What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 4pm Tuesday 9am - 4pm Wednesday 9am - 4pm Thursday 9am - 4pm Friday 9am - 4pm Saturday 9am - 4pm Sunday 9am - 4pm

Cosley Zoo

Cosley Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and features native wildlife.
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Cosley Zoo gives visitors up-close interactions with nature right in the heart of the suburbs. Nestled on 5 acres, Cosley Zoo is home to farm animals and native Illinois wildlife. Visitors will discover exhibits that immerse them in natural habitats for white-tailed deer, red fox, Blanding’s turtles, a bobcat, a coyote, and more. Cosley Zoo is also a center for animal education and conservation, o

ffering programs that teach young and old how to care for the world around them and give back to the communities in which they live, work, and play. You can reserve tickets in advance at https://cosleyzoo.org/plan-your-visit/ or purchase them at the admission booth.

11/26/2024

During this season of gratitude we are extra thankful for the zoo staff who care for the biodiversity of our animal collection.

Caption: Pictured here are the zoo’s two resident robins, one with standard colored feathers and one with mostly white feathers. The white robin is leucistic, a condition that causes a decrease in pigmentation throughout the body.

11/15/2024

The Cosley Zoo Conservation Team is now collecting holiday lights for recycling. You can recycle your old holiday lights at Cosley Zoo or the Wheaton Park District Community Center anytime through January 15. Drop off at the zoo will begin November 20, while the Community Center drop box is already available. Christmas light strings including twinkle and led incandescent will be accepted. No tinsel, garland or decorations, please.

# cosleyzoo

11/07/2024

to a young visitor spending time with a rabbit. Can you name the type of rabbits that call Cosley Zoo Home?

10/26/2024

Happy National Pumpkin Day! Did you know that many animals at the zoo get to experience pumpkins in the fall? Some of our animals get to eat pumpkin, while others get to interact with pumpkins in their habitat as enrichment. Enrichment is anything that our animal care staff adds to either an animals’ diet or environment in order to provide variety and to enhance their well-being. Did you see any of our animals with pumpkins in their habitats this fall?
Photo 1 caption: Coal, Cosley Zoo’s eastern rat snake, rests his head on pumpkin enrichment in his habitat.
Photo 2 caption: Harley and Chopper, two of Cosley Zoo’s American guinea hogs, eat hay that has been put inside of pumpkins.

10/21/2024

Today is Reptile and Amphibian Awareness Day! Cosley Zoo houses a variety of reptiles and amphibians, many of which are local here to Illinois. Both reptiles and amphibians play a vital role in the ecosystems that they call home. They eat animals that we consider pests, such as insects and mice, and are important environmental indicators. They are very sensitive to changes in the environment, so their presence or absence can tell us a lot about the health of their habitat.
Photo 1 caption: Prairie, the western hognose snake, hangs from a piece of enrichment in her habitat.
Photo 2 caption: Jello, the Blanding’s turtle, sits in a log in an outdoor habitat.
Photo 3 caption: a gray tree frog rests on a leaf in its habitat.

10/16/2024

There's still time to join us for Cosley Zoo's Spooktacular Halloween event this Friday, October 18! Available ticketed time slots are 7:15pm and 7:30pm, with activities running until 8:30pm. Tickets can be purchased on our website under the Events tab. We can't wait to see you there!

10/16/2024

As an AZA accredited zoo we are expected to meet the high standards of excellence set by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Our zoo team never stops working hard and providing the best for our animals, our staff, and our visitors. Pictured are two of our zookeepers doing a deep clean of our barn. Did you know that less than 10% of zoological facilities are accredited by the AZA?
Photo caption: Two of Cosley Zoo’s zookeepers scrub the floor and walls of one of our barn stalls.

10/14/2024

The second Monday in October is widely recognized as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Did you know that the land Cosley Zoo sits on was historically inhabited by seven different indigenous tribes and nations? The Peoria, Potawatomi, Myaamia, Ochethi Sakowin, Ho-Chunk, Kaskaskia, and Kickapoo peoples’ lives were intertwined with their environment. With this in mind, Cosley Zoo strives to be a good steward of the land by creating connections between people and animals that will inspire lifelong conservation of the natural world.

Photo caption: Native flora that is along the entrance of Cosley Zoo.

10/12/2024

Today we are celebrating World Migratory Bird Day! Here at Cosley Zoo, we house a variety of migratory birds, including sandhill cranes. Migratory birds can fly up to thousands of miles south in the fall in order to escape the harsh winters. In the spring, they fly all the way back up north! Did you know that Cosley is right along the sandhill crane migration path? During certain times of the year, flocks of sandhill cranes will fly right over the zoo!
Photo 1 caption: one of Cosley Zoo’s cranes looks at the camera, with their pond in the habitat behind him.
Photo 2 caption: both of Cosley Zoo’s sandhill cranes are foraging for food in their outdoor habitat.

10/04/2024

September 15th marked the beginning of National Hispanic American Heritage Month, a month-long celebration of those with ancestors of Hispanic and Latinx origin which pays tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society.
In addition to celebrating the diverse people from the Hispanic and Latinx countries in our zoological family, we would also like to spotlight some of Cosley Zoo’s resident animals that have origins and habitat in these regions.
Photo 1: Our Honduran Curly Hair Tarantula, Rizado, is an ambassador animal used for various programs that are offered here at Cosley Zoo. They are native to Costa Rica and Honduras.
Photo 2: Coyotes are native to North America with a large range from southern Canada, the United States, and into Mexico and Central America. Make sure to visit our coyote, Wiley, the next time you visit Cosley Zoo! You also can go behind-the-scenes for our Coyote Connection program, offered twice daily, where you will get to learn more about this amazing animal. More information can be found on our website.
Photo 3: The term armadillo means “little armored one” in Spanish, which is fitting as they have boney, plated armor to protect themselves from danger. The nine banded armadillo has origins in South America, but they can be found as north in nature as southern Illinois.

10/03/2024

to our annual pumpkin delivery in the late 1990s. We love to see the zoo front lawn filled with pumpkins for the fall season!

10/01/2024

Cosley Zoo's animal care internship and volunteer applications are open! Interns and volunteers have opportunities to assist Cosley’s staff in a variety of ways, including diet prep, and cleaning for both domestic and wild animals. Applications will be accepted Oct 1- Oct 15. Learn more about both positions and apply on our website! cosleyzoo.org/volunteer-internship-opportunities/
Photo caption: An animal care volunteer nets the coyote pond to clear it of any debris.

09/28/2024

Today is International Rabbit Day! Cosley is home to three rabbits: Clover the Himalayan rabbit, Timothy the velveteen lop rabbit, and Pumpkin, the mini rex rabbit. Unlike the eastern cottontail rabbits commonly found in our local area, these ambassador rabbits belong to different breeds with unique characteristics and needs. Clover, Timothy, and Pumpkin each have distinct personalities and coat patterns that highlight the diversity within the rabbit world. Have you met any of our resident rabbits?

Photo 1 caption: Timothy (left) and Clover (right) eat Timothy hay in their outdoor yard.
Photo 2 caption: Pumpkin sits on a rock in the outdoor yard.

09/26/2024

to our Spooktacular event back in October 1999! Everyone is encouraged to dress up, and we look forward to seeing what all the costumes this year will be! Have your tickets yet for this year’s Spooktacular Halloween Stroll? The event takes place on October 18. Get your tickets here: https://bit.ly/3MUPU1i

09/23/2024

Join us in celebrating Lottie, our Lesser Madagascar hedgehog tenrec, who turns 1 today! Tenrecs like Lottie are opportunistic feeders, meaning that they will eat a large variety of food items, including baby mice, bird eggs, invertebrates, and fruit! They are semi-arboreal animals, and spend a lot of their time climbing. Lottie has an incredibly strong sense of smell, and excellent hearing which both help her to find food. Fun Fact: Lesser Madagascar tenrecs are apart of an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) program, which is a cooperative population management and conservation plan, with the goal of maintaining a healthy and self-sustaining population. Does anyone share a birthday with Lottie?

Photo 1 caption: Lottie peeks her head out of a hide in her habitat.
Photo 2 caption: Lottie climbs up onto a rock in her habitat.

09/21/2024

Only a few more opportunities left for you to meet Dig, our Mexican long-nosed armadillo, in her own special program, Armadillo Adventure! During this 30-minute program, participants ages 6 and up will get to interact with our armadillo, learn about their habitat, adaptations, and what we all can do to coexist with them in nature. The Armadillo Adventure season comes to an end on Sunday, September 29th so hurry to cosleyzoo.org for additional information and registration!

Photo caption: Dig, a Mexican long-nosed armadillo, explores a grassy habitat.

Address

1356 N Gary Avenue
Wheaton, IL
60187

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 4pm
Tuesday	9am - 4pm
Wednesday	9am - 4pm
Thursday	9am - 4pm
Friday	9am - 4pm
Saturday	9am - 4pm
Sunday	9am - 4pm

Telephone

+16306655534

Website

http://www.cosleyzoo.org/

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Videos

#ThrowbackThursday A look at the entrance from the early 1990s to today! #cosleyzoo50

Uncork and unwind on Thursday, July 11 at Uncorked at Cosley Zoo, our annual wine-tasting event. This unique event gives attendees an evening filled with wine sampling, live entertainment, appetizers, mingling with the animals and more. Don’t miss out and collect this year’s commemorative wine glass- available to the first 450 guests! Tickets can be purchased here: https://bit.ly/4aNGgHI #cosleyzoo #uncorked #wineevent #wheatonevent

Happy New Year! We are excited to be celebrating 50 years. Follow along as we share history, stories, and more. Do you have a Cosley story? Share it with us at https://bit.ly/41KraQ2. #cosleyzoo #CosleyZoo50