Upcoming Exhibits in North American Zoos

pachyderm pro

pachyderm pro

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
I have been working to compile a comprehensive list of every major new North American zoo exhibit opening over the next several years. I was originally just going to do 2022, but there are a ton more projects in store beyond next year that we already know about despite the pandemic. If there is anything missing big or small, please feel free to add.

* = name not final

2022:
Asia Expansion - ABQ Biopark
Beyster Family Little Blue Penguin Exhibit - Birch Aquarium
Bird House - Smithsonian National Zoo
Denny Sanford Wildlife Explorers Base Camp - San Diego Zoo
The Galapagos - Houston Zoo
Gorilla Grove - Franklin Park Zoo
Hunters of Africa & Asian Predators - Fort Worth Zoo
Into the Deep - Monterey Bay Aquarium
Kangaroo Crossing - Indianapolis Zoo
Kingdoms of Asia - Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Orangutan Exhibit - Toronto Zoo
Pigott Family Lynx Exhibit - Woodland Park Zoo

2023:
African Safari Phase 1 - Nashville Zoo
Asia - Reid Park Zoo
Aquarium* - Kansas City Zoo
Australia Renovation - ABQ Biopark
Canadian Wilds Expansion (Polar Bears) - Calgary Zoo
Expedition Africa - Oklahoma City Zoo

2024:
Adventure Africa Phase 3 - Milwaukee County Zoo
Africa Phase 1 - Magnetic Hill Zoo
Asia - North Carolina Zoo
Elephant Trek - Cincinnati Zoo
Manatee Habitat + Rehab Pools - Clearwater Marine Aquarium
New Guinea Exhibit* - Woodland Park Zoo
Otter Exhibit + New Entrance - Toronto Zoo
Predator Passage - Phoenix Zoo

2025 and Beyond:
Africa Additional Phases - Magnetic Hill Zoo
African River - Fresno Chaffee Zoo
African Safari Additional Phases - Nashville Zoo
Alaska Exhibit* - Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo
Alaska's Cold Coast - Milwaukee County Zoo
Ancient Relatives (Reptiles and Birds) - Houston Zoo
Australia - North Carolina Zoo
Children’s Zoo* - Detroit Zoo
Chimpanzee Center* - Indianapolis Zoo
Elephant Expansion - Jacksonville Zoo
Elephant Valley Renovation - San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Forests & Jungles - Fort Worth Zoo
Gorilla & Orangutan Exhibits* - Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Gorilla & Orangutan Exhibits* + Tropic World Renovation - Brookfield Zoo
Gorilla Exhibit* - San Antonio Zoo
Gorilla Exhibit* - Zoo De Granby
Lion Ridge - Jacksonville Zoo
Manatee River - Jacksonville Zoo
Orangutan Exhibit* + Rhinos and Gibbons - Jacksonville Zoo
Penguin Exhibit Renovation + New Entrance - Milwaukee County Zoo
Rainforest Expansion - Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
South America* - Zoo Tampa
 
pachyderm pro said:
I have been working to compile a comprehensive list of every major new North American zoo exhibit opening over the next several years. I was originally just going to do 2022, but there are a ton more projects in store beyond next year that we already know about despite the pandemic. If there is anything missing big or small, please feel free to add.

* = name not final

2022:
Asia Expansion - ABQ Biopark
Beyster Family Little Blue Penguin Exhibit - Birch Aquarium
Bird House - Smithsonian National Zoo
Denny Sanford Wildlife Explorers Base Camp - San Diego Zoo
The Galapagos - Houston Zoo
Gorilla Grove - Franklin Park Zoo
Hunters of Africa & Asian Predators - Fort Worth Zoo
Into the Deep - Monterey Bay Aquarium
Kangaroo Crossing - Indianapolis Zoo
Kingdoms of Asia - Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Orangutan Exhibit - Toronto Zoo
Pigott Family Lynx Exhibit - Woodland Park Zoo

2023:
African Safari Phase 1 - Nashville Zoo
Asia - Reid Park Zoo
Aquarium* - Kansas City Zoo
Australia Renovation - ABQ Biopark
Canadian Wilds Expansion (Polar Bears) - Calgary Zoo
Expedition Africa - Oklahoma City Zoo

2024:
Adventure Africa Phase 3 - Milwaukee County Zoo
Africa Phase 1 - Magnetic Hill Zoo
Asia - North Carolina Zoo
Elephant Trek - Cincinnati Zoo
Manatee Habitat + Rehab Pools - Clearwater Marine Aquarium
New Guinea Exhibit* - Woodland Park Zoo
Otter Exhibit + New Entrance - Toronto Zoo
Predator Passage - Phoenix Zoo

2025 and Beyond:
Africa Additional Phases - Magnetic Hill Zoo
African River - Fresno Chaffee Zoo
African Safari Additional Phases - Nashville Zoo
Alaska Exhibit* - Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo
Alaska's Cold Coast - Milwaukee County Zoo
Ancient Relatives (Reptiles and Birds) - Houston Zoo
Australia - North Carolina Zoo
Children’s Zoo* - Detroit Zoo
Chimpanzee Center* - Indianapolis Zoo
Elephant Expansion - Jacksonville Zoo
Elephant Valley Renovation - San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Forests & Jungles - Fort Worth Zoo
Gorilla & Orangutan Exhibits* - Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Gorilla & Orangutan Exhibits* + Tropic World Renovation - Brookfield Zoo
Gorilla Exhibit* - San Antonio Zoo
Gorilla Exhibit* - Zoo De Granby
Lion Ridge - Jacksonville Zoo
Manatee River - Jacksonville Zoo
Orangutan Exhibit* + Rhinos and Gibbons - Jacksonville Zoo
Penguin Exhibit Renovation + New Entrance - Milwaukee County Zoo
Rainforest Expansion - Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
South America* - Zoo Tampa
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A lot of these exhibits seem really interesting. I'm very excited to see a Galapagos exhibit come into fruition, and the new Bird House at the National Zoo as well as the new San Diego Zoo exhibit. I'm very interested in Woodland Park's New Guinea exhibit. Where did you find that they were planning that? I'd be interested to read about it.
 
MonkeyBat said:
I'm very interested in Woodland Park's New Guinea exhibit. Where did you find that they were planning that? I'd be interested to read about it.
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It’s been talked about by the zoo for a while now but there isn’t much info available. It will replace the old Day and Night building and tree kangaroos will be the focus as well as other small mammals, birds and reptiles. You can find some additional discussion on the 2020 and 2021 news threads for the zoo which I’ll link below.

Woodland Park Zoo 2020 [Woodland Park Zoo]

Woodland Park Zoo News 2021 [Woodland Park Zoo]
 
Corrections and additions:
Phoenix Zoo "Predator Passage" is scheduled to open Fall 2022
https://www.phoenixzoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/WT-July-August-2021.pdf

Fresno Zoo "African River" is on hold and its future existence has not been announced.

Orlando Science Center has begun construction on a new rain forest exhibit. Not sure of opening date (2022?)

Seneca Park Zoo is planning a new Tropics buildings with indoor and outdoor orang and lemur exhibits

Some of the entries in the 2025 and Beyond list may never actually get built or the Beyond part could be anytime
 
Zooplantman said:
You'll note in the mentioned threads that the New Guinea theme was merely something a Zoochatter hoped for. The RFP for the project did not indicate any theme for this.
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Are you sure about that? Things may have changed behind the scenes but there was definitely a point where the zoo was planning for a New Guinea exhibit and it wasn’t something that a ZooChatter just wished for.
Zooplantman said:
Fresno Zoo "African River" is on hold and its future existence has not been announced.
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I’m going to tag @Adventuredl because they know more about this then I do, but despite change in directors it seems like the project is still a part of the zoos plans and is apparently on track for 2025.
 
pachyderm pro said:
Are you sure about that? Things may have changed behind the scenes but there was definitely a point where the zoo was planning for a New Guinea exhibit and it wasn’t something that a ZooChatter just wished for.

I’m going to tag @Adventuredl because they know more about this then I do, but despite change in directors it seems like the project is still a part of the zoos plans and is apparently on track for 2025.
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Fresno is developing a new master plan with its director. It’s looking like African River is going to be on hold or canceled, nothing official has come out yet. The next phase is looking like either a new zoo entrance to the north between sea lions and Africa demolishing a bunch of outdated exhibits, or a South American section to the south of kingdoms of Asia. There is a purpose planning group formed a couple months ago that is made up of staff of all levels and departments that is working on the plan.
 
Bruemmer Park Zoo is opening their Pheasantry at some point. Construction is already going on but there's no timeline for when it will be done.
 
Omaha has the renovated Desert Dome Plaza coming at some point in the next few years too, which will include Komodo Dragons.
 
birdsandbats said:
Omaha has the renovated Desert Dome Plaza coming at some point in the next few years too, which will include Komodo Dragons.
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Plans for a komodo dragon exhibit by the Desert Dome were scrapped many years ago. The renovation to the plaza will not include any new animal exhibits to my knowledge.
 
pachyderm pro said:
Plans for a komodo dragon exhibit by the Desert Dome were scrapped many years ago. The renovation to the plaza will not include any new animal exhibits to my knowledge.
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The sign up about the renovation this summer implied the addition of Komodos.
 
birdsandbats said:
The sign up about the renovation this summer implied the addition of Komodos.
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How so? The site plan that has been released has no sign of the dragons or any other species being included. The idea of adding a komodo dragon exhibit was part of the old master plan that the zoo is moving on from.
 
pachyderm pro said:
How so? The site plan that has been released has no sign of the dragons or any other species being included. The idea of adding a komodo dragon exhibit was part of the old master plan that the zoo is moving on from.
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It had a picture of a Komodo Dragon on it, although it didn't outright say they were coming.
 
Zoo Tampa has been working on a new primate habitat to replace the chimps that left a couple of years ago. The un-announced (but solid rumor) is that it is Hamadryas Baboons. It should open in the Spring of this year (2022).

Also, Zoo Tampa is opening a major remodel of Wild Florida for new black bear and panther habitats, as well as likely renewed other enclosures that are in that part of the zoo. It should open in the Spring of this year (2022).
 
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