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Racine Zoo (Visit this link)
The Racine Zoological Gardens is located on the shores of Lake Michigan on the north side of downtown. Covering 32 acres, the Zoo is home to over 250 animals representing 76 species. Here you will find giraffes, lions, rhinos, orangutans, kangaroos and more, living in exhibit spaces designed to imitate natural surroundings.
The Zoo you see today has come far from its humble beginnings. Back in 1923, a local dry goods merchant donated three monkeys to establish the Zoo at Island Park. Guests during that first year could view monkeys, two deer, two badgers, two gray foxes and several Rocky Mountain goats. As more animals were added to the collection, the Zoo grew too large for its locale and was moved to its present location on Lake Michigan.
The largest structure within the Zoo grounds, the main building housing the large cats, primates, and Eleanor K. Benstead Discovery Center was built between 1936 and 1939. This building is still the focal point of the Zoo, where you can see the big cats up close and watch the orangutans swinging from rope trapezes. A major renovation effort completed in 1994 enhanced the animals' enclosures by building display areas resembling natural habitat surroundings. Now you can view the cats stretched out on a rock in the sun, or meerkats scrambling up a termite mound.
A visit to the Racine Zoo is more than viewing and learning about the animals. It can be a day at the park, complete with a picnic, a stroll along the beach, topped off with an evening band concert. Tree lined paths wind through grounds planted with numerous flower gardens, and there are picnic areas overlooking the lake. Zoo Beach is open to the public and provides a wonderful spot to relax. During the summer, the Zoo hosts its Animal Crackers Jazz Series on selected Wednesday evenings and free band concerts on Sunday evenings.
http://www.racinezoo.org