Hotel Near Franke Park and Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo

Fort Wayne, Indiana has a proud history of creating and maintaining their parks system.  Residents of the area visit their parks year round, enjoying fishing, ice-skating, children’s playgrounds, ball fields and much more.  Of the many parks in the area, one of the largest and most popular is Franke Park, home to the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo.  Located a mile and a half from the Residence Inn Fort Wayne, Franke Park is also the closest and most convenient.

Click here for an interactive map and driving directions powered by Google.

Franke Park boasts over 329 acres of space dedicated to nature preservation, enrichment and education.  The Park’s walking paths wind past playgrounds, pavilions, ball fields, a central fishing lake, Foellinger Theatre and a BMX track.  The park has left areas of wide open space relatively undisturbed in order to enjoy the area’s natural beauty.

Probably the biggest draw of the Park is the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo.  Rated as one of the top ten zoos in the nation by Child Magazine, this zoo features numerous exhibits of wild and rare species, rides and interactive displays.  Opening after extensive renovation in 2009, the all-new African Journey will feature a Savannah Trail that winds its way past lions, zebras, giraffe’s, hyenas, wildebeests and ostrich allowing you to discover the wild African Continent first hand.  Additionally, there will be a sky safari ride gliding over the entire exhibit, giving visitors a bird’s eye view of the African plain!

In addition to the African Journey, the Zoo also has three other exciting exhibits, the Australian Adventure, the Indonesian Rainforest and the Central Zoo, each of which feature their own stimulating exhibits.  The Australian Adventure allows you to get up close with kangaroos, wallabies and a 20,000 gallon Great Barrier Reef Aquarium housing reef sharks, rays and exotic fish.  Enter the Indonesian Rainforest through a deep mist and come face to face with big red apes in Orangutan Valley and a rare Komodo Dragon.  Of course the Sumatran Tigers on prowl through the Tiger Forest should not be missed.  The Central Zoo is home to Sea Lion Beach, Monkey Island, Giant Tortoises and marching penguins.  Always a fun show, Sea Lion Beach allows you to view these playful creatures both above and below the water.  

For more information on Franke Park and Fort Wayne’s Children’s Zoo, please click the link at the bottom of the page.

Located on Lima Road, a major city thoroughfare, Residence Inn Fort Wayne places its guests in an ideal location to experience all the city has to offer.  Franke Park and the Children’s Museum, Glenbrook Square Mall, several area golf courses and Purdue University Fort Wayne are all easily accessible from the Residence Inn Fort Wayne. Our spacious accommodations provide for a leisurely vacation or an efficient, productive business trip.  Spread out in our one and two bedroom units incorporating full kitchens and separate living, eating, working and sleeping areas.  Come experience our famous Hoosier Hospitality and thrive during your extended stay at Marriott’s Residence Inn Fort Wayne.