpture shows a popular tortoise named Toby. It is located in front of the Zoological building.

Casey the Gorilla's Big Adventure

On May 13, 1994, a 400-pound gorilla named Casey had an adventure! He climbed out of his home. Casey explored the zoo for 45 minutes. Visitors were quickly moved to safety. Zoo staff used a tranquilizer to help Casey return to his home. After this, the zoo built a temporary slanted wall. This helped prevent similar events. In 2013, the zoo opened a new exhibit called Gorilla Forest. Casey later moved to the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans.

Step Inside the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory


Como Park Conservatory
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

The sunken garden in the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory
Location	Como Park St. Paul, Minnesota
Built	1913
Architect	Frederick Nussbaumer
NRHP reference No.	74001033
Added to NRHP	November 19, 1974

The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory is a beautiful greenhouse. It first opened to the public in November 1915. This amazing place is open every day of the year. It has many different gardens and displays. The conservatory was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Explore the Beautiful Gardens

The Ordway Gardens: Here you can see a special gallery of Bonsai trees. There is also a terrace with native grasses.
Enchanted and Excedra Garden: This is a lovely butterfly garden. It has many different flowers, grasses, and shrubs.
Fern Room: This room is full of many kinds of ferns. You can see tall tree ferns and delicate Bird's-nest ferns.
Japanese Garden: This garden is a gift from Masami Matsuda. He was a famous Japanese landscape architect. It shows friendship and peace between Saint Paul and its sister city Nagasaki, Japan.
North Garden: This garden features useful plants. You can find aloe, bamboo, bananas, cacao, and coffee plants here.
Palm Dome: This huge dome is 64 feet high and 100 feet wide! It has over 150 types of palm trees. You can also see rotating displays of orchids and bromeliads.
Sunken Garden: This garden hosts five different flower shows each year. The displays change with the seasons.
Tropical Encounters: This exhibit opened in 2006. It features animals and plants from Central and South America. It's located in the Visitor Center.

Artistic Touches in the Conservatory

Crest of the Wave: This bronze sculpture was created in 1925. It was made by artist Harriet Frishmuth. You can find it in the Palm Dome.
Play Days: Another bronze sculpture by Harriet Frishmuth. It is located in the Sunken Garden.
St. Francis of Assisi: This sculpture honors the respected saint, Francis of Assisi.