Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications
To mark its 125th anniversary, Woodland Park Zoo surprised a special guest with a gift pack and extraordinary experiences to celebrate 1.25 million visitors in 2024!
A century and a quarter ago, the widow of Guy C. Phinney sold his sprawling, private estate to the City of Seattle for $100,000. The land, woods, and lakefront came with a small group of animals and became the lush oasis it is today, Woodland Park Zoo.
Based on 2024 visitation and advance ticket sales for the remainder of December, the zoo expects to welcome 1.25 million guests by the new year. Zoo staff picked a date and time for the celebration, and the unsuspecting visitor, Chantel Frizzell and her family, got the surprise of the year when they entered the zoo today and staff informed them of their fortuitous arrival.
As the honorary 1.25 millionth visitor of the year, the holidays came early for the family as they were showered with a number of zoo gifts and experiences including:
Over 125 years, Woodland Park Zoo has grown into a world-renowned conservation organization dedicated to exemplary animal care and community engagement. A living classroom, the zoo is home to more than 800 animals representing 200 species. Today the zoo is a major regional attraction, drawing more than 1 million people each year, embarking on a journey that inspires a lifelong love of animals, makes science come alive and gives people the tools to take conservation action.
Winter zoo hours: 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. daily. Accessibility: Information about accessibility and resources, one-to-one aides, sighted guides, mobility equipment rentals, and a sensory map and tools can be found at www.zoo.org/access. ADA ramp access for Historic Carousel. For questions or to request disability accommodations for zoo programs or events, contact zooinfo@zoo.org.
 |
| Chantel (on the right) visited the zoo with her family and was surprised to learn she was the 1.25 millionth visitor of 2024. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. |
To mark its 125th anniversary, Woodland Park Zoo surprised a special guest with a gift pack and extraordinary experiences to celebrate 1.25 million visitors in 2024!
A century and a quarter ago, the widow of Guy C. Phinney sold his sprawling, private estate to the City of Seattle for $100,000. The land, woods, and lakefront came with a small group of animals and became the lush oasis it is today, Woodland Park Zoo.
Based on 2024 visitation and advance ticket sales for the remainder of December, the zoo expects to welcome 1.25 million guests by the new year. Zoo staff picked a date and time for the celebration, and the unsuspecting visitor, Chantel Frizzell and her family, got the surprise of the year when they entered the zoo today and staff informed them of their fortuitous arrival.
As the honorary 1.25 millionth visitor of the year, the holidays came early for the family as they were showered with a number of zoo gifts and experiences including:
- A $125 Woodland Park Zoo gift card
- A delightful behind-the-scenes giraffe encounter
- A footprint of a Woodland Park Zoo lion
- Tickets to WildLanterns
- Tickets to the 2025 ZooTunes concert of their choice
- Passes for the Historic Carousel
- 100th Anniversary Woodland Park Rose Garden ornament
 |
| Chantel and her family say the penguins have always been among their favorite animals at the zoo. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo |
Chantel was visiting the zoo today with her daughters, her stepson, his partner and their daughter
—Chantel's granddaughter. She said she and her family have been Woodland Park Zoo members for years since her kids were all small. Their favorite places in the zoo over the years have included Zoomazium—which Chantel was excited to bring her granddaughter to see today—visiting the penguins, the Komodo dragons, and the birds in the Tropical Rain Forest. Chantel's stepson and his family now live in Maine. They are visiting Seattle and were excited to bring their daughter to see the zoo that he visited while growing up in Seattle. This was the youngster’s first visit ever to a zoo. Over 125 years, Woodland Park Zoo has grown into a world-renowned conservation organization dedicated to exemplary animal care and community engagement. A living classroom, the zoo is home to more than 800 animals representing 200 species. Today the zoo is a major regional attraction, drawing more than 1 million people each year, embarking on a journey that inspires a lifelong love of animals, makes science come alive and gives people the tools to take conservation action.
 |
| A paw print from one of the lions was among the gifts for the zoo's 1.25 millionth visitor of 2024. Photo: Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo |
Winter zoo hours: 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. daily. Accessibility: Information about accessibility and resources, one-to-one aides, sighted guides, mobility equipment rentals, and a sensory map and tools can be found at www.zoo.org/access. ADA ramp access for Historic Carousel. For questions or to request disability accommodations for zoo programs or events, contact zooinfo@zoo.org.
Comments
Post a Comment