Walked around CMZ today. Beautiful sunny day without much crowds, several animals were out and about which was nice. With all the talk of potential exhibit improvements and given the investment they've had over the past 30-40 years I thought I'd post a top 10 exhibit/area list and a top 5 areas in need of improvement. Here it goes:
Top 10 Exhibits/Areas at CMZ
Honorable Mention Stillwater Place -- A fantastic event space that is one of the hottest rental tickets in the city. The building incorporates original bird sculptures from the old birdhouse the CMZ used to have, giving it some character. It's location near the play area allows for the Circle of Wildlife Carousel to be used as an option for any event. The back patio area includes a fireplace and a great view of the fountain on Waterfowl Lake. Not really an exhibit but something that helps get some potential donors and families into the zoo in a nontraditional way.
10. Waterfowl Lake -- Right in the center of the zoo and near major areas for events and children, Waterfowl Lake includes a path that surrounds the entire body of water, Wade Hall, one of the oldest zoo buildings in the country and a nice deck. Wade Hall also has a Ben and Jerry's operating inside of it during the Summer months and given its location, it is a great place to relax on a hot day. The Swans look very regal when they are out and it is pleasant to sit back and just enjoy. Would love to see a local ice cream parlor jump in there but just my personal opinion. Unfortunately it closes down in the cold months of the year.
9. Rhino Exhibit -- (Soon to be the Daniel Maltz Rhino Reserve) This one will surely rank higher in a few months. But the original exhibit was well done, with a good viewing area and the possibility of seeing the Rhinos in their pens when they were not outside. Even when laying down, all the animals could usually be seen and there was a lot of space to watch from. With the expansion of their range, this should only serve to make a good exhibit much much better!
8. Wolf Lodge -- I really want to rank this higher. It's theme is extremely well done as you feel as if you are walking into an Alaskan cabin or something. Plenty to view on the wall and lots of educational information from Native American customs in North America to the different animals that traditionally call our continent home. A couple of small aquarium round out the room that is full of rustic furniture and decor. Big viewing windows allow you to look out into the wolf yard with two tvs displaying harder to see parts of the exhibit. As you walk out from the lodge, you are greeted by two areas that fit in to the habitat. A bald eagle and a few other birds grace the one side near a creek exhibit that also has some fish and turtles. The birds are so close and not behind anything! On the other side you can see an aquarium-esque sight as you can walk down for a below water view of more North American fish, the wolves if they walk close and beavers. The real treat of this outside portion is the ability to look into the beaver damn. The last part of Wolf's Lodge used to be a store with several wolf themed items. I have not seen it open for sometime, so now it usually serves as a weird room you just have to walk through to get out. If they can figure out what to do with that room and somehow get you closer to the actual wolves, this exhibit would rank higher in my opinion. Still really good and one of my personal favorites.
7. Nature Discovery Play Ridge and Circle of Wildlife Carousel -- Every zoo needs a kids area or several. When the CMZ re-did their's they did it extremely well! With a heavy emphasis on free play and conservation, the actual play area is really cool. Utilizing branches and other local materials, kids can use them to build structures or use as tools. A man-made stream runs through it that kids can also play in and use old fashioned water pumps to use. Education and fun are on display as children can learn about creating structures and using tools. The Circle of Wildlife Carousel has several unique animals that are on display at the CMZ. You are even able to ride in a dung beetle bench!
6. Ben Gogolick Giraffe Encounter -- Giraffes at the CMZ have always been animals you could view easily, whether from the upper portion or the lower one in African Savannah. But in 2014 they enhanced a good exhibit and made it great by getting guests closer to the giraffes. By building an accessible boardwalk, families get up close and personal to the giraffes and are even able to feed them for a small fee. Even if you don't feed them, coming face to face with a giraffe at the tree level is really a cool sight. Good educational displays as you walk around round it out as well as the 4D theater, another thing that many zoos have seemed to add in the last 15 years. Ironically, I've never felt too crowded being on the boardwalk, even at peak times and I think its design lends itself to an easy walk through.
5. Rainforest Entrance -- When you enter the Rainforest you are welcomed by a huge cascading waterfall. While that is the first thing you see, it is not the first thing you feel, no matter what time of the year it is hot and muggy, just like a real rainforest. Walking to the right, you travel through what feels like a real jungle as there are plants and vines everywhere, hiding the structural supports of the building in most cases. With the huge glass windows, you can still see outside but you feel as if you are transported to a different area entirely. If you continue down the path you eventually come to a huge artificial yaga tree with a spiral staircase in the center. As you reach the second level you can walk right into a mock research station. This part of the Rainforest exhibit is exceptional as most of the plants are native to rainforests. If the new addition to this includes more spaces like the initial walkthrough, the Rainforest maybe one of the best of its kind, not that it already does not rank high up there anyway.
4. Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine -- Something that not many zoos have, it is a really well done exhibit and real medical center for keepers, vets and the animals. Blending interactive displays with traditional ones, guests learn how zoo animals are taken care of and researched on. It does not shy away from the difficult decisions zoos have to make but is helpful in explaining that the animals are continued to be researched on even after death. Everyone gets a sort of backstage look at what zookeepers see every day and how animals are fed, given medicine and even operated on. If you are lucky, you can view procedures as there are examination rooms and operating rooms for the vets to work in.
3. Asian Highlands -- Located at the very North end of the CMZ and its newest exhibit until the Rhino Reserve opens, Asian Highlands offers a look at a few animals from the other side of the world. It's showpiece animals are the Snow Leopard and Amur Leopard, both of which have very visible habitats and even viewable tunnels that they can travel between them in. Built with obvious Asian themes and decor, you can learn about a remote part of Asia that not many think about. While it is well-done, it is a little small. I believe I was down on this exhibit at first because it was usually extremely crowded with not much space to go into. Seeing it without the crowds, it is well done with Red Pandas and Takin to see and learn about too. I do hope it is just the first foray into some other Highland themed or Asian themed areas though.
2. Rosebrough Tiger Passage -- One of the newer exhibits now, when they renovated their former tiger space, the CMZ really outdid itself! Giving its tigers four different habitats to roam, they really can be seen in a lot of different spaces. Huge glass views allow you to be on their level while also being able to see them travel from space to space when it is time. Increasing their original exhibit exponentially and giving them more to play with has really led to some really neat tiger sights! I even once saw one of the cats asleep over the portion of the tunnel that is over the human path, it drooled onto guests. With important educational displays on how logging is destroying habitats for Amur Tigers and seeing them in so many areas, you really gain an appreciation for these big cats. Another exhibit that seems to naturally allow you to journey through making it seem as if the crowds are less than they are.
1. African Elephant Crossing -- No surprise here, the biggest investment in recent history AEC has two large elephant ranges mimicking two different habitats. It is huge, complete with a wine and beer garden where you can see some native African birds as well and an area for meercats outside. Once you are inside the building, you see how zookeepers take care of these majestic creatures and really see just how big they are. Good educational displays on elephant facts line the one wall and there are naked mole rats and an African python that I don't think I've ever seen move from its corner. All around AEC you find interesting facts about elephants, the area they live in and how people both help and hurt them. Even if you walk around the perimeter you will find these displays. The elephants can be viewed from several different places, both inside and outside of the exhibit which is really cool. The actual crossing is neat to see as well and I once heard it said that the area the elephants cross and that people cross to get inside is one of the only areas shared by animals and people at a zoo.
Top 5 Things that need improvement:
5. Australian Adventure, it has the look of a broken down theme park area than a zoo exhibit. The train is nice, the lorikeet and koala exhibits good, always cool to be able to walk with wallabies and kangaroos, but it just needs a bit more at this point. The petting zoo works well here though as does the camel rides. They seem to be trying to add more but the small exhibits in the tree area all but gone and the animatronic animals in the tree and the homestead need some work. Points for showing some Aussie life and culture and a lot educationally all around.
4. Lion Exhibit, African Savanna is good for everyone but the lions it seems. I'm sure it is on their list at some point but for a marquee animal it is in a very traditional exhibit with not a lot of space. Space for all of those African animals is getting harder and harder to come by though.
3. Seal Exhibit, What was probably state of the art when it opened is now sad and dilapidated. Always some of the most active animals, the seal exhibit needs a lot of work. Not sure if anything is in the works but if they put the money into it, it could be a really cool spot. The CMZ already has shown that it can do some good aquatic views, this one would benefit from that a lot.
2. Path between Wilderness Trek and African Savanna, This has long been a dead area of the zoo, nothing to keep you engaged except walking. They have tried with Free Flight Falls and an additional cafe. Not sure what the best option is but the area by the Big Creek is just tough.
1. Education Interaction, The Welcome Hut maybe was a step towards improved education all over but I think there needs to be more immersive education. Someone posted about this in the last few months but having actual people trained and walking around talking about the many different animals, cultures and what they need would be nice. Brick and mortar exhibits are very tangible and this is more experiential, however I think this is something that will come along as they shape the CMZ into a more cohesive zoo.
