Milwaukee County Zoo

Milwaukee County Zoo has grown from a small mammal and bird display in Washington Park in 1892 into a 190-acre zoological garden home to more than 2,400 animals across over 340 species. The zoo offers indoor and outdoor spaces for weddings, receptions, corporate parties, and picnics, giving planners the option of a traditional ballroom setting or a celebration set among the animal habitats. Indoors, the Peck Welcome Center provides a ballroom with large glass windows, terrazzo floors, and high ceilings, along with access to an outdoor patio, while the Zoofari Center offers a permanent stage and dance floor just outside the zoo's main entrance on Bluemound Road. Smaller gatherings can be hosted in spaces such as the Flamingo Multi-purpose Room or the Northwestern Mutual Learning Loft, which overlooks the Elephant Care Center through floor-to-ceiling windows. For events with more of an outdoor, safari feel, the zoo also rents out spaces within its animal habitat buildings, including the Aquatic & Reptile Center, Florence Mila Borchert Big Cat Country, and the Stearns Family Apes of Africa building, along with several picnic areas across the grounds that can accommodate groups from a few dozen up to several thousand guests when combined.