Columbian Park Zoo
Salutations!
On a recent trip to Indianapolis, I made a detour in Lafayette, Indiana. Lafayette is best known for Purdue University but I wanted to see local attractions like the Columbian Park Zoo, the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, and the Haan Museum of Indiana Art. This post is about Lafayette's local zoo.
Here is a summary of my Indiana posts:
G1: Fort Wayne Zoo
G2: Potawatomi Zoo
G3: Columbian Park Zoo (this post)
And this is my Indiana backlog:
- Art Museum of Greater Lafayette
- Haan Museum of Indiana Art
- Raclin Murphy Museum of Art in South Bend at Notre Dame University
- Indianapolis Zoo
- Indianapolis Museum of Art, Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, and Holcomb Observatory
- Garfield Park Conservatory
- Eiteljorg Museum
- Kurt Vonnegut Museum
- Crispus Attucks Museum
All of the pictures in this post were taken by me except for the map of the zoo. If you want to use any of my photos, please contact me to first obtain permission.
COLUMBIAN PARK ZOO
Website: http://www.columbianparkzoo.org/
Hours:
OPENING DAY 2026: Saturday, April 11
Off-Peak Hours (April 11 - May 22 and August 10 - October 3, 2026): 10 AM - 4:30 PM
Peak Season (May 23 - Aug 19): 10 AM - 7 PM
Winter Hours: CLOSED (October 4, 2026 - mid-April 2027)
Exhibits close 15 minutes before zoo closing. Apparently, the Education Center closes early as well.
The Butterfly Garden Party Exhibit is open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
Cost (as of 2026):
Ages (3+): $3
Ages (2 and under): $2
Parking is free.
Estimated Time: 30 - 60 minutes.
I spent 1 hour and 15 minutes and that allowed me to go through most of the zoo two or three times. You can easily finish the tiny zoo in under an hour.
SUMMARY
Columbian Park Zoo is a tiny local zoo in Lafayette, Indiana. With admission at a mere $3, the zoo is almost free. However, it is a tiny zoo on par with Cosley Zoo in Wheaton, IL.
Like with Cosley Zoo, I rate Columbian Park Zoo at 1 star mainly due to the limited number and variety of animals. Unlike Cosley Zoo, Columbia Park Zoo has some animals outside of North America but Cosley Zoo is better maintained (though more expensive).
The highlights were the butterfly garden, wallaby walkabout, penguins, and baby goats. They have a New Guinea singing dog, which is uncommon. And I got some good pictures of the prairie dogs.
There were a surprising number of animals I was not able to see, despite it already being a tiny zoo. Columbian Park Zoo is currently constructing a new Primate Exhibit scheduled for a 2027 unveiling. However, this meant that the white-handed gibbon and black-handed spider monkey were not accessible, along with the nearby North American porcupine. The North American river otters were off exhibit and I didn't see the laughing kookaburra or llamas either. There are supposed to be a handful of reptiles and amphibians at the Education Center but apparently that closes early.
Columbian Park Zoo is not currently accredited by the AZA. It seems like the zoo is owned, operated, and supported by the city of Lafayette. Over the past 20+ years they have been steadily making improvements and additions. Most recently they renovated the carousel and next up is the Primate Exhibit.
While there are a handful of free keeper chats, unfortunately they are not listed on the website. The website simply says to check the daily schedule posted at the zoo. As a result, it's hard for out-of-towners to really plan a schedule around attending them. By the time I arrived in the afternoon, the penguin and otter chats were already over. If I had known the schedule, I would have tried to visit earlier.
Comparing Columbian Park Zoo to other zoos:
5 stars:
- San Diego Zoo (San Diego, CA)
- Brookfield Zoo (Brookfield, IL)
- Taipei Zoo (Taipei City, Taiwan)
4 stars:
- San Diego Safari Park (San Diego, CA)
- Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden (Cincinnati, OH)
- Oklahoma City Zoo (Oklahoma City, OK)
- Milwaukee County Zoo (Milwaukee, WI)
- Houston Zoo (Houston, TX)
- Oakland Zoo (Oakland, CA)
3 stars:
- Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago, IL, Free)
- Zoo Atlanta (Atlanta, GA)
- Buttonwood Park Zoo (New Bedford, MA)
- Butterflies of Cape Cod (Bourne, MA)
- International Crane Foundation (Baraboo, WI)
- Henry Vilas Zoo (Madison, WI, Free)
- Indianapolis Zoo (Indianapolis, IN)
- Sacramento Zoo (Sacramento, CA)
- Santa Barbara Zoo (Santa Barbara, CA)
- Fort Worth Zoo (Fort Worth, TX)
- Fort Wayne Zoo (Fort Wayne, IN)
- Zoo Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
2 stars:
- Audubon Insectarium (New Orleans, LA)
- Audubon Zoo (New Orleans, LA)
- Sarasota Jungle Gardens (Sarasota, FL)
- Save Our Seabirds Wild Bird Learning Center (Sarasota, FL, Free)
- San Francisco Zoo & Gardens (San Francisco, CA)
- Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo, CA)
- Franklin Park Zoo (Boston, MA)
- Capron Park Zoo (Attleboro, MA)
- Taylor-Bray Farm (Yarmouth Port, MA, Free)
- Racine Zoo (Racine, WI)
- Ochsner Park Zoo (Baraboo, WI, Free)
- John Ball Zoo (Grand Rapids, MI)
- Potter Park Zoo (Lansing, MI)
- Antalya Zoo (Antalya, Turkey)
- Marine Mammal Center (Sausalito, CA, Free)
- Santa Ana Zoo (Santa Ana, CA)
- San Antonio Zoological Society (San Antonio, TX)
- Cameron Park Zoo (Waco, TX)
- Dallas Zoo (Dallas, TX)
- Caldwell Zoo (Tyler, TX)
- Peoria Zoo (Peoria, IL)
- Miller Park Zoo (Bloomington, IL)
- Scovill Zoo (Decatur, IL)
- Potawatomi Zoo (South Bend, IN)
1 star:
- Cosley Zoo (Wheaton, IL)
- Stone Zoo (Stoneham, MA)
- Timbavati Wildlife Park (Wisconsin Dells, WI)
- Binder Park Zoo (Battle Creek, MI)
- Happy Hollow Park & Zoo (San Jose, CA)
- CuriOdyssey (San Mateo, CA)
- Columbian Park Zoo (Lafayette, IN)
AMERICAS
Black-Tailed Prairie Dog
Cynomus ludovicianus
Dramatic prairie dog
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Galapagos Tortoise (Volcan Darwin Giant Tortoise subspecies)
Chelonoidis niger microphyes
AUSTRALIA
Bennett's Wallaby
Macropus rufogriseus
Emu
Dromaius novaehollandiae
New Guinea Singing Dog
Canis hallstromi
BUTTERFLY GARDEN
Columbian Park Zoo has an unexpectedly good Butterfly Garden which I would definitely recommend. The employee inside was especially helpful in identifying butterflies and pointing out species that I had not seen yet.
Atala
Eumaeus atala
Eastern Giant Swallowtail
Papilio cresphontes
Malachite
Siproeta stelenes
Great Southern White
Ascia monuste
Probably near a Petunia (Petunia Surfinia) or a Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
Pollinating a Lantana (Lantana camara)
Probably near a Trumpeter Rose (Rosa x 'Mactru')
Photobombed by a Julia Heliconian
Julia Heliconian
Dryas iulia
Two Julia Heliconians with a White Peacock pollinating Lantanas (Lantana camara)
White Peacock
Anartia jatrophae
Pollinating a Meadow Sage (Salvia nemorosa)
Common Buckeye
Junonia coenia
Chrysalises
Newly emerged Great Southern White (Ascia monuste)
False Buck's Beard
Astilbe japonica
Probably a Geranium
Pelargonium
Meadow Sage
Salvia nemorosa
PENGUIN COVE
African Penguin
Spheniscus demersus
FAMILY FARM
Nigerian Dwarf Goat
Capra aegagrus hircus
American Miniature Horse
Equus caballus
Vietnamese Pot-bellied Pig
Sus scrofa scrofa
UPCOMING PRIMATE COMPLEX
Slated for a 2027 opening, the white-handed gibbon and black-handed spider monkey are not currently viewable. Neither is the North American porcupine. It looks like the zoo will eventually get some ring-tailed lemurs and other monkeys as well.
EDUCATION CENTER
While the zoo is open until 7 PM during the summer, apparently the Education Center closes early. It houses a handful of amphibians and reptiles.
BUTTERFLY BOG & BUTTERFLY SCULPTURE GARDEN
Probably Tawny Daylily
Hemerocallis fulva
Probably Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Probably Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Probably Blue Ravine Clematis
Clematis 'Blue Ravine'
Probably a Daylily
Hemerocallis 'Sarah Hawes'
Probably a Geranium
Geranium wallichianum 'Rozanne' or Geranium wallichianum 'Gerwat'
MORE FLORA
Let's start with the fountain and flowers right outside the entrance:
Probably 'Anthony Waterer' Spirea
Spiraea japonica 'Anthony Waterer' / Spiraea × bumalda 'Anthony Waterer'
Probably Red-Hot Poker / Torch Lily
Kniphofia
Probably Golden Yellow Daylily 'Aztec Gold'
Hemerocallis
Probably Blanket Flower
Gaillardia
Probably Shasta Daisy
Leucanthemum × superbum
Meadow Sage
Salvia nemorosa
Probably Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Probably Knock Out Double Red Rose
Rosa 'Radtko'
Probably New Guinea Impatiens
Impatiens hawkeri
Now moving on to the flowers within the zoo:
Probably Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
Probably Dragon Wing Begonia
Begonia 'Dragon Wing Red'
Probably Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Probably Ruby Spider Daylily
Hemerocallis 'Ruby Spider'
Probably Impatiens SunPatiens
Impatiens x hybrida
Probably SunPatiens Compact Royal Magenta
Impatiens x hybrida
Probably False Sunflower
Heliopsis helianthoides
Probably Tickseed
Coreopsis grandiflora 'SunKiss'
Possibly 'Blue Cloud' Calamint
Calamintha nepeta
Probably Prickly Pear Cactus
Opuntia
Possibly False Spirea
Sorbaria sorbifolia
Probably Ruby Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea 'Ruby Star'
Probably Meadow Sage
Salvia nemorosa
FOUNTAIN PLAZA & SCULPTURES
Otter sculptures
Penguin sculptures
This sculpture needs to be cleaned!
Tortoise sculpture
RIDES
Columbian Park Zoo Express Train
The Carousel was reopened recently on June 17th, 2026 after a renovation. That was just a few days before my visit to the zoo.
OTHER
This is a funny trash bin!
Eagle nest photo op
GIFT SHOP
While Columbian Park Zoo doesn't actually have any red pandas, there are plenty of red panda plushies!
Giant Wild Republic Red Panda Plush
$59.99
Red Panda & Kangaroo Plushes
Red Panda & Sloth Plushes
Assorted plushes from Wild Republic, Aurora, & Fiesta
Carousel Gift Shop
Assorted Wild Republic plushes
$12.99 - $20.99
