GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The John Ball Zoo has reported record attendance figures for the year... and it's still not finished for 2024.
Zoo officials made the announcement on Friday morning.
The zoo said it has attracted more than 800,000 visitors so far this year. John Ball Zoo will close for the season on Sunday, Nov. 24.
The zoo will reopen to the public on March 21, 2025.
“We’ve had a fantastic 2024 season at John Ball Zoo, and we’re so grateful to every visitor who joined us, made memories and helped support the conservation of wildlife and wild places,” said Andy McIntyre, chief operating officer at John Ball Zoo. “As we close our doors for now, our team remains committed to delivering exceptional care for our animals, developing exciting educational programs and continuing our conservation efforts both locally and globally. We’re eagerly looking ahead to a remarkable 2025 season.”
Zoo officials said more than 175,000 people attended the Grand Rapids Lantern Festival at the zoo, shattering the previous year’s attendance record during its two-month run.
The zoo also hosted the Dino Adventures exhibition, opened a butterfly encounter experience and offered a Locked Zoo experience to visitors this year.
New life at the zoo included penguin hatchlings, lynx kits and the births of endangered species including an eastern mountain bongo and snow leopards.
The zoo also released more than 1,400 endangered Poweshiek skipperling butterflies into the wild after captive rearing and breeding of the species to improve wild populations.
During the winter closure, the John Ball Zoo will offer several different options for Close Encounters, including a new pygmy hippo feeding, where guests tour the hippopotamus habitat and learn about the zoo’s efforts to save the animal from extinction, a penguin feeding, a penguin meet-and-greet, a sloth encounter and more. For more information, including how to sign up, visit the zoo’s Web site here website [email.byrumfisk.com].
