In no other zoo are the animals so close to the visitor as they are in the children's zoo in Rapperswil. Depending on the species, the animals can be touched, petted, fed or ridden. This makes the children's zoo an ideal destination for families, grandparents with grandchildren or school trips.

In the Children's Zoo of Circus Knie, emphasis is placed on the meeting between human and animal. One is allowed to feed the monkeys, pet the rhinoceros, ride the camels, look into the eyes of the giraffes at the giraffe terrace, give elephants a shower, and pet the ponies - and one can have one's picture taken with the sea lions when they are not busy performing their artistic feats in the show.

Knie's Kinderzoo in Rapperswil is home to about 300 animals belonging to 58 species. Two of the species, the Asian Elephant and the Rothschild-Giraffe are on the list of endangered species.In 2015 the children's zoo was expanded with the new Himmapan elephant park and the restaurant lodge by the lake: a fascinating, spacious facility.


There is a horse tram and a steam engine on the premises of the zoo. An adventure playground, a climbable artificial whale and a pirate ship offer plenty of fun and entertainment.The children's zoo is just 150m from Rapperswil station.