There is one cut in front of the entrance:

http://i.imgur.com/6TsNfZZl.jpg

But there is nothing down the road from there, so your options are either to try to jump the curb (which is often doable, depending on what you are pushing/pulling) or walking down through traffic until you get to the center.

http://i.imgur.com/KEXFXVsl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/zcW9N0Kl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/2FECK9Il.jpg

But other than that particular complaint I am very happy with the parking lot. It feels much bigger already and is easier to navigate than the old layout.

The other important thing is that the Mold-a-Matic also takes credit cards.

http://i.imgur.com/oXPsmYE.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5hwvQUL.jpg

Seems like an oversight that will hopefully be addressed before project completion.

Another trip to the Zoo today.

Looks like they should have the new entrance area finished up soon, and they have a new giant OKC ZOO flag flying at the entrance by 63rd street.

http://i.imgur.com/nDtZKCBl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/XEK1ftkl.jpg

The zoo announced their new price hike today. Too rich for my blood.

A quick glance at some other zoos shows that the current ticket price is almost criminally low. $8.00 right now versus $14 being the lowest I found in a (admittedly quick) search online among other zoos. One went over $20. The new price for an adult ($11) would still be the lowest for an adult among the zoos I found in my search. Not that its not a bummer to see prices increase, but some perspective is needed as well.

The OKC Zoo also receives dedicated sales tax revenue, which is likely much different from other zoos which require more in admission fees to fund their operations.

You could argue that since people in and around OKC already pay millions for the zoo every year whether they attend or not, that admission should be kept very minimal.

. . .a yearly Family Membership is $70 (two adults and up to 5 children ages 3 - 18); Mathis Bros just finished their special offer of a Family Membership for $49. Even if you missed the MB special, it would be hard to beat $70 for unlimited visits for a year. . .and I'm betting most zoo goers are repeat visitors.

^^ When my kids were young we were zoo friends members every year. You can't beat it. We'd take nieces and nephews and friend's kids.

^^ When my kids were young we were zoo friends members every year. You can't beat it. We'd take nieces and nephews and friend's kids.

It is just me and my wife and we have a family membership. My mother likes to go and I like to take my little nephew. It is a great value and if you go a few times a year it is worth it. Also a good gift for friends who have little ones. The zoo is great walk.

I am kind of a zoo fanatic. Whenever I travel I check the local zoo out. St. Louis and Chicago have some nice public zoos in the middle of parks that are really organic and very nice. My favorite so far is San Diego. It really is magical. I will say OKC's zoo is really nice. They have very nice walkable paths and the new exhibits they add really are phenomenal.

11 dollars is pretty cheap for the occasional zoo guest. Some people spend that much for just one movie each month. For the frequent visitor, the zoo friends membership is a very good deal.

A lot of different tourist attractions have a significantly higher one admission price and a frequent visitor pass because they know only the locals can take advantage of multi-day passes.

The OKC Zoo also receives dedicated sales tax revenue, which is likely much different from other zoos which require more in admission fees to fund their operations.

You could argue that since people in and around OKC already pay millions for the zoo every year whether they attend or not, that admission should be kept very minimal.

Absolutely. My point was that I feel the membership is still pretty minimal.

I think I paid close to 25 bucks a person at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs. So yeah, we have it pretty good here.

The Zoofriends Family membership is also going up to $90. Which is still a pretty good deal in my opinion.

I also try to remind people that unlike some of the other zoos, OKC offers free parking and they don't have a problem with you bringing in a cooler for drinks and food. I went to the Dallas Zoo a few years ago, and the cost to get in the door was $50 for two adults and 1 toddler and parking for one car, compared to $30 for OKC. Fort Worth would be $43, Tulsa is $28, $40.50 for Kansas City by the time you include parking. So it's pretty competitive in the region I think, and it's nicer (in my opinion) than the Tulsa and Dallas zoos.

We always get the Zoofriends Family membership, and it's nice to be able to bring our own food and drinks, spend an entire day at the zoo, and basically spend $0 after the third visit. It's a value in the city that's hard to beat.



The OKC Zoo also receives dedicated sales tax revenue, which is likely much different from other zoos which require more in admission fees to fund their operations.

You could argue that since people in and around OKC already pay millions for the zoo every year whether they attend or not, that admission should be kept very minimal.

They do have a number of free entry days as well, and I do think that the price increase still gives it a good value.

One thing I noticed while taking a quick look at prices is that the Kansas City Zoo is partially funded by taxes in a district, and residents of that district get discounted pricing. So a family of 2 adults and 3 children would pay $63.5 (more if one of the kids was 12 or older), but if they lived in the district they would pay $32. I wouldn't be opposed to doing something similar here, with people who live in Oklahoma City keeping the old prices and visitors who are outside the city limits paying the new price.

^

The problem is that the OKC Zoo subsidy is through sales tax, which means lots of people outside the city limits contribute as well.

True, but residency would be the easiest way to determine location to see if you are affected. Of course I live in OKC, but my address says Edmond, so would I need to bring my OKC water bill or trust that the cashier knows the city limits?

It's all theoretical of course, I don't think such a plan is on the works. Right now people living in, and paying sales tax in, OKC are subsidizing the zoo for visitors who don't live here. People who drive here to visit the zoo spend money (and taxes) in our city which we end up benefiting from. So maybe it all balances out in the end.

We bought a zoo membership at Christmas for $65. Already paid for itself. $11 is a steal like most have said compared to other cities.

One of the biggest benefits of Zoofriends for me is that it makes me feel much better about short visits.

I have a 3 year old with a short attention span, and doing the whole zoo can be too much for her, especially in the summer. Going for "free" makes me feel better about leaving without seeing the whole zoo, because I'm not trying to get my money's worth from a daily admission.

So now we usually end up splitting the zoo in a north and south half, and either visit the aquarium/children's zoo/island life combo, or the Oklahoma trails/apes/elephants/big cats combo. And sometimes she just likes to visit the playground there.

Nm

One of the biggest benefits of Zoofriends for me is that it makes me feel much better about short visits.

...

The same logic I used when we bought ours. The wife works 4-day work weeks (12-hour days), so she gets one day off during the week. We usually go see a movie, go to OKC Riversports or the Zoo on those days. I like that we can just pop into the zoo and see the few exhibits we really like and then leave - all in about an hour.

Plus, the grand baby is less than a year old, so an hour or so is all she has patience for.

We opted for the family plus pass. I think it was $80 at Mathis Brothers. Gets you three adults and 5 kids. Plus, you get a $30 zoo gift card (making the membership really just $50 - same price as the discounted regular membership).

The admission at the zoo is ridiculously low. Check out even the Sedgwick County Zoo (Wichita) which doesn't compare in any way. Fort Worth, Dallas, Denver...these zoos are significantly higher than even the new prices for OKC. These changes are a sign of good stewardship.

Regarding the zoo tax, it does not support operations. It is specifically dedicated to capital improvements. Without this tax we would not have the Elephant exhibit, the Cat Forest, the new veterinary hospital or many other improvements and the zoo would be a very poor facility by comparison. Instead we have one of the best zoos in the country.

But as you add new facilities you must maintain them and pay for personnel to serve the crowds that will inevitably come. This is the role of admissions.

By the way, like many attractions, the people who visit the zoo come largely from outside of the city limits, the metro, and many from out of state. This is a case of people from elsewhere helping to pay for our quality of life. Most local residents who regularly visit the zoo are members of Zoofriends, which is (still) probably the best family entertainment value in OKC, and represents a MASSIVE discount from the typical admission price, if only used a few times per year.

^

All good points and raising the admission probably makes sense. I just think that there are lots of people with families where these hikes matter to them and the zoo is almost like a public service, like parks.

But of course when you take capital improvements from sales tax that does free up other revenues.

In the end, it all comes in and goes out of the zoo coffers.

^^^^^^
Not sure if anything has been formalized on this but I know the zoo is dedicated to not denying admission to low-income families and children. In conjunction with this increase they were taking a hard look at expanding educational and other programs that provide admission for those who can't afford it.

They just want to make sure that their entire admission structure isn't built around those who can't pay, to the point of starving upkeep and guest services. This puts them a little closer to the regional average, but still way below. It's overdue.

Good, I hope that is all true.

I love the fact that even low income families can spend a day there for not much money and would hate anyone to be priced out. If you are parents and take a few small kids, that is no small amount of money.

Above all else, the zoo should be a resource for everyone in the area, and that's a big part of dedicating tax dollars to them.


And I certainly remember my family packing up lunches and spending many long days out there at a time where we couldn't afford to go out very much. As in, we ate out only a few times in an entire year. But we went to the zoo a lot and I know it was because it was super affordable at the time. And of course, awesome.

I don't want to go off on a too much of a rant here but...

I make it a habit to visit lots of the OKC public parks. I specifically seek out the different ones, especially the smaller ones embedded in neighborhoods and somewhat off the beaten path.

And what you come to understand very quickly is that the huge amount of patrons at the parks are low-income families. The people who don't have a $5K swing set in their backyard, as most have little or no yard to start with.

One of the results of our culture of extreme excess is that middle class and above rarely use truly public facilities. They don't have to. They have home theaters and huge yards and neighborhood pools in gated communities.

And so, as a culture we are more isolated than ever before, and especially when it comes to parks and things that are free or nearly free, most people who vote don't care much because they don't use them any way. Same with public transportation, of course.


So, on my frequent trips to these parks, I take my dogs and a big trash bag and I pick up trash as I walk around. And not necessarily because the parks are poorly maintained (even though their budgets keep getting cut) but because after a busy weekend in windy Oklahoma, there is trash all over the place.

And a big part of this is wanting to interact with people of all socio demographic backgrounds and wanting to have nice places for everyone to congregate, even if you can't afford the things that most of us take for granted.


So, I am sensitive about this zoo issue. As time passes, it seems everything gets polarized and so nice that groups are easily split into those who can afford nice places to go and those who can't. And I'd hate to see that happen here.

/rant

We went to the first Safari Soirée at the Zoo tonight, it was my birthday present from the wife. It's a new conservation fundraiser they were doing this year, and I hope it manages to become an annual thing.

The Zoo was open from 7pm-11pm for a 21+ event, and your ticket included admission, food and drinks (with many alcoholic options available), a DJ in one area, a cover band in another, and a string orchestra in a third, many areas where zoo staff had some of the smaller animals that usually make the rounds at birthday parties for us to touch and learn more about. Most of the animals were out and about, and it was fun to explore the zoo by flashlight after it got dark. It was $75 a person, with the option to buy behind-the-scenes tickets with the Elephants, Gorillas, Rhinos, and Bears (I think that was it), Your entrance also included the giraffe feeding, stingray visit, and sea lion show. And you could ride the tram from exhibit to exhibit, or drinking station to drinking station, if you so desired.

It was definitely a bit expensive (especially if you went for the behind-the-scenes experiences which we didn't), but it was a fund raiser after all. It was nice to experience the zoo without any kids, being able to spend a lot of time talking to keepers and staff about the different animals and conservation programs they are involved it, and just have a zoo that wasn't packed at all.

I don't know if they had enough people show up to make it worth the effort, but the behind-the-scenes experiences were sold out and they ran out of food and some of the pre-mixed specialty drinks in some areas. I think it's a great event for the zoo and for OKC, and I hope it becomes an annual thing.

Also: The parking lot is finished!

We went to the first Safari Soirée at the Zoo tonight, it was my birthday present from the wife. It's a new conservation fundraiser they were doing this year, and I hope it manages to become an annual thing.

The Zoo was open from 7pm-11pm for a 21+ event, and your ticket included admission, food and drinks (with many alcoholic options available), a DJ in one area, a cover band in another, and a string orchestra in a third, many areas where zoo staff had some of the smaller animals that usually make the rounds at birthday parties for us to touch and learn more about. Most of the animals were out and about, and it was fun to explore the zoo by flashlight after it got dark. It was $75 a person, with the option to buy behind-the-scenes tickets with the Elephants, Gorillas, Rhinos, and Bears (I think that was it), Your entrance also included the giraffe feeding, stingray visit, and sea lion show. And you could ride the tram from exhibit to exhibit, or drinking station to drinking station, if you so desired.

It was definitely a bit expensive (especially if you went for the behind-the-scenes experiences which we didn't), but it was a fund raiser after all. It was nice to experience the zoo without any kids, being able to spend a lot of time talking to keepers and staff about the different animals and conservation programs they are involved it, and just have a zoo that wasn't packed at all.

I don't know if they had enough people show up to make it worth the effort, but the behind-the-scenes experiences were sold out and they ran out of food and some of the pre-mixed specialty drinks in some areas. I think it's a great event for the zoo and for OKC, and I hope it becomes an annual thing.

Also: The parking lot is finished!Glad it was a good time. We got the invite in the mail and I wanted to go but after a job scare with the wife's job couple few months ago I'm on a mission to get everything paid off but the house. I'll have that done by New Years so we'll go next year if they do it again.

The only complaint would be that it was a hot day, but the event was planned for May before it got postponed to June due to severe weather. I imagine that having it in May, as originally planned, would have had cooler weather and an earlier sunset.

The only complaint would be that it was a hot day, but the event was planned for May before it got postponed to June due to severe weather. I imagine that having it in May, as originally planned, would have had cooler weather and an earlier sunset.

I was just about to say, wouldn't it have been awesome if it could've been tonight? Anyway, it sounds like a really neat evening and cool birthday present!

Some new photos showing the new parking lot and the Africa exhibit under construction.



http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/zoo062217a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/zoo062217b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/zoo062217c.jpg

That new parking lot is amazing. I am so happy they finally did that. The old one was just awful.

That's the Asia Exhibit under construction rather than the Africa Exhibit, right?

I'm thinking that the remodel of the picnic pavilion near the lake is the first step of the actual Africa Exhibit, which will then be followed by the replacement of the pachyderm building and the island life building.

Some new photos showing the new parking lot and the Africa exhibit under construction.



http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/zoo062217a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/zoo062217b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/zoo062217c.jpg


Oh, Pete. Aren't you glad I suggested that drone! Loving all the aerial pics!

We drove through Lincoln Park, on the side of the lake opposite the zoo, the other day. It seems to be underutilized, considering its proximity to the zoo and other attractions in the area. The trees and lawns are all overgrown, and it's not a place I'd be comfortable driving through at night (it's a one-way loop with little or not ingress or egress besides the main entry). My husband remembers it as a thriving park when he was a youngster. Does anyone know what has happened to it, or if there are any plans for it?

Does the Zoo own that land? I noticed some talk about the "park across the lake" in one of the zoo trust minutes.

Does the Zoo own that land? I noticed some talk about the "park across the lake" in one of the zoo trust minutes.

Not sure. It seems like it could be repurposed in a number of cool ways, though.

Yes, they own the land. There is desire among their administrative staff to develop it in some way, but those plans would be long-term as they have a number of projects they want to take on within the currently-developed zoo grounds. It's on their radar though.

Regarding Lincoln Park, that section is only a small portion of what once was. The park used to include the golf courses (still known as Lincoln Park) and the zoo itself. You could drive through all of these, picnic throughout, etc. Eventually the zoo was fenced off for security, animal protection and crowd control/admission purposes, while the golf course was fenced off for similar reasons. Cars driving through such uses just aren't a good fit. So that section and a couple of other small sections were orphaned.

That land across the lake has been a trouble spot for the zoo for awhile. A lot of illegal dumping goes on there; along with other nefarious activities.

Yes, they own the land. There is desire among their administrative staff to develop it in some way, but those plans would be long-term as they have a number of projects they want to take on within the currently-developed zoo grounds. It's on their radar though.

Regarding Lincoln Park, that section is only a small portion of what once was. The park used to include the golf courses (still known as Lincoln Park) and the zoo itself. You could drive through all of these, picnic throughout, etc. Eventually the zoo was fenced off for security, animal protection and crowd control/admission purposes, while the golf course was fenced off for similar reasons. Cars driving through such uses just aren't a good fit. So that section and a couple of other small sections were orphaned.

Thanks, Urbanized. Glad to hear that there are some potential future plans for the space.

I see there an easy enough way to connect that section to the zoo itself?

I guess in the future they could run one of the boats between the two parks if needed.

If I'm looking at the satellite images correctly that area across the lake is mostly golf course with some strips of land for the park. Not sure if they could find anything to incorporate into the zoo in that area that would make sense. And then figuring out the logistics of getting to it. Maybe a bridge on the south end of the lake with a river life exhibit along the edges? I dunno. It'd be neat to have a world class aquarium over there with separate parking.

Can someone whip up a map of what parts actually belong to the zoo?

There's not really a good way to connect the two areas by land, as the lake that separates them runs past the borders of both and into Lincoln Park Golf Course.

Went to the zoo on Sunday and was shocked to see them working on the new Asia section. New parking is really nice but did notice that their were cars in the overflow area across the street.

1412614127

I visited the zoo recently and came away super impressed. It is an amazing facility: beautifully landscaped, well staffed, and wonderfully cohesive as an attraction. It is just a gem for this city.

One thing that still surprises me over a year later is how much bigger and more open the zoo feels after they removed a lot of the tall wooden fences that used to be next to many of the paths.

The Oklahoma City Zoo is great, and I'm pretty impressed with it when I go...with the exception of the aquatics area. I remember when the zoo re-vamped the apes and cats exhibits, and later they did great things with the elephant exhibit. I realize these animals are probably receiving upgrades due to the bigger draw than an any of the fish or marine life they have. However, does anyone have any insight into why they have put so little focus into this area of the zoo? The great improvements made to the other areas make the aquatics area stand out like a sore thumb, and I can't figure out why after seemingly every other area of the zoo has received a facelift they continue to neglect this one. Especially with the lack of any activity in the aquatics arena it seems prime for a change.

It's on the list to be renovated, I want to say within the next couple of years.

The projects in the works that I know off:

1) Asia 2, which is in progress.
2) Africa (tearing down the old Pachyderm Building and Island Life after Aisa 2 is complete). The new picnic area is already being build to match the future theme.
3) The food court will become some sort of exhibit, I think.
4) The Aquarium area.

The existing food court is going to become the new herpetarium at some point.

They need to do something with the space the tigers and lions use to be located at. Those original concrete pens are still there, they have been covered by a fence all these years. Hopefully, that will be part of an aquatic center renovation and remodel along with the butterfly garden.

The Oklahoma City Zoo is great, and I'm pretty impressed with it when I go...with the exception of the aquatics area. I remember when the zoo re-vamped the apes and cats exhibits, and later they did great things with the elephant exhibit. I realize these animals are probably receiving upgrades due to the bigger draw than an any of the fish or marine life they have. However, does anyone have any insight into why they have put so little focus into this area of the zoo? The great improvements made to the other areas make the aquatics area stand out like a sore thumb, and I can't figure out why after seemingly every other area of the zoo has received a facelift they continue to neglect this one. Especially with the lack of any activity in the aquatics arena it seems prime for a change.

Years ago the Dolphin exhibits around the country were getting protested to the point they hardly exist anymore.

Years ago the Dolphin exhibits around the country were getting protested to the point they hardly exist anymore.

They had issues with bacteria. I heard it may be transmitted via horses and having the exhibit that close to the horse track could be an issue. Not sure if that last part it true though...

http://newsok.com/article/2701726

Years ago the Dolphin exhibits around the country were getting protested to the point they hardly exist anymore.

I feel like I need to clarify, I am in no way suggesting I think they need to have dolphins come back to the zoo or any other type of "animal entertainment". I'm actually glad the dolphins are gone for their sake. I'm merely suggesting that the arena that they built for the dolphins shows is wasted space that could be better utilized.

Well, short of tearing down and rebuilding the thing , it seems like the sea lion show is a pretty good use of that space. The building is just old and feels very dated, and the aquarium exhibits could use a lot of updating. Once they remodel I expect them to keep the sea lion exhibit as part of the building though. I would love for them to expand and maybe do some more outside exhibits as well. Increase the size of the outdoor portion of the sea lion exhibit maybe.

As Halloween is approaching I was looking forward to our annual Haunt the Zoo trip.

Looks like they are completely changing it up this year though. Rather than doing the week-long Haunt the Zoo in the evenings, like they have been doing for quite a while now, they are now doing Haunt the Zoo only on the two Saturdays and Sundays prior to Halloween. It is also now a daytime event. They say that there has been a lot of demand to move it to the daytime and that people want to be able to do Haunt the Zoo and also see the animals and do all the other zoo things.

I'm pretty disappointed about this change, and I just don't see much of the benefit there. Haunt the Zoo has always felt like a separate event from the zoo itself, yes it was located inside the zoo, but it's never really been a trip to the zoo. And people were always able to go to the zoo during the day, and then do Haunt the Zoo at night. I feel that this will completely change the way this event feels, and having the whole zoo be open will mean that the event won't have the natural flow that it has always had. It's no longer a big route starting and finishing by the front gate, instead people will roam all over the place without much organic flow. Haunt the Zoo will now take a lot longer, and with Oklahoma temperatures it could mean that it quickly becomes uncomfortable for people wearing costumes. We have been doing family costumes for the past few years, but I don't know how many people would dress up for a whole day at the zoo rather than a 1-2 hour round trip through the old Haunt the Zoo.

But the two biggest issues for me:

- Changing the hours so drastically means that we simply cannot go this year. i work 12 hour night shifts every Thursday/Friday/Saturday. I have worked nights for the past 6 years, but with the old schedule there was always an opportunity to go on one of the days that I wasn't working. I simply won't have the time to make it.

- Haunt the Zoo has just been priced out of reach for a bunch of people. The price for Haunt the Zoo is unchanged, but since you are now doing Haunt the Zoo as well as actually visiting the zoo, you need tickets for both. If you are a family with three kids, Haunt the Zoo used to cost you $21, this year the same family will pay $70 for the same event. I feel like there will be a lot of families that will now be unable to attend what has become a family tradition for many. They have turned a very affordable family event and priced out a large portion of the community.

I think a compromise would be to maybe keep Thursday and Friday evening as the old fashioned "Haunt the Zoo" at nights, and then keep the new approach for Saturday and Sunday.

We went today, the new Asia exhibit is being actively worked on, the picnic area looks close to complete. Last weekend was the last weekend the aquarium was open and I can confirm they have already shut it down. You can go all the way to that end of the zoo to see just the sea lion, but that's pretty much all that's there. Some of the concrete pens of old are still being utilized for things like the red panda, meercats and porcupines, but I would assume they're moving those to the new Africa exhibit when it's complete. I'm almost sad to see the old pachyderm building is on the slate for demolition and redevelopment. There's not much at the zoo I recognize form my childhood which either hasn't been removed already or isn't scheduled for demolition and redevelopment within the next few years.

We went to Haunt the Zoo. We got in free with our Zoofriends pass. That pass is a hell of a deal.

Sanctuary Asia preview vid:

TmHd5pZU6b0&feature=youtu.be

Sanctuary Asia preview vid:

TmHd5pZU6b0&feature=youtu.be
That video kind of had me wondering if it was going to be an Asia exhibit or a boardroom meeting space.

Yeah thats was a TERRIBLE video. Not only did it not tell you anything about any of the animals that will be there, but it used videos of all the existing areas and only showed us a meeting hall so the zoo can get into the wedding reception business. That is definitely not what i'm giving the zoo money for. It's supposed to be a zoo first, come on guys.

Yeah thats was a TERRIBLE video. Not only did it not tell you anything about any of the animals that will be there, but it used videos of all the existing areas and only showed us a meeting hall so the zoo can get into the wedding reception business. That is definitely not what i'm giving the zoo money for. It's supposed to be a zoo first, come on guys.

They had to replace the event space they lost when they closed the aquarium and its event space. It's good that they're looking at alternative funding streams. Especially when you have city councilmen who are threatening their appropriation from the city.

I miss the event space under the aquarium. It was cool holding an event where you could see dolphins through the windows.

I feel bad for them. I personally believe zoos can be (although not always are) good for education and conservation, as well as helping endangered species. There is so much pressure from certain groups attacking zoos though. It is becoming a political minefield.

I got that they'll have a red panda, which I thought the internet would be all for.