Heart of the Zoo

One of the ways we’re making our Zoo great is through the Heart of the Zoo campaign – an ambitious, multi-year public-private partnership that combines support from state resources with that of the private sector to create new exhibits and amenities, innovative educational programs and facilities, and new conservation initiatives.

If you’ve been to the Woodland Adventure, explored the Zoo’s new Russia’s Grizzly Coast exhibit or walked along the refurbished Medtronic Minnesota Trail, you’ve already seen a few examples of what the Heart of the Zoo campaign has accomplished.

With the additional investments and upgrades that the Heart of the Zoo campaign will deliver, the Minnesota Zoo truly will become a world-class education, conservation and recreation institution that benefits all Minnesotans.

Join Minnesotans for a Great Zoo for progress updates and information on how you can get involved in supporting the Heart of the Zoo campaign.  

Heart of the Zoo: Enhanced and Expanded Experiences for Everyone

Phase I: 2010-2012

PHASE ONE PROJECT DETAILS
The first phase of the Heart of the Zoo project will increase our education program capacity and quality, provide guests with exciting animal encounters and create a gracious and comfortable entry experience.

PHASE ONE HIGHLIGHTS

Cargill Environmental Education Center
Designed for the thousands of students and teachers who visit the Zoo each year, the Cargill Environmental Education Center significantly increases program capacity. This remodeled and expanded area will centralize the Zoo’s education department functions and house the Volunteer Headquarters for the Zoo’s 1,000 volunteers who are critical to advancing our education mission. Among its several new classrooms is one designed to allow guests to view into the new Penguins of the African Coast exhibit.

Target® Learning Center
This new multi-use facility occupies the footprint of the Zoo’s long-vacant whale pool. Its primary function is an education facility for a variety of programs, including the Zoo’s enormously popular indoor KAYTEE World of Birds free-flight show. The Target® Learning Center boasts improved guest comfort, sight lines and audio-visual capabilities, along with expanded seating capacity and back of house facilities.

3M Penguins of the African Coast exhibit (featuring black-footed penguins) For the first time, guests will be able to experience these amazing aquatic birds eye-to-eye, above and below water, in a replica of their spectacular, wild habitat on South Africa’s famed Boulder’s Beach. Microphones allow guests to hear the penguins’ loud braying calls, the origin of their nickname, “jackass” penguins.

South Entry Upgrade
The main entry to the Zoo will receive an upgrade, which include native plantings, a heated sidewalk, updated directional signage and sculptural elements, linking the Zoo’s conservation message, and showcasing a fun, unique experience up front for our guests.

PROJECT COST
$20 million*
*$15 million provided by the State of Minnesota; $5 million provided by the private sector,
including generous gifts from Cargill and Target

DESIGN
Lead Architect: HGA
General Contractor: Mortenson Construction

COMPLETION
Heart of the Zoo – Phase One is expected to be completed in summer 2011.

Future Plans

Phase II: 2012-2014

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Visitor Center

The second phase extends the Zoo experience to the moment visitors arrive and continues the expansion of animal exhibits.

Features of this phase include:

• New Visitors Center – a central gathering space with improved amenities and services and a gateway to exhibits
• African Kopje Exhibit
• New Snow Monkey Exhibit

 

Phase III: 2014-2015

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Bison and prairie dogs

The third phase rounds out the project by adding wildlife to the new entrance, including bison, elk, prairie dogs and cranes.