This summer the Milwaukee County Zoo will be hosting Dino Don’s Journey to the Ice Age sponsored by Sendik’s Food Market. This exhibit is a must-see for families and will feature a magnificent menagerie of now-extinct giant mammals who once roamed the world during the Ice Ages – some dating back 2.4 million years!
Visitors can trek through the Zoo’s forest and marvel as creatures such as saber-toothed tigers, woolly mammoths, and short-faced bears are brought back to life. Breathing, roaring, gnashing teeth, turning their gaze, and flicking their tails — these mighty animatronic beasts can’t wait to meet visitors.
Some of the Magnificent Mammals featured in Dino Don’s Journey to the Ice Age are:
- Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius)
- This massive, elephant-like creature roamed across Europe, Asia, and North America for thousands of years. The Woolly Mammoth had an enormous set of curved tusks that could grow to 16 feet long. They grazed as much as 22 hours a day to get enough nutrition out of the 300 pounds of plants and grasses they consumed.
- Zoo counterpart: African elephant
- Woolly Rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis)
- An iconic creature of the Ice Age, the Woolly Rhino was a food source for early humans. They’re commonly depicted in ancient cave paintings, with as many as 20 Woolly Rhinos depicted in a painting. The Woolly Rhino was covered in thick, reddish-brown fur, with a large horn on the end of their snout. They also featured a second, smaller horn near their eyes and strong, massive teeth to eat the tough grass that survived in the harsh weather.
- Zoo counterpart: Black rhinoceros (returning once the Zoo’s new rhino habitat is complete)
- Teratornis
- Teratornis was a large vulture or condor-like bird that likely scavenged for meat from carcasses. They took flight off cliff faces and may have fed on ocean creatures as well as land animals.
- Zoo counterpart: Cinereous vulture
- Toxodon
- Toxodon was one of the largest, most common hoofed creatures in South America in their time, wandering over a broad range of territory. Their name translates to “bowtooth” because of their curved teeth. Built much like a smaller rhinoceros, Toxodon was a plant-eater more closely related to Baird’s tapirs than rhinos.
- Zoo counterpart: Baird’s tapir
- Giant Cheetah (Acinonyx pardinensis)
- Though they were about the size of a lion, they were also sprinters, although likely not as fast as today’s cheetahs. Their highly flexible backs allowed for great propulsion.
- Zoo counterpart: Cheetah
Learn about environmental changes
Through the exhibit, guests will learn about environmental changes and how they impacted these creatures; they’ll discover the Magnificent Mammals’ modern-day zoo counterpart and have the chance to visit those animals after exploring the exhibit; and ultimately, they’ll learn how humans can help positively impact the natural world.
Open during zoo hours May 27 – October 7
Journey to the Ice Age is open during Zoo hours (9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 27-September 4; 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. September 5-October 7) and is located behind the Small Mammals building.
Special tickets required for the exhibit
Special tickets are required for the exhibit; they are just $4 per person and can be purchased on-site or in advance. Journey to the Ice Age will feature expanded content with fun and educational activities on select dates throughout the summer (June 5, July 8, and August 19).
Milwaukee County Zoo attractions
No Milwaukee summer is complete without a trip (or several trips!) to the Milwaukee County Zoo, and the Journey to the Ice Age exhibit is just one of many fun activities and attractions you can take in during your visit.
From the Sky Safari, Sky Adventure Zip Line and Ropes Courses to the Safari Train and Carousel, there’s practically an amusement park within the park; and, in addition to this summer’s special Ice Age exhibit, you could visit the new Gorilla Trek Virtual Reality Experience; take in an Animals in Action Talk, Seal or Sea Lion Show; go to new heights in the Giraffe Experience; or even pet and feed select animals.
The zoo truly has something for everyone to enjoy; it’s also a good thing it has so many amazing concession options because you can easily spend a full day there working up quite an appetite.
Don’t get left out in the cold! Plan your visit(s) to the Milwaukee County Zoo and make sure you travel back to the Ice Ages along the way.
