The Baton Rouge Zoo will be transformed with implementation of the Phase One improvements which are intended to allow the zoo to regain its accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
These improvements include:
- New Entry Building & Plaza
- New Orientation Plaza (within the zoo)
- New Animal Exhibits & Care Facilities
New Entry Building
The main entry to the Baton Rouge Zoo will be relocated from its current access off Thomas Road to a brand new entry building from within the heart of Greenwood Community Park. The images below illustrate the layout and functionality of the entry building, the generous drop-off plaza between the ticket gate and parking, functions within the new building, and pedestrian circulation patterns.
New Orientation Plaza
Once inside the new entry of the zoo, guests will be welcomed into a broad Orientation Plaza featuring the globe fountain relocated from the present zoo entry, a meadow for small crowds to gather for performances or presentations, and a hierarchical system of pathways inviting visitors to explore the zoo.
New Animal Exhibits & Care Facilities
Brand new to the Baton Rouge Zoo will be Pigmy Hippos and Colobus monkeys combined within one exhibit. The hippos are aquatic and visitors will be able to view them through glass walls of their pool, while the Colobus will climb the trees and land features above the hippos. The giraffe exhibit will be modernized and enhanced with a new night barn and a new “eye-level” feeding station where humans can walk up a ramp to look a giraffe in the eye! Other improvements include new aviaries for birds, a new American hoofstock exhibit for bison and elk, and more. Many Phase One improvements to our zoo may not be so evident to visitors because they focus on modernizing the infrastructure for managing water. Presently, runoff from rainfall and sewerage are all combined in an on-site sanitary treatment facility. The improvements will remove the obsolete motes from our zoo, and will split stormwater management and sewerage treatment into separate systems.
