MrsBasil Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 If you've been to both which do you like better and why? If Cheyenne Mountain Zoo would require an overnight trip to the Springs, is it worth it? I've never been to Colorado Springs as it is.... Denver is much closer and doable in a day, but I'm curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhudson Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 We love both but like Cheyenne Mtn. better because it is a beautiful zoo. It is located in a mountainish area with a lot of trees and it feels very peaceful. The hills can be hard to climb especially if you are not used to the elevation. Colorado Springs is worth an overnight trip if you haven't been there. Seven Falls is fantastic, we love the Pikes Peak Cog Railroad and my kids love a visit to the Focus on the Family's Visitor Center. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 If the hills and elevation aren't a problem Cheyenne mountain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momma H Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 I would say based on your kids ages I would do Denver. They aren't going to care, the Denver Zoo is pretty too (not as pretty as CMZ) bit the hills will kill you if you have a double stroller which based on your kid's ages looks to be the case. It is a big zoo with lots of fun kids stuff and FYI the museum of natural history is next door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 I've never been to the Denver Zoo, but we've been members of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for years and love it. Most locals I've talked to that have been to both prefer the Cheyenne Mountain zoo - it's just very unique. Lots to do in the Colorado Springs area to make an overnight trip worth it. Garden of the Gods, Cog Railway to the top of Pikes Peak, Cave of the Winds, Olympic Training Center, Manitou Springs, and Cripple Creek gold mine tour, just to name a few. Enjoy your visit! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 I would say based on your kids ages I would do Denver. They aren't going to care, the Denver Zoo is pretty too (not as pretty as CMZ) bit the hills will kill you if you have a double stroller which based on your kid's ages looks to be the case. It is a big zoo with lots of fun kids stuff and FYI the museum of natural history is next door. :iagree: Denver is easier to navigate. Plus the Natural History Museum was my kiddos' favorite field trip when they were little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 If you've been to both which do you like better and why? If Cheyenne Mountain Zoo would require an overnight trip to the Springs, is it worth it? I've never been to Colorado Springs as it is.... Denver is much closer and doable in a day, but I'm curious. I lived in Denver for 20 years, CSpgs for 5. In general, I prefer Denver's zoo. Being on the side of a mountain makes Cheyenne Mountain Zoo a novelty. They have a wonderful giraffe exhibit. Other than that, many of the exhibits are old and small. It is on the side of a mountain. The walking can be intense, especially if you are pushing a stroller. If you are not used to the altitude, you may find yourself seriously suffering from being out of breath to the more extreme altitude sickness. With little kids, it is unlikely that you will be able to see the entire zoo. You'll be walking up and down continually. Denver Zoo is more than 1000 feet lower than CMZ. It's large and flat, and parking is much easier to find. The paths are wide and in better condition. Many of the exhibits have been updated; the monkey/apes area is wonderful. II think it's much easier to navigate in that part of Denver, easy to find places to eat, other places to stop. CMZ is nice, but we appreciated it more as my kids got older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBasil Posted April 16, 2012 Author Share Posted April 16, 2012 Thanks all! I think CMZ sounds like something to wait for. DS is 3 and does not care for a stroller, so the walking might be a pain for him. Not to mention DD prefers to be carried/worn to the stroller and fewer hills seem like the way to go! The are some neat looking things to do in Colorado Springs, but a lot of them look more fun for somewhat older children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 I would say based on your kids ages I would do Denver. They aren't going to care, the Denver Zoo is pretty too (not as pretty as CMZ) bit the hills will kill you if you have a double stroller which based on your kid's ages looks to be the case. It is a big zoo with lots of fun kids stuff and FYI the museum of natural history is next door. :iagree: I went to both zoos when I was younger, and don't remember liking one any more than the other. Now I'm sure I'd have more of an opinion, but then (Denver when I was tween-ish and CMZ a couple of years later) it was fun either way. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higginszoo Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 I think that you have a good plan, doing Denver now and Cheyenne Mountain later. We were members at Denver when the dc were little, and they loved it. We saved Cheyenne Mountain for when they were older and able to appreciate/walk more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassoonaroo Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Totally agree -- Denver now and CMZ later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnTeaching Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I lived in Denver for 20 years, CSpgs for 5. In general, I prefer Denver's zoo. Being on the side of a mountain makes Cheyenne Mountain Zoo a novelty. They have a wonderful giraffe exhibit. Other than that, many of the exhibits are old and small. It is on the side of a mountain. The walking can be intense, especially if you are pushing a stroller. If you are not used to the altitude, you may find yourself seriously suffering from being out of breath to the more extreme altitude sickness. With little kids, it is unlikely that you will be able to see the entire zoo. You'll be walking up and down continually. Denver Zoo is more than 1000 feet lower than CMZ. It's large and flat, and parking is much easier to find. The paths are wide and in better condition. Many of the exhibits have been updated; the monkey/apes area is wonderful. II think it's much easier to navigate in that part of Denver, easy to find places to eat, other places to stop. CMZ is nice, but we appreciated it more as my kids got older. We are currently members of both zoos and while I agree that Cheyenne Mountain is a bit of a haul with a stroller and might be better suited for when the kids are a little older, the comment made above that the exhibits are old and outdated are not entirely true. The zoo recently went through a renovation (except for the monkey house- that definitely needs a remodel) and they added an entirely new section to the zoo. You can walk through a glass tunnel and have mountain lions crossing over the top of you. You can also lean against a glass wall that has grizzly bears battling it out in a trout-filled lake on the other side of the glass. Very cool! These are just some of the new exhibits. The best one is the giraffe exhibit. You walk along boardwalks so that the giraffes are eye to eye with you. For a couple of dollars, you can feed the giraffe special crackers right out of your hand (or hanging out of your mouth as my dd did. I freaked and scrubbed her mouth out with a handiwipe after seeing that purple tongue slather her face!) It is an awesome zoo, but a bit of a haul up the hill. Currently, the Denver Zoo is under construction. The entire back of the zoo has a huge fence covered with black plastic. They are adding the "Toyota Elephant Passage" which will open on June 1st. It is going to be an incredible addition with an Asian tropics-type theme, but the zoo is going to be a madhouse. My dd applied for the teen volunteer program for this summer, but there were 150 applicants with only 35 picked for interviews. This is dd's first year to be eligible at 13yo, so she will continue to put in applications each year. Also, dd recently did a writing project for an online Brave Writer class and she interviewed a zoo spokesperson about the addition. She was told that they were expecting so many people this summer that they will be busing them from a local high school parking lot. If you are considering going to the Denver Zoo, I would do it before June 1st. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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