Fixing the KC Zoo (ongoing)

[nota]

The St. Louis Zoo is free. Hard to beat that. And it is a top notch zoo too.

[StL_Dan]

The St. Louis Zoo is free. Hard to beat that. And it is a top notch zoo too.

An admission charge is the only downside to the KC Zoo.

[KC_JAYHAWK]

The last time I went to the KC Zoo, a guy had to be rushed to the hospital because he collapsed due to exhaustion.
At our zoo, you walk forever, don't see squat, and on top of that you pay money to enter....It's pretty sad when cities like Omaha and Wichita have zoos much much better than ours.

[StL_Dan]

The last time I went to the KC Zoo, a guy had to be rushed to the hospital because he collapsed due to exhaustion.
At our zoo, you walk forever, don't see squat, and on top of that you pay money to enter....It's pretty sad when cities like Omaha and Wichita have zoos much much better than ours.

What's wrong with walking? People freak out about walking around this town...what's the big friggin' deal with that?

Whenever I go.....I see plenty of animals doing stuff.

[KCPowercat]

Yeah I actually love the Africa section.....like to get out and walk around that circle....I hate zoos that have animals in small cages just lying there...I'd rather have to "hunt" to see the animals in more of their natural setting.

Of course I understand this isn't the majority.

[KC_JAYHAWK]

The walking I don't mind but give me some bang for my buck...an underwater aquarium would be awesome.

[StL_Dan]

Yeah I actually love the Africa section.....like to get out and walk around that circle....I hate zoos that have animals in small cages just lying there...I'd rather have to "hunt" to see the animals in more of their natural setting.

Well said....that sums up my thoughts perfectly.

You know...I'll bet there's a faction out there that won't support the zoo unless the Zoo relocates the parking lot to the safari side and offers shuttle services on top of that.

[GRID]

I agree with Dan, KC has a good zoo, it's not as bad as people say it is. I went to the "world famous" San Diego Zoo this summer and found is to be not much better than KC's. The zoo has already done a lot to fix its problems, such as scheduling more shows and opening more conssesion stands, but the KC Zoo needs to fix up the old part of the Zoo, it's still really bad such as the cat walk and the now vacant ape house etc. Build a new asian exibit and an aquarium component as mentioned and for god sakes extend the operating hours. That has to be the single worst attendence killer, KC has to be the only zoo in the country that closes at 5 especially on Saturdays. Cost is another issue, but that is one of the problems when we don't have regional funding, but the Zoo is still cheap compared to most including Omaha's.

[trailerkid]

But the KC zoo only has a fraction of the number of animals as Omaha. I think it's good for the zoo to be very natural and spread out, but we need more animals. We also need better promotion for the zoo. I never hear about it!!!

[StL_Dan]

But the KC zoo only has a fraction of the number of animals as Omaha. I think it's good for the zoo to be very natural and spread out, but we need more animals. We also need better promotion for the zoo. I never hear about it!!!

good point.

all i ever see is those stickers on people's cars that say "friend of the zoo".

[QueSi2Opie]

The St. Louis Zoo is free. Hard to beat that. And it is a top notch zoo too.

An admission charge is the only downside to the KC Zoo.

The St. Louis Zoo is the only FREE zoo in the nation as far as I know, and I've been to about 90 zoos, wildlife parks and aquariums so far. If you make a one time yearly purchase of a Friends of the Zoo Membership, you can go to the KC Zoo for free and 140 other zoos for free nationwide, plus you're funding zoo projects by purchasing a membership. They have Individual, Individual Plus, and Family memberships. My wife and I own a family membership so we can both carry cards.

[StL_Dan]

The St. Louis Zoo is free. Hard to beat that. And it is a top notch zoo too.

An admission charge is the only downside to the KC Zoo.

The St. Louis Zoo is the only FREE zoo in the nation as far as I know, and I've been to about 90 zoos, wildlife parks and aquariums so far. If you make a one time yearly purchase of a Friends of the Zoo Membership, you can go to the KC Zoo for free and 140 other zoos for free nationwide, plus you're funding zoo projects by purchasing a membership. They have Individual, Individual Plus, and Family memberships. My wife and I own a family membership so we can both carry cards.

Does a window sticker come with that?

[trailerkid]

Anyone wanting to show support for the zoo, the Friends of the Zoo looks like it's a pretty economical and easy way to start.

Individual .......... $35 Admission for one person
Individual Plus ... $45 Admission for one person plus one guest per visit
Family ...............$60 Admission for two adults living in the same household and their children OR their grandchildren under 18

Here's a direct link to become a member online https://payments.umb.com/perlpay/zoo

[QueSi2Opie]

Family ...............$60 Admission for two adults living in the same household and their children OR their grandchildren under 18

Well... The Family Membership is basically two adult and two child admissions. I have been able to get adult admissions for myself and a friend plus admissions for the neighbors kids. Only one of the two adults whose name is on the card needs to be present.

Also... Dan, you do get a Friends of the Zoo sticker.

[QueSi2Opie]

Here's a list of the zoos that I've used my FOTZ membership to get into. It's great, because some of these zoos cost as much as $14.95 per adult.

Kansas City Zoo
Dickerson Zoo (Springfield, MO)
Emporia Zoo (Emporia, KS)
Hutchison Zoo (Hutchison, KS)
Lee Richardson Zoo (Garden City, KS)
Brit Spaugh Zoo (Great Bend, KS)
Sedgwick County Zoo (Wichita, KS)
Sunset Zoo (Manhattan, KS)
Topeka Zoo (Topeka, KS)
Henry Doorly Zoo (Omaha, NE)
Folsom Zoo (Lincoln, NE)
Heritage Zoo (Grand Island, NE)
Blank Park Zoo (Des Moines, IA)
Brookfield Zoo (Brookfield, IL)
Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago, IL)
Glen Oak Zoo (Peoria, IL)
Henson Robinson Zoo (Springfield, IL)
Miller Park Zoo (Bloomington, IL)
Scovill Zoo (Decatur, IL)
Mesker Park Zoo (Evansville, IN)
Sacramento Zoo (Sacramento, CA)
Little Rock Zoo (Little Rock, AR)
Louisville Zoo (Louisville, KY)
Baton Rouge Zoo (Baton Rouge, LA)
Minnesota Zoo (Minneapolis, MN)
Jackson Zoo (Jackson, MS)
Akron Zoo (Akron, OH)
Cincinatti Zoo (Cincinatti, OH)
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (Cleveland, OH)
Columbus Zoo (Columbus, OH)
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery (Dayton, OH)
The Wilds (Cumberland, OH)
Tulsa Zoo (Tulsa, OK)
Oklahoma City Zoo (Oklahoma City, OK)
Great Plains Zoo (Sioux Falls, SD)
Bramble Park Zoo (Watertown, SD)
Memphis Zoo (Memphis, TN)
Dallas Zoo (Dallas, TX)
Cameron Park Zoo (Waco, TX)
Henry Vilas Zoo (Madison, WI)
Milwaukee County Zoo (Milwaukee, WI)
Northeastern Wisconsin Zoo (Green Bay, WI)
Racine Zoo (Racine, WI)

These are only 43 of 140 zoos on the FOTZ reciprocal list that I've gone to....I've also been to AZA acredited zoos that don't take FOTZ memberships (i.e. Indianapolis Zoo, Fort Worth Zoo, New Orleans Zoo, etc.) and unfortunately the San Diego Zoo and Brooklyn Zoo don't except FOTZ either. Also, wildlife drive-thru parks and aquariums don't take FOTZ memberships. Either way, I've gotten my money's worth. It's great to be able to go to the zoo anytime you want jus' to check out a certain animal or exhibit. You'll also get $1 off IMAX Theater tickets, invites to special events and a FOTZ newsletter each quarter.

[trailerkid]

KC Zoo is announcing 19 layoffs (10%) of its workforce saving $865,000. The zoo is developing a new master plan. It looks like the Zoo is tightening its belt right now and will probably see some major changes in opperation by its new director, former associate director of the Omaha Zoo, Randy Wistoff.

[GuyInLenexa]

They really need to foster community support. They also need some major patrons to help.
Fort Worth TX has one of the largest zoos in the nation, much larger than the zoo in Dallas.
They have so many community resources helping them that it has allowed them to build the zoo to what it is today.
I think Omaha has done much the same also.
A world class zoo would give the very neglected eastern portion of KC an anchor to build development and pride.
I hope the new management helps.
So far I like what I see.

GIL

[FangKC]

The whole point of going to a zoo is to look at animals. The number of animals that Omaha has compared to KC is unacceptable. It's very simple, more animals are needed. The fact that there are no bears or tigers is mind-boggling. That's like selling a car with no engine or seats. I mean, at bare minimum (no pun intended), you gotta have those.

The other thing that contributes to a world-class zoo is a good breeding program. It produces a number of animals that can be traded to other zoos to obtain animals that a zoo may not have, or needs to build up. Breeding programs also produce baby animals, which is one of the best draws. Kids like seeing animals, but they love seeing baby animals. So do adults for that matter.

I agree that the transportation problem must be solved. There were several events at Swope Park and the Zoo that I would have attended, but I didn't want to take public transportation there, and have to return home at night. I didn't have a car then; I do now. The events I wanted to see were the last Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, movies on the IMAX screen; REM in concert; and summer musicals, at the Starlight. I worried that the concerts wouldn't get over in time for me to catch a bus home.

I agree that the zoo must stay open late. Closing around 3 pm is just wrong. In the summer months, it stays light almost until 9 pm some nights. The zoo should remain open until 8 pm in the summer months. Evening hours would make it more comfortable during heatwaves. In addition, some species of animals don't really become active until after 6 pm. They just lay around because it's so hot.

When I was around 10-years-old, we took a school field trip to the zoo that required an-hour-and-a-half schoolbus ride to KC from NW Missouri. This was back in 1972, but I still have memories of that visit and how exciting it was for a country lad. I remember driving by KCI (right after it opened) on I-29 and seeing airplanes taking off. That was as thrilling to me as the zoo visit.

It was my first visit to Kansas City. Since I lived in a town of less than 400 people, I thought Kansas City was huge. Only one TV station came in clearly on our television (ABC out of St. Joseph); cable wasn't available there. I'd certainly say that I led a sheltered life. hehe.

During my first trip to "the big city," I can remember having my face plastered against the window glass taking it all in: airplanes; multi-lane highways with gobs of speeding cars; skyscrapers; wild animals (at the zoo); and miles upon miles of houses. At the dinner table that night after returning home, I exclaimed to my family: "I have never seen so many houses in my life."

The point of regaling you with my hayseed childhood is to illustrate that people do travel great distances to visit a good zoo, and a fun city, and that it's a memorable experience for a small child.

I laugh at people here who complain about paying taxes. Taxes aren't that high here. I lived in NYC and paid among the highest taxes in the country. The cost of living is minimal here compared to other places. If Kansas City wants to be a world-class city, the people in the metro region must get over their resistance to paying taxes or passing bond issues. Kansas City in many ways is 10 years behind other large cities. Quality of life costs money. There's no way around it. For cities to be successful and continue to attract the best and brightest, they must provide amenities, good public transportation, low crime, high quality of life: i.e. nightlife, sports, and quality museums and arts.

Cities like New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Los Angeles are expensive places to live, yet people are still clamoring to live there--and pay huge rents and high taxes. Why? Because those cities have a high quality of life and lots of things to do.

After NYC dealt with its crime problems in the early 1990s, people actually started moving back to the city from the suburbs in droves.

You have to pay more taxes to live in a splendid city. The past reluctance to fund projects here must be changed; otherwise, Kansas City will be just a mediocre city.

I think KC is moving in the right direction, but there is still a lot to do.

[QueSi2Opie]

Fort Worth TX has one of the largest zoos in the nation, much larger than the zoo in Dallas.

I agree, I was very disappointed with the zoo in Dallas, but loved the zoo in Fort Worth.

My three favorite zoos in the Midwest are Omaha Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo and St. Louis Zoo.

[trailerkid]

Zoo director Wistoff is talking to the Star about the $30 million bond issue. He says he is excited the bond issue has come up so early in his time with the zoo. The zoo will have a new master plan by the vote on April 9. A few ideas already in place for the money...
--Conversion of the original zoo building (built in 1909) into a jungle or rain forest exhibit.
--Dumping the continental themes and just making sure to put the animals in front of people
--Adding a polar bear exhibit in the central valley
--fixing buildings, deferred maintainance

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascit ... 736295.htm

I think I support plugging money into the zoo, but I would like to see a master plan that is goal-oriented. How much more capital must be plugged into the zoo to bring it up to par and increase attendence? What should the zoo look like in 10 years?