What are the opening hours?

Monday 10am - 8pm Tuesday 10am - 8pm Wednesday 10am - 8pm Thursday 10am - 8pm Friday 10am - 8pm Saturday 10am - 8pm Sunday 10am - 8pm

Potawatomi Zoo

We are open for the season 3/28/25-11/23/25. See hours & ticket details on our website. The Zoo is a regional destination serving and educating all who visit.

Potawatomi Zoo, located in South Bend, is home to over 400 species on 23 acres. Our history is rich, and we are proud to be a special part of this community.

07/10/2025

Prince would like you to see his good side and his other good side! It’s true: peacocks are stunning all the way around! They use their good looks to attract peahens, and even shake their feathers in a display called train rattling.

Please remember not to touch or harass Prince. That also means staying out of staff-only areas. Thank you!

07/09/2025

This is so cool! Zoo keeper staff have been working on hoof care training with giraffe calf Hadassah, and it’s amazing to see it pay off. Regular and consistent positive reinforcement training like this is so important with animals because it forms a positive bond with caretakers and allows the animals to participate in their own care. You can see Hadassah choose to put her foot on the block, which will eventually allow keepers to examine her legs and feet and trim her hooves. Thanks to Keeper Emily for sharing!

07/08/2025

Take a few moments to watch one of our sand cats clean his toes! Sand cats have thick fur on the bottoms of their feet to protect them from the extreme temperatures of their native desert environment. The fur also protects their feet when they’re hunting or when they dig burrows.

07/07/2025

There's a new ambassador animal we're very excited to start working with at the Zoo! His name is Teddy and he has the cutest face! Teddy is a short-beaked echidna, a very unique species native to Australia and New Guinea.

Echidnas are monotremes, which means they're mammals that lay eggs. They also have short spikes all over their backs and they're accomplished diggers, using all four feet to dig in the ground! Just check out those long nails!

Because Teddy is an ambassador animal, he's not in a publicly-visible space, but if you sign up for a Zoo program or class, you might get to meet him!

07/05/2025

Did you want to be sniffed by a giraffe today? Well good! Please enjoy Masai giraffe calf Hadassah’s nose up close and VERY personal! Hand-feeding animals is part of good husbandry at the Zoo. It creates a trusting bond between zoo keepers and animals and allows them to get up close for vet checks and other kinds of care.

Many thanks to Keeper Emily for sharing this sweet moment.

07/04/2025

Happy American Independence Day from our very own red, white, and blue trio: Chip, Sydney, and Katie. Chip is a green-winged macaw, Sydney is a lesser sulfur-crested cockatoo, and Katie is a blue and gold macaw.

Remember, the Zoo is closing today at 6 pm for the safety and well-being of our animals.

07/03/2025

Have you checked out the Farmhouse Cafe lately? It has three sides of tasty treats! You can get coffee and other drinks at Travelin' Tom's Coffee on the south side, facing the Red Barn (and Kona Ice). You can get snacks and drinks at the window facing the flamingos. And you can pick up adult drinks at the bar, which faces the giraffe savanna!

07/02/2025

Dust off your camera, it's time for the annual Zoo Photo Contest, starting July 7! Winners of the contest will be featured in the Zoo's Conservation Calendar, which is sent to Zoo Members in December or January each year.

Please read ALL of the rules and guidelines! We will only accept photos that conform to the rules. They're available online at potawatomizoo.org/event/2026-calendar-photo-contest-submissions.

This year, the categories are:
1. Birds
2. Black and White Photos
3. Cats
4. Giraffes
5. Small Mammals (Chacoan peccaries and smaller)
6. Large Mammals (red river hogs and larger)
7. Wildlife (wild animals living on Zoo grounds, but not part of the Zoo)
8. Small Reptiles and Amphibians (emerald tree boa and smaller)
9. Large Reptiles and Amphibians (iguana and larger)
10. Humor
11. Zoo Farm
12. Wild Card (any photo that doesn’t fit into the other categories)

We can't wait to see your view of the Zoo!

07/01/2025

Us to a zookeeper: Hey, nice kangaroo!
Zookeeper: Thanks, it has pockets!

(Just kidding, all our kangaroos are males, so none of them have pockets! But we still think it's a pretty funny joke, even if Onslow doesn't look amused.)

Happy International Joke Day! What's your favorite animal joke?

06/30/2025

Happy birthday Kellan! He's 6 years old today!

When he first moved to the Zoo in 2021, Kellan was the shortest of the four male giraffes, and now he's the biggest! He weighs over 2375 pounds and stands an estimated 18 feet tall. You can really see the difference from one our first giraffe feedings in 2022, to now. His head has also gotten bigger and "lumpier," which happens because of increased testosterone in male giraffes as they age.

06/29/2025

The Zoo will close early on July 4 at 6 pm for the health and safety of our animals. It'll give us a chance to make sure all sensitive ears are tucked away from as much noise as possible. Thank you for understanding!

06/28/2025

What can you do at the Zoo? Plenty! You can feed a giraffe, touch a goat nose, ride the train, watch the prairie dogs, roar at lions, admire the tortoises, spin on the carousel, sign up for a class, take home a stuffed animal, and so much more!

The Zoo is open from 10 am to 8 pm every day. You can plan your trip, learn about Zoo species, read the rules, buy an animal encounter, and check out Education programs on our website, potawatomizoo.org.

Address

500 S Greenlawn Avenue
South Bend, IN
46615

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 8pm
Tuesday	10am - 8pm
Wednesday	10am - 8pm
Thursday	10am - 8pm
Friday	10am - 8pm
Saturday	10am - 8pm
Sunday	10am - 8pm

Website

http://www.potawatomizoo.org/

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Our Story

The Potawatomi Zoo features more than 400 animals in South Bend, IN. With plenty of things to see and do, including educational classes, special events, and animal experiences, the Zoo has something for everyone. The Zoo is open for daily visits from 10 am to 5 pm during the open season, and 10 am to 8 pm June through August. Call 574-235-9800 or visit potawatomizoo.org for more details.