MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee County Zoo will partially reopen as an "outdoor experience" on June 13, County Executive David Crowley announced Monday.
“The Zoo is one of the Milwaukee County’s finest assets, and an attraction that has been sorely missed by visitors during the current health emergency,” said County Executive Crowley. “And on June 13, we’ll be excited to welcome them back. The ‘outdoor only’ experience is Phase I of the reopening transition for the Zoo.”
- Coronavirus in Wisconsin: Live Updates From Across the State
- The Rebound Milwaukee: Resources For Getting Back To Normal
- We're Open: These Restaurants Are Still Offering Carryout And Delivery
Only the outdoor habitats will be open to visitors. There will also be a limited daily capacity for visitors and Zoo Pass holders, according to a news release.
Zoo admission and parking will be available online only.
Timed, electronic tickets that can be scanned at a safe distance will be issued to guests after they make reservations online. Those reservations will be required for all visitors, as well as Zoo Pass holders. If you're feeling sick, the Zoo asks that you not visit.
“We know our visitors and Zoological Society members have been patiently waiting, and anxious for the Zoo to reopen,” said Zoo Director Chuck Wikenhauser. “We’ve put together this first phase as a careful and thoughtful plan for a limited reopening, with everyone’s safety as the top priority. Visitors can see the animals outside, walk the 190-acre grounds and enjoy favorite attractions like the train, carousel and the Dinosaur exhibit.”
The Zoo says it will also have signage in place to help guests maintain a six-foot distance along all pathways and in lines.
Here's some more information provided by the Milwaukee County Zoo about what's changing:
Ticket Reservations:
• Visit www.milwaukeezoo.org to make your reservation
• A limited number of visitors/Zoo Pass holders can visit per day, to adhere to physical distancing
• Online reservations are required for all visitors and members
• From the webpage, choose the date and time you’d like to visit and reserve up to 6 tickets
• Once reserved, you’ll receive an email ticket confirmation that can be scanned (printed or on a phone) from a distance or in a touchless manner upon admittance
• Regular Zoo admission rates apply; car parking is $12
• The Zoo cannot accommodate visitors without an online reservation
• Visitors must arrive at their reservation entry time to ensure a safe capacity is not exceeded; the final timed entry each day is 1:30 p.m. No entry time after this will be allowed.
Zoo Guidelines:
• All visitors are required to wear masks. When arriving, visitors and their party will be asked if everyone has a mask. If a visitor has forgotten a mask, a paper one will be supplied. A limited quantity of masks is available for purchase at the Gift Shop Marketplace, just past the U.S. Bank Gathering Place.
• Visitors will not have access to high-touch areas of the Zoo: Goat Yard, Sky Adventure Zip Line/Ropes Courses, Pony Rides, Playgrounds and areas where
larger numbers of visitors could congregate: Giraffe Feedings, Animal in Action Talks and Animal Feedings
• A limited number of restrooms will be open; with doors permanently propped open
• Water fountains will be closed; the water bottle refill station in the Gathering Place will be open
• All indoor animal buildings will be closed
• Concessions will be available, with limited menu items, at: West End Snacks, Coffee Shop and The Coop Food Truck; visitors can bring in food and non-alcoholic beverages. No glass bottles.
• Visitors can bring in strollers, wheelchairs and electric scooters
What the Zoo is Doing to Keep Visitors Safe:
• A single point of entry will be designated through which all visitors are admitted
• Hand sanitizer stations will be located throughout the Zoo, including entry and exit areas, restrooms and concession kiosks
• We are enhancing our already-stringent cleaning protocols, and continuously cleaning and sanitizing all high-touch surfaces like ride seats and armrests, tables, chairs, railings and more
• Because the Zoo is opened limited hours, this allows for extensive commercial-grade pressure washers to clean larger surface areas with a disinfectant additive
• Zoo visitors (ages 3+) will be required to wear masks. Masks can be purchased through the Zoo’s online Gift Shop at www.milwaukeezoo.org or at the Zoo’s outdoor Gift Shop Marketplace just past the U.S. Bank Gathering Place
• All Zoo staff members working directly with the public will be required to wear masks