Information
Landmark: Sunset ZooCity: Manhattan KS
Country: USA Kansas
Continent: North America
Sunset Zoo, Manhattan KS, USA Kansas, North America
Overview
In Manhattan, Kansas, Sunset Zoo welcomes locals, students, and travelers alike, offering hands-on learning alongside a place to wander shaded paths and watch the lemurs play.Founded in 1933, it’s become a beloved spot for families in the region, known for its commitment to animal conservation, engaging education, and activities where kids can get their hands muddy.Sunset Zoo began as a city-run municipal park on donated land, giving locals and students a place to see wildlife and enjoy fresh air under the shade of towering oaks.Over the decades, it’s grown its collection and upgraded its spaces, adding bright play structures and quiet rest areas to meet modern standards for animal care, enrichment, and visitor connection.Sunset Zoo Inc.runs the zoo, from the front gates to the quiet paths lined with cedar trees., a nonprofit organization working in partnership with the City of Manhattan to maintain and improve exhibits, educational programming, and conservation initiatives.It's a nonprofit that partners with the City of Manhattan to care for and enhance its exhibits, run engaging educational programs, and strengthen conservation efforts-like planting native wildflowers along the trail.The zoo sprawls across about 45 acres of gentle hills, blending its paths and habitats with shady woods, bright meadows, and the quiet shimmer of a few small ponds.The layout makes it easy for visitors to explore and learn, with winding paths that lead past thematically arranged animal exhibits, where you might catch the bright flash of a parrot’s wings.At Sunset Zoo, you can wander through the North American Wildlife zone, where bison graze and river otters slip into the water, then step onto the African Savanna with its tall giraffes, striped zebras, and quick-footed antelope.The Tropical Rainforest hums with life, from bright parrots in airy aviaries to lush plant-lined paths, while the Children’s Discovery Areas offer hands-on fun for curious young visitors.Home to more than 200 animals from over 70 species - including white-tailed deer, bobcats, lemurs, reptiles, and conservation-priority species in breeding or education programs - the zoo designs natural habitats full of enrichment to keep every creature healthy and engaged.Sunset Zoo offers a range of educational programs to spark curiosity and connect the community with wildlife-from school tours tailored to class curriculums, where students might feel a parrot’s feathers during an animal encounter, to summer camps and workshops exploring ecology and environmental stewardship.Keeper talks, outreach visits to local schools, and conservation-focused collaborations all work toward one goal: inspiring awareness and responsibility for the natural world.The park’s facilities include exhibit spaces built for easy viewing and hands-on learning, shaded picnic spots where families can rest under tall oaks, a gift shop stocked with books, educational toys, and souvenirs, ADA-compliant paths and viewing areas, plus on-site parking with safe walkways to every display-everything designed to make visits comfortable for both day guests and larger school or community groups.Sunset Zoo brings the community together with annual celebrations and seasonal programs-from Zoo Boo’s candy-filled, costume-friendly Halloween fun, to Wildlife Awareness Days that spotlight conservation, to festive holiday exhibits and activities, plus volunteer and fundraising opportunities that help sustain the zoo’s mission-all creating a lively mix of learning and enjoyment that draws thousands of visitors every year.Though it’s mainly a neighborhood zoo, Sunset Zoo plays a role in big-picture conservation, from tracking and breeding vulnerable species to running hands-on campaigns about preserving habitats and biodiversity.It also teams up with universities to study how animals live and thrive-work that stretches far beyond weekend visits, helping protect species and deepen our understanding of the natural world.If you’re heading to Manhattan, Kansas, you can drop by any day of the week-hours shift a bit between summer’s long evenings and winter’s shorter days-and pay a modest admission, with breaks for kids, seniors, and school groups.Inside, you’ll find interactive exhibits, meet animals up close, join educational programs, and take part in family-friendly events.Stroll past native prairie species and watch bright tropical birds, then step outside for fresh air and hands-on activities.
