Great animals and it's free!
The Henry Vilas Zoo is a small but charming zoo in Madison, Wisconsin at, aside from the animals, has one unbeatable standout feature: it’s 100% free. Yup, free! You can go out with the entire family and spend a day marveling at the animal exhibits without the elevated entry fees. Despite its modest size (only around 28 acres), the zoo boasts a great variety of animals including large African mammals like giraffes, lions, and rhinos as well as some American favorites like grizzly bears, badgers, porcupines, and playful prairie dogs. They of course also have snakes, amphibians, bugs, bats, and everything in between! With the money you save on admission you can visit the snack bars and have everything you need for an entire day. Oh, and if you get tired there’s a large playground where you can let the kids run wild while you take a much-needed breather in the shade!