Many tactile elements are designed into the exhibits to enhance the experience. Below is a list of many of these elements. There are volunteer stations throughout the Zoo where they may offer additional opportunities which are tactile and sensory in nature.
Download our Tactile & Sensory Reference Guide
Lower South Entrance
Bronze sculptures: bison, wolves, skunk, iguana
Taxidermy casts: gopher, rattlesnake, many small items on the cashier booths
East Entrance
Red wolves bronze sculpture
Discovery Bay
Audible & tactile tide pool
Sea Stars (replica and live – may be out of reach)
Urchins (live – may be out of reach)
Chiton sculpture
Crab sculpture
Barnacles sculpture
Sharks and rays (live – may be out of reach)
Shark bronze sculpture
Minnesota Trail
Raccoon bronze sculptures
Skunk bronze sculpture
Frog audio samples
Wetlands soundtrack (seasonal)
Damsel fly relief sculpture
Gnawed logs at beaver dam
Underwater audio at beaver lodge
Beaver lodge cross section
Zebra mussel sculptures
Large mussel sculpture
Owl audio samples
Fisher scat (replica)
Wolf and coyote life-size comparison cutouts
Coyote foot prints
Wolf and deer foot prints
Wolf audio sample
Wolf bronze sculpture
White-tailed deer life-size cutout
Summer and winter wolf pelts
Invasive worm tactile (replica) at Wild Bird Deck
Gypsy moth egg mass on trunk (replica) at Wild Bird Deck
Buckthorn tactile (replica) at Wild Bird Deck
Minnesota bird life-size wing span cutouts
Lynx and snowshoe hare foot prints
Puma scat (replica)
Black bear bronze sculpture
Brown and black bear life-size comparison cutouts
Tactile bear in cave structure with food items
Russia’s Grizzly Coast & Northern Trail
Ambient audio in Russia’s Grizzly Coast
Whale bones
Barnacles on shipping crates
Bronze sea otter paws, mounted on sign (may be out of reach)
Sea otter puzzle feeder, mounted on sign (may be out of reach)
Mud pot & steam vent, audible (seasonal)
Fox bronze sculpture
Salmon sculpture
Partially buried grizzly bear skull
Bronze bear paw
Wooly mammoth dig pit
Bear enrichment with chew marks
Training Target
Tactile pieces by wild boar (pinecone & pine nuts)
RGC Log Cabin tactile pieces: radio collar & transmitter, camera, rifle
Tiger Base Camp bridge tactile pieces: scratched tree trunk, scat & tiger track
Radio telemetry unit at Tiger Base Camp
Bison horn & hoof print, mounted on sign
Pronghorn horn & hoof print, mounted on sign
Camel foot print
Dhole bronze sculpture
Dhole audio sample
Skulls in dhole (replica): wolf, dhole, tiger, leopard
Caribou antler & hoof print, mounted on sign
Bronze tiger sculpture at Tiger Lair
Skulls (tiger & house cat), claws (tiger & house cat), and tiger scat in Tiger Lair
Penguin Exhibit
Penguin & nest with eggs bronze sculptures
Barnacle and mussel sculptures
Tropics Trail
Tortoise bronze sculpture
Elephant bird egg sculpture
Crocodile skulls (replica)
Faces of the Forest bronze relief sculptures
Komodo dragon heated rock sample
Elephant and tiger faces relief sculptures
Coral sculptures
Adult and baby rhino bronze sculptures