Upcoming Exhibits in American Zoos for 2023

pachyderm pro

pachyderm pro

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Below is a full list of upcoming US zoo exhibits that have been confirmed for the next 3+ years. I made a similar thread last year at this time, but with so many new projects on the horizon, I felt a new and improved thread was needed to compile everything into one place. Everything from multi-million dollar exhibit complexes to smaller scale developments has been included. For the sake of organization, significant renovations or expansions of existing exhibits are listed separately. I also added a separate list of exhibits that are currently either rumored or vaguely discussion projects that may or may not come to fruition. If there are any upcoming exhibits I missed or any questions you have about one of these future projects, I encourage you to comment them below.

2023:
Andean Bear Exhibit - Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo
Aquarium - Kansas City Zoo
Bear Hollow - Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Bear Ridge & Sea Otter Coast - Cincinnati Zoo
Bird House - Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Cape Vulture Aviary - Los Angeles Zoo
Dolphin Oasis - Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park
Down Under - Denver Zoo
Eurasian Eagle Owl Aviary - Brookfield Zoo
Expedition Africa - Oklahoma City Zoo
Flamingo Exhibit - Denver Zoo
Galapagos Islands - Houston Zoo
Hunters of Africa & Asian Predators - Fort Worth Zoo
Island Giants - Turtle Back Zoo
Kingdoms of Asia - Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Kodiak Ridge - Toledo Zoo
Komodo Dragon Exhibit - Nashville Zoo
North American Aviary & Native Turtle Exhibit - Brookfield Zoo
Penguin Exhibit - Roger Williams Park Zoo
Prairie Dog Exhibit - Brookfield Zoo
Predator Passage - Phoenix Zoo
Pygmy Hippo/Sitatunga/White Stork Exhibit - John Ball Zoo
Riparian Education Center - Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
South American Exhibits - Miller Park Zoo

Major Renovations/Expansions of Existing Exhibits:
Amazon Edge - Santa Ana Zoo
Asia - ABQ Biopark
Australia - ABQ Biopark

2024:
Adventure Africa Phase 3: Rhinos - Milwaukee County Zoo
African River Safari Phase 1: Leopard Forest - Nashville Zoo
African Wilds: Carnivores - Tulsa Zoo
Amazon River’s Edge - Caldwell Zoo
Big Cats of Arizona - Phoenix Zoo
Elephant Preserve - Tulsa Zoo
Elephant Trek - Cincinnati Zoo
International Chimpanzee Complex - Indianapolis Zoo
KidZone - Detroit Zoo
Manatee Springs & Rehabilitation Center - Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Ocean Pavillion - Seattle Aquarium
Rugged Coast - Florida Aquarium
Sea to Shore - Oklahoma City Zoo

Major Renovations/Expansions of Existing Exhibits:
Orangutan Forest - Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo
Penguin Exhibit - Milwaukee County Zoo

2025 & Beyond:
African River Safari Additional Phases - Nashville Zoo
Amazon - North Carolina Zoo
Aquatic Rehabilitation & Care Complex - Greensboro Science Center
Asia - North Carolina Zoo
Australia - North Carolina Zoo
Congo Falls - San Antonio Zoo
Caribbean Coral Reef - Shedd Aquarium
Expedition Rainforest Biodome - Greensboro Science Center
Forests & Jungles - Fort Worth Zoo
Forests for All - Woodland Park Zoo
Giraffe Tower - Cincinnati Zoo
Gorilla & Orangutan Exhibits - Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Kentucky Trails - Louisville Zoo
Lipman Family Madagascar Center - San Francisco Zoo
Manatee River - Jacksonville Zoo
Pathway to Asia - Reid Park Zoo
Primate Forest - Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Sea Lion & Penguin Exhibits - Florida Aquarium
Tropic World Outdoor Exhibits & Gorilla Center - Brookfield Zoo

Major Renovations/Expansions of Existing Exhibits:
Elephant Valley - San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Rhino Reserve - Cincinnati Zoo

Rumored/Tentative Future Exhibits:
Alaska Exhibit - Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo
Alaska's Cold Coast - Milwaukee County Zoo
Ancient Relatives - Houston Zoo
African Forest - Tulsa Zoo
African Savanna - Henry Vilas Zoo
Asian Savanna (Public Access) - San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Cat House - Henry Vilas Zoo
California Trail - Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Children’s Zoo - Saint Louis Zoo
Conservation Corridor - Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Elephant & Rhino Exhibits - Toledo Zoo
Elephant Exhibit - San Antonio Zoo
Elephant Exhibit (Expansion) - Columbus Zoo
Elephant Exhibit (Expansion) - Jacksonville Zoo
Giants of the Forest - Dallas Zoo
Habitat Africa (Expansion) - Brookfield Zoo
Lion Ridge - Jacksonville Zoo
North America (Renovation) - Columbus Zoo
Pacific Rim Aquarium - Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Penguin Exhibit - Henry Vilas Zoo
Reptile & Amphibian Conservation Center - Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Southeast Asia Exhibit - Jacksonville Zoo
South America Exhibit - Zoo Tampa
Wild Islands - Tulsa Zoo
 
pachyderm pro said:
Below is a full list of upcoming US zoo exhibits that have been confirmed for the next 3+ years. I made a similar thread last year at this time, but with so many new projects on the horizon, I felt a new and improved thread was needed to compile everything into one place. Everything from multi-million dollar exhibit complexes to smaller scale developments has been included. For the sake of organization, significant renovations or expansions of existing exhibits are listed separately. I also added a separate list of exhibits that are currently either rumored or vaguely discussion projects that may or may not come to fruition. If there are any upcoming exhibits I missed or any questions you have about one of these future projects, I encourage you to comment them below.

2023:
Andean Bear Exhibit - Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo
Aquarium - Kansas City Zoo
Bear Hollow - Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Bear Ridge & Sea Otter Coast - Cincinnati Zoo
Bird House - Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Cape Vulture Aviary - Los Angeles Zoo
Dolphin Oasis - Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park
Down Under - Denver Zoo
Eurasian Eagle Owl Aviary - Brookfield Zoo
Expedition Africa - Oklahoma City Zoo
Flamingo Exhibit - Denver Zoo
Galapagos Islands - Houston Zoo
Hunters of Africa & Asian Predators - Fort Worth Zoo
Island Giants - Turtle Back Zoo
Kingdoms of Asia - Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Kodiak Ridge - Toledo Zoo
Komodo Dragon Exhibit - Nashville Zoo
North American Aviary & Native Turtle Exhibit - Brookfield Zoo
Penguin Exhibit - Roger Williams Park Zoo
Prairie Dog Exhibit - Brookfield Zoo
Predator Passage - Phoenix Zoo
Pygmy Hippo/Sitatunga/White Stork Exhibit - John Ball Zoo
Riparian Education Center - Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
South American Exhibits - Miller Park Zoo

Major Renovations/Expansions of Existing Exhibits:
Amazon Edge - Santa Ana Zoo
Asia - ABQ Biopark
Australia - ABQ Biopark

2024:
Adventure Africa Phase 3: Rhinos - Milwaukee County Zoo
African River Safari Phase 1: Leopard Forest - Nashville Zoo
African Wilds: Carnivores - Tulsa Zoo
Amazon River’s Edge - Caldwell Zoo
Big Cats of Arizona - Phoenix Zoo
Elephant Preserve - Tulsa Zoo
Elephant Trek - Cincinnati Zoo
International Chimpanzee Complex - Indianapolis Zoo
KidZone - Detroit Zoo
Manatee Springs & Rehabilitation Center - Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Ocean Pavillion - Seattle Aquarium
Rugged Coast - Florida Aquarium
Sea to Shore - Oklahoma City Zoo

Major Renovations/Expansions of Existing Exhibits:
Orangutan Forest - Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo
Penguin Exhibit - Milwaukee County Zoo

2025 & Beyond:
African River Safari Additional Phases - Nashville Zoo
Amazon - North Carolina Zoo
Aquatic Rehabilitation & Care Complex - Greensboro Science Center
Asia - North Carolina Zoo
Australia - North Carolina Zoo
Congo Falls - San Antonio Zoo
Caribbean Coral Reef - Shedd Aquarium
Expedition Rainforest Biodome - Greensboro Science Center
Forests & Jungles - Fort Worth Zoo
Forests for All - Woodland Park Zoo
Giraffe Tower - Cincinnati Zoo
Gorilla & Orangutan Exhibits - Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Kentucky Trails - Louisville Zoo
Lipman Family Madagascar Center - San Francisco Zoo
Manatee River - Jacksonville Zoo
Pathway to Asia - Reid Park Zoo
Primate Forest - Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Sea Lion & Penguin Exhibits - Florida Aquarium
Tropic World Outdoor Exhibits & Gorilla Center - Brookfield Zoo

Major Renovations/Expansions of Existing Exhibits:
Elephant Valley - San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Rhino Reserve - Cincinnati Zoo

Rumored/Tentative Future Exhibits:
Alaska Exhibit - Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo
Alaska's Cold Coast - Milwaukee County Zoo
Ancient Relatives - Houston Zoo
African Forest - Tulsa Zoo
African Savanna - Henry Vilas Zoo
Asian Savanna (Public Access) - San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Cat House - Henry Vilas Zoo
California Trail - Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Children’s Zoo - Saint Louis Zoo
Conservation Corridor - Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Elephant & Rhino Exhibits - Toledo Zoo
Elephant Exhibit - San Antonio Zoo
Elephant Exhibit (Expansion) - Columbus Zoo
Elephant Exhibit (Expansion) - Jacksonville Zoo
Giants of the Forest - Dallas Zoo
Habitat Africa (Expansion) - Brookfield Zoo
Lion Ridge - Jacksonville Zoo
North America (Renovation) - Columbus Zoo
Pacific Rim Aquarium - Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Penguin Exhibit - Henry Vilas Zoo
Reptile & Amphibian Conservation Center - Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Southeast Asia Exhibit - Jacksonville Zoo
South America Exhibit - Zoo Tampa
Wild Islands - Tulsa Zoo
Click to expand...

Giants of the Forest? Assuming that's based on the same convention as Giants of the Savanna and is in Africa, what would that entail?
 
This is very exciting! Thanks for compiling all the exhibits into one thread. :)
 
Decent list! You're missing a lot of smaller facilities, but for bigger ones, it looks like you've got most stuff.
 
Not necessarily a new animal exhibit, but the Minnesota Zoo is expected to complete the Treetops Trail (a new walkway added onto the now defunct monorail tracks) sometime in late 2023 to early 2024.
 
StoppableSan said:
Giants of the Forest? Assuming that's based on the same convention as Giants of the Savanna and is in Africa, what would that entail?
Click to expand...
PSO said:
I also want know what "Giants of the Forest" (Dallas) will entail, I haven't heard or found anything about it
Click to expand...
This would entail the most of the "Zoo North" section of the park being turned into a comprehensive Asian zone. Similar to Giants of the Savanna, the focus would be on large grassland enclosures for Indian rhinos and other Asian ungulates. Multiple enclosures for tigers, orangutans, gibbons, sloth bears, birds and other species would also be included. With the zoo currently focused on making the old monorail exhibits accessible again, this project is likely planned for the far off future and it will remain to be seen how much of it is actually implemented.

Here is a piece of concept art from the zoos master plan:
Screen Shot 2022-12-07 at 4.46.47 PM.png
 

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Dhole dude said:
Not necessarily a new animal exhibit, but the Minnesota Zoo is expected to complete the Treetops Trail (a new walkway added onto the now defunct monorail tracks) sometime in late 2023 to early 2024.
Click to expand...
And while it won't be immediate, there are hopeful plans for Père David's deer, red pandas and Transcaspian urials, bighorn sheep, and elk. These were only species listed as potential new inclusions along the trail from 2018 but they give ideas for what could happen at the zoo. I can't imagine the Treetrops Trail will be beneficial to the zoo's finances or visitation long-term.

Also, wasn't the first phase of Africa in Nashville delayed? I thought that those plans had been pushed back or cancelled.
 
wild boar said:
Also, wasn't the first phase of Africa in Nashville delayed? I thought that those plans had been pushed back or cancelled.
Click to expand...
It was delayed, but the list reflects that. The Leopard Forest portion (Amur leopard, colobus monkey, De Brazza's monkey) was supposed to open next year, but was pushed back to 2024. The kopje exhibit that was originally going to be included here was pushed back even further to an unknown time.
 
@pachyderm pro thanks for the clarification, Dallas has long wanted to add a major Asian exhibit. There is already land dedicated at one of the tiger observation areas that has already been designated for Asian bear or Orang. And that was told to me back in 2011.
 
pachyderm pro said:
Penguin Exhibit - Roger Williams Park Zoo
Click to expand...

Note that there hasn't been an estimated timeline for this exhibit opening yet. While it may end up being 2023 that it opens, this isn't a certainty, as only time will tell when it opens. Adding on to Roger Williams, the zoo is also currently working on a new education center, not sure if buildings of that nature are being included in this thread or not, but since it's a significant project figured I'd mention it.
 
wild boar said:
And while it won't be immediate, there are hopeful plans for Père David's deer, red pandas and Transcaspian urials, bighorn sheep, and elk. These were only species listed as potential new inclusions along the trail from 2018 but they give ideas for what could happen at the zoo. I can't imagine the Treetrops Trail will be beneficial to the zoo's finances or visitation long-term.
Click to expand...
I didn’t know Père David’s Deer and Bighorn Sheep were apart of the original plans (Would be great additions to the zoo imo), although the animal exhibits are unfortunately unlikely to happen until at least a couple of year out (if at all).
I would agree about the Treetops Trail not being much of a ticket seller. It seems kind of strange to spend all of this money on not much more that a long, tall walkway that will likely be more of a chore to walk through than anything.

Sorry if I got a bit off-topic there :p. On the topic of new exhibits, the Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth, MN, is supposed to open a new Red Panda exhibit next year. It’s nothing major by any means, but I thought it was worth mentioning :).
 
Dhole dude said:
It’s nothing major by any means, but I thought it was worth mentioning :).
Click to expand...
Hey, I wouldn't dock a zoo improving itself as "nothing major". I'm a big fan of when zoos make smaller, quality-of-life additions, especially when it means taking previously unused or underutilized land and adding exhibits for various small animals. Sure, red pandas may not be the most exciting addition for zoochatters, but they bring people to the zoo like crazy- which will certainly help raise revenue for potentially larger, more exciting projects down the line.
 
not a major expansion but I believe construction on the new African penguin and black-footed cat enclosure start at Cameron Park(Waco) zoo next year aswell.
 
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