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The Minnesota Zoo’s meerkats will soon leave on an extended vacation as part of a capital improvement program that will give Zoo guests what they’ve been wanting for years: a new entry, visitor center and environmental learning center. The Meerkats of the Kalahari exhibit, which opened as a temporary summer exhibit in 2001 adjacent to the Zoo’s Central Plaza, will remain open through Sunday, September 28, 2008.
New in 2009: General Mills Woodland Adventure
Replacing the meerkat exhibit will be the “General Mills Woodland Adventure,” part of the new Central Plaza that was completely re-imagined in 2008. In a new nature-based play area, children will discover whimsical sculptures of animals and natural objects, explore hollow tree boles, and climb on suspension bridges, nets, tunnels and slides. The Playground is scheduled to open in the summer of 2009 and is being made possible through generous support from General Mills and other private donors.
New Zoo Entry
The Minnesota Zoo’s new entry–now in the planning phase–will include three interconnected components: new permanent exhibits of active, social animal species, a guest-friendly Visitor Center, and the Cargill Environmental Learning Center. Set to open in 2012, the new amenities will create a gracious, welcoming experience into the Zoo while showcasing the natural beauty and wildlife of the Minnesota landscape. "With the momentum provided by the opening of the new Medtronic Minnesota Trail in 2007 and ‘Russia's Grizzly Coast’ earlier this summer, the Minnesota Zoo is now poised to take the next steps on our way to becoming one of the nation's premiere zoos,” said Minnesota Zoo Director/CEO Lee Ehmke.
Entry and Animal Habitats
The story of Minnesota’s strong commitment to wildlife and natural resource protection will begin at the new Gateway Plaza and Entry walkway, immersing guests in the Zoo experience the moment they leave their vehicles. A car-free pedestrian zone at the Zoo’s current East entrance will become a year-round entryway. As guests leave the Gateway Plaza, they will follow a gently-sloped path winding its way through the woods, past seasonal wildflower displays set along a rushing stream. The stream flows into a wetland area, home to one of Minnesota’s largest, most elegant birds: the sandhill crane. Standing almost five feet tall with a wingspan of seven feet, these graceful dancers are among the oldest living bird species in the world.
Visitor Center
The Zoo’s new Visitor Center will be a spacious, light-filled gallery with improved and expanded amenities for more than one million annual Zoo guests. Guests will be able to quickly learn about the offerings of the Zoo, organize their visit, shop, eat, and enjoy exciting encounters with three active, social species: meerkats, Japanese macaques (snow monkeys), and penguins.
Cargill Environmental Learning Center
Designed for the thousands of students and teachers who visit the Zoo each year, the Cargill Environmental Learning Center will include a school groups-only entry, reception area, multi-purpose lunchroom , new and upgraded classrooms, and a totally-remodeled indoor theatre. All classrooms, including one designated for early childhood education, will be equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment, computer stations and other features designed to maximize the facility’s teaching potential.
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