For a lot of Swiss, the legendary Knie household evokes reminiscences of visits to the circus and journeys to the kids’s zoo.
After greater than 50 years in enterprise, the seventh era of the Knie household continues to mesmerize us with the Swiss Nationwide Circus and Knies Kinderzoo in Rapperswil.
What to Anticipate at Knies Kinderzoo in Rapperswil
I had the prospect to satisfy with Mr. Franco Knie in Rapperswil to search out out extra concerning the philosophy behind Knies Kinderzoo. Whereas the zoo entrance with its iconic gate has remained unchanged since childhood, Mr. Knie highlights many fascinating points of interest I needed had existed once I was little.
In contrast to another zoos, Knies Kinderzoo could be very a lot hands-on. That is no coincidence, because it displays the unique philosophy of the founders: „We contemplate the Kinderzoo to be a present to the youthful era.
Shut encounters with animals, whether or not they’re home or unique, will at all times be necessary. And that is very true for immediately’s children who develop up with iPhones and the Web,“ explains Franco Knie.
You can be in contact with animals inside just some minutes of getting into the zoo. Whether or not it’s using on the again of an elephant, feeding a rhino, or petting a goat, these memorable experiences finally make individuals need to return.
Take the lookout level on the giraffe enclosure. From the feeding station, it’s attainable to go eye-to-eye with giraffes!
Knies Kinderzoo is residence to 45 animal species, from Asian elephants to the tiny Eurasian harvest mouse.
Did I point out meerkats?
The mighty cheetah is one in all my favourite animals to look at:
Animal Inhabitants at Knies Kinderzoo in 2025
- Whole variety of animals: 381
- Endangered species: Asian Elephant, Rothschild Giraffe
- Tallest animal: Rothschild Giraffe, 4 – 6 meters
- Smallest animal: Eurasian Harvest Mouse
- Heaviest animal: Asian Elephant bull ‚Thisiam‘, approx. 6800 kg
- Lightest animal: Eurasian Harvest Mouse, approx. 5 – 7 grams
Different points of interest included within the admission ticket:
Franco Knie on At the moment’s Zoo Guests
Franco Knie displays on the habits of holiday makers immediately in comparison with the previous: „Children nonetheless have no idea sufficient about animals – regardless of the accessibility of knowledge. Nevertheless, the way in which that seeing, touching, and even feeding animals right here at Kinderzoo fascinates them is essentially unchanged.“
In response to Knie, one of many variations is that gross sales of disposable cameras on the zoo’s kiosk have plummeted – because of the arrival of the iPhone. „Our guests have additionally grow to be extra worldwide, so we provide info in English as effectively.“
The Himmapan Elephant Park at Knies Kinderzoo
Knie offers us some background on the Himmapan Elephant Park: „We deliberate on increasing our elephant part for a very long time, however we didn’t need to do it on the expense of the soccer area subsequent door. When town determined to construct a brand new sports activities facility elsewhere, we moved full steam forward with the brand new park for Asian elephants.“
The Himmapan are legendary creatures from Asian legends. As a part of the zoo’s dedication, Knies Kinderzoo is participating within the European Endangered Species Programme, which goals to guard Asian elephants.
Important Data to Plan Your Knies Kinderzoo Go to
Kinderzoo Admission Costs in 2025:
- Youngsters (above 4 years): CHF 9.00*
- Adults (above 16 years): CHF 23.00
*Insider tip: Youngsters get pleasure from free admission on their birthday. (Convey your twins, too!)
Deal with and Opening Instances:
Knies Kinderzoo
Oberseestrasse 36
8640 Rapperswil
We advocate arriving in Rapperswil by practice – the zoo is just some minutes‘ stroll from the station. There are three eating places on-site, together with the extremely advisable Himmapan Lodge, which serves Thai meals.
Knies Kinderzoo is open each day from 9 AM – 6 PM from March 1 by means of October 26, 2025.
Knies Kinderzoo in Rapperswil: 2025 Customer Information first appeared within the Newly Swissed On-line Journal
