FREE. ZOO AND PARK: we came on a 40° grey wintery day, and it was not crowded, but also not deserted. Some paths are a bit muddy, but you can walk around on paved and wood chip paths, and stay dry, if you want to.
See photos for accessibility accommodations, and that their bison are purely bison, not mixed with cattle! Amazing!
Just adding a couple of photos of the new Oxbow Nature Center. This place is amazing! I've been to Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo before, many times: in the great outdoor park with play areas for kids; for picnics, whether as a family or with large groups for fellowship at the bridge picnic areas; and I've looked at the animals outside before, when it was warm. But this new nature center is incredible! Warm and dry of course, but also informative and modern with wonderful amenities. With this indoor space available in rainy and cold weather, we will be coming a lot more often.
The natural play area for school the groups and other young visitors is interesting and there are many things to climb in, and a pond with turtles and frogs in warm weather. They have built a scaled model of the solar system, with spheres of different sizes and distances from the "sun", and informative plaques about their similarities and differences.
I've been here with children from the age of 2 all the way up to 12 years, and they all think that it's pretty awesome. The otters are amusing and fascinating to watch for half an hour at a time. They have wolf siblings and coyotes. The turkey loves to show off his beautiful feathers. The Lynx and the bobcat are amazing, as well as the beautiful cougar. The Hawks, Eagles and Owls that they have here at Zollman Zoo would never have survived in the wild (whether because of a broken wing, or an injured eye, or whatever) and have a pretty good life here. It's amazing that all the animals here are native to Minnesota (though some are endangered, threatened, or rare).