America's #1 penguin exhibit? Here is an excerpt from my 2010 review:
Penguin & Puffin Coast – This is the premier exhibit within “The Wild” section of the zoo, and it is the one and only walk-through penguin exhibit in all of North America. Rather than seeing Antarctic penguins behind glass, visitors can get close enough to actually touch the birds if they so choose due to the low glass and close proximity of the brave little creatures. There were zoo workers posted in position to stop anyone from being overly exuberant with the creatures, but it was amazing to see the birds up close and seemingly in the frozen southern part of the world. There are king, gentoo and rockhopper species in the exhibit, with another area that has horned puffins, tufted puffins and king eider ducks also with only a low glass wall barrier. This area is freezing cold and visitors don’t seem to spend much time in the building as even on a muggy summer day it was unbelievably chilly and I was soon near to shivering. I can’t imagine what the exhibit would be like in the winter, although I suppose that zoo visitors would be dressed more appropriately.
