Little Explorers is a FREE program from 10:00AM-noon on Thursdays in the Visitor Center in the Winter and on the zoo grounds in the Summer. Perfect for the 1-3 year old (but every age is welcome) to see story time, play games and many other fun activities. Different theme each week! An ASL interpreter will be here most Thursdays interpreting the 10:30 story time, 11am zookeeper talk, and the 11:30am Blaze Sparky Show.
2025 Schedule
11/28 we are open 10-4, but there will not be a Little Explorers because of the Thanksgiving Holiday
March
3/6/25-Junior Gardener
3/13/25-Animals in Winter
3/20/25-Under the Sea
3/27/25-Furry Friends
April
4/3/2025 Seeds & Sprouts
4/10/2025 Animals in Winter
4/17/2025 Rockin’ Reptiles
4/24/2025 Furry Friends
May
5/1/2025 Jr. Gardener
5/8/2025 Fancy Flowers
5/15/2025 Nighttime Critters
5/22/2025 Down on the Farm
5/29/2025 Under the Sea
June
6/5/2025 Diggin’ Dinos
6/12/2025 Fun with Fish
6/19/2025 Happy Hooves
6/26/2025 Jr. Zookeeper
July
7/3/2025 Busy Bugs
7/10/2025 Animal Families
7/17/2025 Rockin’ Reptiles
7/24/2025 Bird Buddies
7/31/2025 Fancy Flowers
August
8/7/2025 Furry Friends
8/14/2025 Fun with Fish
8/21/2025 Jr. Gardener
8/28/2025 Animal Families
September
9/4/2025 Diggin’ Dinos
9/11/2025 Down on the Farm
9/18/2025 Seeds & Sprouts
9/25/2025 Under the Sea
October
10/2/2025 Bird Buddies
10/9/2025 Jr. Zookeeper
10/16/2025 Busy Bugs
10/23/2025 Furry Friends
10/30/2025 Nighttime Critters
November
11/6/2025 Diggin’ Dinos
11/13/2025 Happy Hooves
11/20/2025 Animal Families
December
12/4/2025 Jr. Gardener
12/11/2025 Jr. Zookeeper
12/18/2025 Animals in Winter

This program was funded in part or in whole with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008 which dedicated funding to preserve Minnesota’s art and cultural heritage.
A website was also created by the Minnesota Legislature to help citizens monitor how funds from the Legacy Amendment are being used. On the Minnesota’s Legacy: watch the progress website you can see how funds are being invested across the state.