Say what you will about the Lady Slippers in the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, or the stately oaks that line the river near Minnehaha Falls, you won't find a giraffe in either spot. Nor can you bask beneath palm trees around a koi pond. No, the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory is a unique treasure. Back in 1872, the city philanthropists who built this park thought big—300 acres big—and the amenities have multiplied over the years. There's pool and lake swimming, an 18-hole golf course (along with mini-golf), a lakeside cafe, an amusement park, a carousel, a trained sea-lion show (!), a cross-country ski loop, and a summer concert series. With so much to offer, Como Park is just a hotel away from being a full-fledged resort.