Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo - Summer 2023


Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo (just west of Rochester, MN) was an absolute gem of a stop on our family trip to Lewiston! I was scrolling through Google Maps to see what state parks were on the way from Southwest Minnesota to Southeast Minnesota, and I noticed the listing for a zoo. My girls love zoos and animals, so I decided to check it out. It looked like an interesting stop, and the best part is that it was free!

The zoo, nature center, and Path of Imagination Playscape ended up being even better than we pictured. We started in the brand new nature center and took advantage of the nice bathrooms and cold drinking fountains. The nature center has displays to learn about area creatures and has some indoor animals, including birds and snakes.

Next, we headed outside to the zoo. We walked past a variety of birds, including two bald eagles. Then we went to an enclosure for two otters, who seemed to be putting on a show for us, swimming up, down, and around in front of the glass, to the delight of the girls.

We were surprised at the number of animals, including a black bear, who lumbered up to the fence right in front of us. We enjoyed seeing some big cats, a badger, a wolf, bison, and other interesting animals.

The park actually contains 8 miles of trails, but our 3-year-old was suffering from missing her nap, so we headed over to the Path of Imagination Playscape.

The Playscape was both fun and educational. It displays planets across the play area and their relative distances from the sun. There are some musical instruments to play and a nature-style playground. Children can dig up dinosaur bones in a sandy area and read about fossils.

This stop was one of the highlights of our family trip, and if we're ever in the area, we will definitely stop by again!


Location: Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo, 5731 County Rd 105 NW, Byron, MN 55920, USA

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