The museum is open daily, year-round, except major holidays. It has received the U.S. Humane Society s top rating for its natural habitats that house some 500 specimens of wildlife indigenous to North, Central, and South America. A numbered map leads visitors past an herb garden and tropical birds to Morgan Visitor s Center. Past the visitor s center are exhibits that contain macaws, sloths, tamarins, bobcats, coatis, and ocelots. An extensive collection of waterfowl, ducks of North and South America, and birds of prey are also along the walking path.
Children love to watch exuberant river otters and athletic spider monkeys.
The entrance on Memorial Drive is recommended for first-time visitors so they can follow the map in sequence. The zoo is free and opens at 8 a.m. daily, year-round, except Christmas and Thanksgiving. Work began on the mansion in 1799. Built in the Federal style, the frame building has three stories and a steeply pitched roof. The mansion is a survivor.