New exhibits boost foot traffic at Lincoln Children’s Zoo

With the opening of four new exhibits in May, numbers at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo are up after the two years, $16 million expansion. Zoo officials say the level of visitors is unprecedented and has business booming.

“A couple record days have been here so its just a lot of fun seeing all this excitement, all this energy because people have been waiting so patiently for so long,” John Chapo, President and CEO of the zoo said. “It has just been awesome, the energy of the kids, the positiveness has just been so powerful here at the Children’s Zoo we want to say thanks Lincoln, thanks Nebraska for making it all possible here at the zoo.”

Although this summer season has seen a lot of rain, Chapo stresses that the Lincoln zoo has become a year round zoo beginning this past April, with many of the new exhibits being indoors.

“When it’s a wet, cold day, not a lot of people want to be outside…but what people are discovering is they can come to the zoo anytime now, because you can what? Meet a giraffe, inside where it’s warm and dry, you can swing with the monkeys inside where it’s warm and dry, air conditioned or heated,” Chapo said.

Chapo, who has held his position at the zoo for over 30 years, says even with all of the recent expansion, the zoo is going to continue to make improvements.

“Next year we get to cut the ribbon on a brand new cafe, giant anteaters, and a giant cheetah chase where they can actually see a cheetah running 70 miles per hour,” Chapo said.