KCRag Forum

It feels like if six big exhibits went in the Zoo would be on the level of Omaha and it wouldn't mean tearing out what's already there,

The big shapes are areas I think would make great exhibits. Red circles are space for smaller exhibits and facilities which don't fit into a theme.

flyingember wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 2:51 pm It feels like if six big exhibits went in the Zoo would be on the level of Omaha and it wouldn't mean tearing out what's already there,

The big shapes are areas I think would make great exhibits. Red circles are space for smaller exhibits and facilities which don't fit into a theme.

With JoCo taxes coming in, you could knock this plan out in less than a decade. Talk about a regional draw

San Diego zoo does a nice job of having lots of local beer and wine carts sprinkled throughout while keeping it family focused. I think the zoo should partner with Boulevard or someone to place some f&b carts throughout for the weekends

TrolliKC wrote: ↑Thu Oct 28, 2021 7:19 am San Diego zoo does a nice job of having lots of local beer and wine carts sprinkled throughout while keeping it family focused. I think the zoo should partner with Boulevard or someone to place some f&b carts throughout for the weekends

Thinking back ~25 years there was once four places to get food in the African area across the river and a fifth at the end of the elephants. One was a cart. Over time they cut back to the point you couldn’t count on any of them being open, sometimes one would be. We used to get lunch at the zoo and more or less gave up on this over time.

On the older side they had two, one at either end.

With the addition of the new restaurant they might have four places open at once.

Simply renovating and reopening some of the counter spaces they already have would go a long way as well.

flyingember wrote: ↑Thu Oct 28, 2021 8:04 am

TrolliKC wrote: ↑Thu Oct 28, 2021 7:19 am San Diego zoo does a nice job of having lots of local beer and wine carts sprinkled throughout while keeping it family focused. I think the zoo should partner with Boulevard or someone to place some f&b carts throughout for the weekends

Thinking back ~25 years there was once four places to get food in the African area across the river and a fifth at the end of the elephants. One was a cart. Over time they cut back to the point you couldn’t count on any of them being open, sometimes one would be. We used to get lunch at the zoo and more or less gave up on this over time.

On the older side they had two, one at either end.

With the addition of the new restaurant they might have four places open at once.

Simply renovating and reopening some of the counter spaces they already have would go a long way as well.

The KC Zoo could really improve its food and drink options. Currently, there is little more than a hamburger or hot dog wrapped in foil for an entre option. I remember in Europe, zoos usually had nice restaurant options with a wide array of alcoholic beverages as well. I am not sure I've agreed with the direction Wistoff has taken the KC Zoo in terms of making it more of a children's venue emphasizing rides like the merry-go-round,and ski lift and child oriented species additions (Like the sting ray exhibit - a nice exhibit but a lot of $ for a kid friendly aquatic petting exhibit). The zoo doesn't have to be exclusively for children and many zoos around the US attract adults regularly that do not have kids in tow.

I am not sure if this is the right spot to put this, but I was reminiscing about the zoo when I visited it as a child. I am a 90s kid. Does anyone remember the entry building having a sort of walking display/exhibit where a woman's voice was narrating as you moved from room to room? From what I remember, she had a somewhat haunting voice, the rooms were dark, and I think the narrative was about animal preservation and the changing climate. In each room, there was either a display of some kind or a large screen that would play a short clip in sync with the narrative. The whole thing lasted maybe 2 minutes.

I just remember it was always the first thing we did when getting to the zoo. As a young kid, I was typically pretty scared to go through it and definitely wouldn't have done it if my older siblings weren't there to walk it with me.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? I'm not sure when this was removed because there was a gap of about 5-6 years from the early to the late 2000s when I didn't go to the zoo. My hope is someone somewhere on the internet took a home video of it at some point. Feeling a bit of nostalgia and would love to experience that again.

It was called "The Journey" and was removed with the start of the zoo renewal around 2006-2007ish. If I remember correctly, the space was turned into offices and educational spaces.

https://www.reddit.com/r/kansascity/com ... lkthrough/

This Reddit thread has a pretty good video of it.

While it needed an update, it's a shame such a unique/strange exhibit was completely eliminated.

That's when they closed the IMAX too, which was a real shame. It was KC's only true IMAX theater.

tskev wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 9:43 pm I am not sure if this is the right spot to put this, but I was reminiscing about the zoo when I visited it as a child. I am a 90s kid. Does anyone remember the entry building having a sort of walking display/exhibit where a woman's voice was narrating as you moved from room to room? From what I remember, she had a somewhat haunting voice, the rooms were dark, and I think the narrative was about animal preservation and the changing climate. In each room, there was either a display of some kind or a large screen that would play a short clip in sync with the narrative. The whole thing lasted maybe 2 minutes.

I just remember it was always the first thing we did when getting to the zoo. As a young kid, I was typically pretty scared to go through it and definitely wouldn't have done it if my older siblings weren't there to walk it with me.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? I'm not sure when this was removed because there was a gap of about 5-6 years from the early to the late 2000s when I didn't go to the zoo. My hope is someone somewhere on the internet took a home video of it at some point. Feeling a bit of nostalgia and would love to experience that again.

I do remember this almost exactly as you describe it. I have good memories of the original 90's zoo updates, with the sunken gardens and wooden walkways out front, heavy timber beams of the entrance pavilion, etc.

IMO the somewhat hokey updates since, while seemingly successful in driving additional visitors, don't have the same sense of occasion or gravitas.

rxlexi wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:39 am

tskev wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 9:43 pm I am not sure if this is the right spot to put this, but I was reminiscing about the zoo when I visited it as a child. I am a 90s kid. Does anyone remember the entry building having a sort of walking display/exhibit where a woman's voice was narrating as you moved from room to room? From what I remember, she had a somewhat haunting voice, the rooms were dark, and I think the narrative was about animal preservation and the changing climate. In each room, there was either a display of some kind or a large screen that would play a short clip in sync with the narrative. The whole thing lasted maybe 2 minutes.

I just remember it was always the first thing we did when getting to the zoo. As a young kid, I was typically pretty scared to go through it and definitely wouldn't have done it if my older siblings weren't there to walk it with me.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? I'm not sure when this was removed because there was a gap of about 5-6 years from the early to the late 2000s when I didn't go to the zoo. My hope is someone somewhere on the internet took a home video of it at some point. Feeling a bit of nostalgia and would love to experience that again.

I do remember this almost exactly as you describe it. I have good memories of the original 90's zoo updates, with the sunken gardens and wooden walkways out front, heavy timber beams of the entrance pavilion, etc.

IMO the somewhat hokey updates since, while seemingly successful in driving additional visitors, don't have the same sense of occasion or gravitas.

I remember that well. Frankly, I thought that space could have been put to better use but I did like the overall direction the zoo was heading back in those days. It was geared towards science and conservation and the zoo was replete with kiosks of information and other things that enhanced the experience (e.g., the sheep station and the African village). When Wistoff came in (around 2008?), he abandoned the divisions by continent as being too limited and led the zoo away from the conservation/science approach to be more people and especially kid friendly. A lot of what has been added since that time has been along those lines; merry go round, ski lift, string ray exhibit. Some of the things he did were great like moving animals closer to the front of the zoo (polar bears and penguins) and better restaurant facilities (still not great) but some of the weak points of the zoo still remain, especially the lack of animals along the long walks between areas and total lack of North American species (among others). I would have also preferred the zoo work on filling in some of the gaps in animal diversity before tackling an aquarium.

horizons82 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 10:19 pm It was called "The Journey" and was removed with the start of the zoo renewal around 2006-2007ish. If I remember correctly, the space was turned into offices and educational spaces.

https://www.reddit.com/r/kansascity/com ... lkthrough/

This Reddit thread has a pretty good video of it.

While it needed an update, it's a shame such a unique/strange exhibit was completely eliminated.

Wow! Thank you for the trip down memory lane! I just knew someone had to have a video of it haha. Even creepier than I remember.

I hadn't thought about it in forever and it randomly hit me the other day. One of those things that as the years go by, you start to wonder if it was real or just your imagination...

I agree with the other sentiments. Part of it is certainly childhood nostalgia, but I do feel the zoo is now missing a little bit of that character/soul it had back then. There have definitely been lots of improvements, no doubt, though.

You guys do know that that entrance opened after the big vote in the early 90's that also included the massive expansions by adding Australia and Africa. And the IMAX. The IMAX alone drew nearly as many people as the zoo did which is why It's really blew my mind when it closed.

Before that vote, the KC Zoo nearly closed. It was no longer even accredited. It was terribly underfunded an mismanaged and was really small.

It has come a long way. I was a volunteer to help get the vote passed to save the zoo.

I feel like I spent my entire life in my teens an 20's saving shit in KC that was about to close or be torn down or move to KS. The Zoo, Liberty Memorial, Union Station, Bartle Hall expansion over the highway, P&L District, Sprint Center, 18th and Vine and the light rail projects (which failed). I mean KC was in such bad shape in the 90's but if you are into making a city better, it was the best city to be in I guess. That was also the peak of the city's entire economy moving to Johnson County. The airport nearly moved there (or JoCo tried to build their own) and there was talk about rebuilding the zoo over there too.

The Zoo was one of the first things people did to start putting some life back into the city. It was a big deal.

Now with the recent expansions and the aquarium, the KC zoo will be a top 15 or maybe even top ten zoo in the country. Speaking of the aquarium, I wonder if the Zoo will change its name. KC Zoo and Aquarium. Like Columbus.

Right on Grid! The zoo (I have a close connection) was in desperate straits until the FOTZ was given management responsibility. The passage of the sales tax for Jackson & Clay counties also helped immensely. The “Journey” always scared my kids and not because of the content (the creepy voice and it was dark). It had outlived its usefulness and needed to go away. The message as presented didn’t age well. Likewise the IMAX theatre was underutilized and losing money, something the zoo can’t afford to do.
As far as conservation measures, multiple conservation programs around the world are partnered with the zoo, providing both species saving and education for both zoo personnel and the greater public. These efforts are outlined on their website, newsletter and all types of public engagement, like zookeeper chats and public invited programs at the zoo.
Just like the rest of this city, and any other, the work is never “finished” and progress continues. The new aquarium is but one facet of upcoming additions to the zoo. I know that a ten year plan is in the works to take the zoo to a new level. Amusement ride type additions are but a way to enhance the family experience while visiting the zoo.
I’ve visited zoos both in the US and Europe and all of them are trying to balance their value for both the traditional entertainment and species saving missions that are vital to the betterment of our planet.

If it’s been a while since you visited the zoo (in optimal weather), I encourage you to pay a visit, join FOTZ, attend some zookeeper chats and public presentations. Don’t limit yourself to attending merely the Jazzoo and Brew at the Zoo functions (they are a blast!).
Go out there and walk the whole damn thing! Go home smelling like zoo-it’s sweet!

Oh, and I forgot to add- can we please change this thread name from “Fixing the KC Zoo? Maybe something like “Moving the KC Zoo Forward”?

Yeah the Jackson/Clay thing was huge. That's like a million people now funding the Zoo. It's one of the only examples of regional cooperation in KC even if only on the MO side.

Were were member of FOTZ the entire time we lived in KC. They have really turned around KC's Zoo. It's great to hear they have even bigger plans after the aquarium opens. I think the KC Zoo is already one of the better zoos in the country now, it's easily in the top 20 before the aquarium opens.

I understand the IMAX was a money loser, but they do bring in nice crowds. I'm glad they figured out a way to keep the theater in Union Station even though it's not an IMAX.

And that Journey entry thing was interesting for sure, but it would be really out of date if it were still there today. It was odd though because between that and all the winding walkways from the parking lots, it took like forever to actually get into the Zoo.

GRID wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:04 pm You guys do know that that entrance opened after the big vote in the early 90's that also included the massive expansions by adding Australia and Africa. And the IMAX. The IMAX alone drew nearly as many people as the zoo did which is why It's really blew my mind when it closed.

Before that vote, the KC Zoo nearly closed. It was no longer even accredited. It was terribly underfunded an mismanaged and was really small.

It has come a long way. I was a volunteer to help get the vote passed to save the zoo.

I feel like I spent my entire life in my teens an 20's saving shit in KC that was about to close or be torn down or move to KS. The Zoo, Liberty Memorial, Union Station, Bartle Hall expansion over the highway, P&L District, Sprint Center, 18th and Vine and the light rail projects (which failed). I mean KC was in such bad shape in the 90's but if you are into making a city better, it was the best city to be in I guess. That was also the peak of the city's entire economy moving to Johnson County. The airport nearly moved there (or JoCo tried to build their own) and there was talk about rebuilding the zoo over there too.

The Zoo was one of the first things people did to start putting some life back into the city. It was a big deal.

Now with the recent expansions and the aquarium, the KC zoo will be a top 15 or maybe even top ten zoo in the country. Speaking of the aquarium, I wonder if the Zoo will change its name. KC Zoo and Aquarium. Like Columbus.

Todays younger generations will never understand the craziness that was the old monkey, ape, and gorilla building.

They'll also never know how amazing the IMAX at the Zoo was. It was one of the few actual IMAX theaters in existence in the entire world. A full 7 STORY tall screen. There's no comparison. The destruction of this theater and the few others like it is what resulted in IMAX rebranding from an actual experience, to a theater slogan and PR line slapped on otherwise ordinary theaters.

GRID wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 1:40 am Yeah the Jackson/Clay thing was huge. That's like a million people now funding the Zoo. It's one of the only examples of regional cooperation in KC even if only on the MO side.

Were were member of FOTZ the entire time we lived in KC. They have really turned around KC's Zoo. It's great to hear they have even bigger plans after the aquarium opens. I think the KC Zoo is already one of the better zoos in the country now, it's easily in the top 20 before the aquarium opens.

I understand the IMAX was a money loser, but they do bring in nice crowds. I'm glad they figured out a way to keep the theater in Union Station even though it's not an IMAX.

And that Journey entry thing was interesting for sure, but it would be really out of date if it were still there today. It was odd though because between that and all the winding walkways from the parking lots, it took like forever to actually get into the Zoo.

The 1990's transformation of the zoo was wonderful in many ways but they did make several miscalculations. The entry way and difficulty reaching it was one of them. Some of the concepts were just too idealized to be embraced by most of those who really used the zoo.

I cannot remember but was there even an effort to bring the Kansas burbs into the zoo funding? Sounds like something that would have passed in Johnson County (nothing in KCMO would ever pass in Wyandotte County). What I seem to remember, albeit vaguely, was that a bistate effort was killed at the state level before it ever got to the counties. I wonder how that would go over today in KC....the sense of community on both sides of the state line seems higher than ever with so many positive things happening in the metro.

^ The bistate thing never got past the state politicians. I think the Zoo would have passed a vote in JoCo though even back then. Especially if it included some upgrades to the Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead out there.

I really think a majority of Johnson County people would support Missouri side cultural assets. The problem has always been letting them vote in the first place.

Make your reservations for Kansas City Zoo’s new aquarium now

Attraction to open Sept. 1, 2023

https://www.kctv5.com/2023/08/16/make-y ... arium-now/