Zoological Park of Centenario ( Parque Zoologico del Centenario)
Address:
Avenide Itzaes and Calle 59
97000 Merida, Mexico
Phone:
+52 (999) 945-0733 Ext. 82650
Description:
If the kids are tired of looking at Mayan ruins and the Zócalo's souvenir shops, take a bus or taxi to Centennial Park, which celebrated its own 100th anniversary in 2010. Entrance is free to this shady retreat, which is filled with Mexican families, especially on Sundays. Children will find much to amuse themselves: recreation areas and carnival rides including a miniature train, boats, and racecars. Guided tours lead you through the zoo, which has many big cats and primates; you may find yourself saddened by their small enclosures. Food choices are exactly what you would expect at a kids' park in Mexico with the smells of tacos and roasted ears of corn zoo filling the air. The park was constructed in 1910 to commemorate an important event: the centennial of the beginning of Mexico's war of independence from Spain, the country's version of the American Fourth of July.
Map:
