Children's Zoo at Celebration Square

Children's Zoo at Celebration Square

Entrance sign at zoo
Location Saginaw, Michigan
Coordinates 43°24′43″N 83°57′09″W / 43.411969°N 83.952590°W / 43.411969; -83.952590Coordinates: 43°24′43″N 83°57′09″W / 43.411969°N 83.952590°W / 43.411969; -83.952590
Number of animals 150[1]
Memberships AZA[2]
Website www.saginawzoo.com

The Children's Zoo at Celebration Square is a zoo located in Saginaw, Michigan. It operates without tax-based funding, on donations and revenue generated from daily visitors.[3] It is open during the months of May through September, and part-time in April and October.[4]

Children's Zoo at Celebration Square is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).[3]

Exhibits and other facilities

Mammals at the zoo include alpaca, Holstein cattle, alpine goat, pygmy goats, Jersey cattle, black-tailed prairie dog, bobcat, miniature donkey, Clydesdale horse, miniature horse, miniature zebu, cotton-top tamarin, North American river otter, pot-bellied pig, domestic donkey, Scottish Highland cattle, sugar glider, eastern grey kangaroo, white-headed capuchin, and Flemish Giant rabbit.[1]

Birds at the zoo include American crow, salmon-crested cockatoo, bantam chicken, military macaw, bald eagle, barred owl, Orpington chicken, African penguin, Dominique chickens, blue-and-yellow macaw, burrowing parrot, Campbell duck, cockatiels, Indian peafowl, red-tailed hawk, domestic ducks, white cockatoo, sulphur-crested cockatoo, eclectus parrot, and emu.[1]

Reptiles and amphibians at the zoo include American alligator, blue spiny lizard, leopard gecko, boa constrictor, leopard tortoise, painted wood turtle, red-eared slider, Carolina anole, royal python, and white-throated mud turtle.[1]

The Iberschoff Special, a miniature train at the zoo

The Iberschoff Special is the miniature train at the Children's Zoo. It was first opened in 1967 with the help of contributions from the Carl H. Iberschoff estate. The train, which resembles a vintage 1880 locomotive, is a model S-24 from the Allan Herschell Company. Due to lack of spare parts for maintenance and general repair, and concerns for the state of the track, the train was closed for the 2007 season. The track was rebuilt in 2008, and the locomotive went through a major rebuild, to reopen for the 2008 season. A tunnel removed in the initial renovation was replaced in 2009, and future plans include completely replacing the aging train.[5][6]

The Carousel was constructed over an 18-month period at a cost of about $750,000 and 40,000 volunteer hours, and opened for riders on July 18, 1998. The carousel figures were carved by the Tri-City Wood Carvers, and were designed to resemble carousel figures from the early 1900s. The figures are all hollow to allow for expansion and contraction of the wood. Two chariot benches were provided for those who wish to sit rather than ride on an animal. Animals in the carousel include rabbits, many types of horse and pony, zebras, a sea monster, and fish. The Carousel includes carved rounding boards and framed artwork depicting local historical scenes.[7]

Fossil Find was opened in 1998. It provides an area where children can dig for dinosaur bones and learn about prehistoric animals.[8]

The Animal Stars building opened in 2005, and provided a place where visitors could view some of the zoo's educational animals when the animals are not working in a show. This building is no longer operational.[8]

The Wetland Experience, which opened in 2006, is a natural wetland ecosystem with plants and fish native to Michigan wetlands. It includes an underwater viewing area and a crawl-through "beaver dam."[8]

Education

The zoo provides many educational opportunities including family classes, one-, two-, or three-day zoo camps, various theme days, and a zoo outreach program. The Zoo Crew program lets teenagers 13 through 18 volunteer and learn about how a zoo works. Shows at the zoo amphitheater and keeper talks, demonstrations, and animal feedings throughout the day offer additional information to interested visitors.[9]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Animal Encounters". saginawzoo.com. Children's Zoo at Celebration Square. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  2. ↑ "List of Accredited Zoos and Aquariums". aza.org. AZA. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  3. 1 2 "Children's Zoo at Celebration Square". saginawzoo.com. Children's Zoo at Celebration Square. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  4. ↑ "Admission and Hours". saginawzoo.com. Children's Zoo at Celebration Square. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  5. ↑ "Zoo Map". saginawzoo.com. Children's Zoo at Celebration Square. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  6. ↑ "Train". saginawzoo.com. Children's Zoo at Celebration Square. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  7. 1 2 3 "Other Attractions". saginawzoo.com. Children's Zoo at Celebration Square. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  8. ↑ "Education". saginawzoo.com. Children's Zoo at Celebration Square. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
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