Community Corner

Brutal Winter to Blame for Low Attendance at Cosley Zoo

Cosley Zoo, 1356 N. Gary Ave. in Wheaton, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October.

A Wheaton gem has seen a slow start to the year. 

Officials at the Cosley Zoo in Wheaton said the brutal winter is to blame for low attendance numbers in January and February with only 296 visitors stopping out in January compared to 1,167 in 2013 and only 364 in February compared to 908 last year, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Last month, attendance started to pick up with about 1,000 people packing the zoo, which attracts 140,000 each year, in one day toward the end of March, according to the article. 

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Cosley Zoo, 1356 N. Gary Ave. in Wheaton, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October. Cosley Zoo maintains 20 exhibits, housing more than 150 animals that represent more than 60 species. 

Cosley Zoo exhibits a variety of domestic farm animals and Illinois native wildlife. 

Find out what's happening in Wheatonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


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