The Baton Rouge Zoo is a mid-sized municipal zoo in north Baton Rouge, with a collection focused on Louisiana and Gulf Coast species alongside more wide-ranging exhibits. The zoo covers around 140 acres in Greenwood Park, with natural habitat enclosures for American alligators, red wolves, Louisiana black bears, and a variety of birds native to the region.
The zoo has invested significantly in its otter, primate, and big-cat exhibits over the past decade. Families with children tend to gravitate to the petting zoo and the reptile house, which has an impressive collection of native venomous snakes. Combined with the adjacent Greenwood Community Park, this makes a reasonable half-day excursion for families, particularly if the rest of the itinerary leans heavily toward the capitol and history sites downtown.