Does Como still have the botanical center? That was always neat to visit in the winter. It was the old school kind huge long halls high ceilings not like the one in Des Moines.
Yes, Como still has the conservatory.
Definitely a must see with multiple rooms and even a few Bonsai. Make sure after the Bonsai you keep going and see the Japanese garden and tea house if it is open again. They had it closed for a while for some work.
We are members of the Minnesota Zoo, but the Como is good too. I'm not sure if it will be open when you are here but there is also Comotown next to the Como Zoo which is a little kid amusement park.
As far as bears go, Como does have polar bears. Minnesota Zoo has grizzlies in the Russia's Grizzly Coast exhibit and black bears on the Minnesota Trail.
The Minnesota Zoo currently has llamas. I'm not sure when this temporary exhibit closes* but it is really cool because you enter this exhibit and there are no fences so the llamas and other South American small animals roam free around you. It is super cool and much different than looking across or through a fence at animals.
*I just checked and it closes 27 SEP.
Correction: it is open through 27 SEP.