If you are looking for a fun place to take your kids, without spending any money (yes, NONE), consider a visit to Phillips Park in Aurora.
If you go
Phillips Park Zoo is open year round, from 9am – 5pm daily. Get directions and more information at PhillipsParkAurora.com.
We aren’t too far from there and decided that we would check it out. Not only do they have a “Splash Pad” for the kids to play in, but there is also a zoo! It’s not much of a zoo, but they have a few elk, plenty of birds and reptiles, and even a mountain lion. My daughter really liked to watch the peacocks. It only takes about thirty minutes to walk through the entire zoo area, but on a hot day, that was perfect.
Had we known that there was a Splash Pad for the kids to play in, we would have considered bringing our daughter in her bathing suit. There is a large fountain that pours water down for the kids to run through and get wet. Be prepared to be amongst a large crowd of other people though. It was packed!
While you’re there, you can take a walk through the Sunken Garden. The flowers can keep the kids occupied while you enjoy the beautiful landscaping. They do a nice job with it.
If you happen to go into the Visitor’s Center, they have a small Mastadon gallery. Mastadon’s are like the dinosaur-age elephants. Huge tusks and bones are on display. They’re are also some confiscated animal skins and other interesting things.
The whole park is free but you can drop a donation off if you would like.
