ME's Zoo, Animal park in Parker City, Indiana
ME's Zoo is an animal park in Parker City, Indiana, set on the private property of its founders and organized around habitat zones that group animals by their natural environments. The enclosures are spread across open grounds, giving visitors a sense of moving through different regions as they walk the site.
The park opened over Memorial Day weekend in 1988, when Max and Eileen Oren welcomed the first visitors to their property with a small collection of animals. Over the following decades, new enclosures and species were gradually added as the park grew into its current form.
The name "ME" comes from the initials of its founders, Max and Eileen, which gives the zoo a personal, family-run feel that visitors often notice in how staff interact with guests. Many animals at the park were rescued or born in captivity, so the enclosures are designed around the specific habits of each species rather than a generic layout.
The park is open from late spring through early fall, then again during a holiday season in winter, so the experience varies quite a bit depending on when you go. Arriving in the morning gives you more time to move through the different habitat areas at a relaxed pace.
Each winter the grounds are covered with around 200,000 lights, turning the animal park into a nighttime walk that feels nothing like the daytime visit. For many local families, this holiday version of the park is actually their first experience of the site.
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