May 2013 - Former Ape House

I\'m not sure when it opened (1950\'s?) but I believe it closed around mid 90\'s. Before 1978 it held gorillas, orangutans, and gibbons. 1978 was the year that the zoo opened in open-aired gorilla exhibit. Now it is the 4D theater. Here\'s a photo of it.

http://www.cincinnativiews.net/images/Ape House Zoo.jpg

I remember this building's years as an actual ape house. It was pretty bad. The kept chimps, orangs, and gorillas in it the entire time if I recall correctly. I don't recall gibbons, though. They may have kept them there in winter months in an off-display area.

There was an enclosure or two along the wall that held a couple of non-ape primate species as well. There were tamarins in there most of the time. Toward the end of it's use as an ape building, they actually had douc langurs in there. I was excited to see the species, but the holding was not special.

IMO, the biggest step forward this zoo has taken in the last 30 years is the building of the excellent Jungle Trails complex, which allowed the zoo to exhibit all of it's apes in far more suitable enclosures.

Thinking of the old Ape House does bring back memories, though. The place was almost always packed with screaming kids (me possibly being one of them) and also had a small gift shop opposite the animal displays.