Columbian Park Zoo facts for kids
| Date opened | 1908 |
|---|---|
| Location | Lafayette, Indiana, United States |
| Coordinates | 40°24′51″N 86°52′15″W / 40.4141335°N 86.8709012°W |
| No. of animals | 190 |
The Columbian Park Zoo is a fun place to visit in Lafayette, Indiana. It's located inside Columbian Park, which also has playgrounds and walking trails. The zoo is home to over 190 animals from more than 90 different kinds of species. It's a seasonal zoo, meaning it's open during certain times of the year.
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Discover the Zoo's Past
The Columbian Park Zoo first opened its doors in 1908. Back then, it had animals like foxes, skunks, pelicans, and even a wolf. Big improvements happened in 1928. A main animal house was built. The zoo also bought an elephant! Local school kids helped raise money for it. In the 1930s, the zoo started breeding animals. This helped them share animals with other small zoos. By 1943, even more animals arrived. These included lions, monkeys, zebras, and alligators. In 2004, a special plan was made for the zoo's future. This plan aimed for more natural-looking animal homes. It also brought back the Columbia Park Carousel. The zoo reopened with these exciting changes on June 30, 2007.
Learn and Explore: Zoo Education
The Columbian Park Zoo offers many programs for kids and teens. These programs help you learn about animals and how a zoo works.
Programs for Younger Kids
- Zoo Pajama Party: This program is for children ages one to five. Kids can wear their pajamas for story time and animal encounters. It happens once a month.
- Zoo Sprouts: Designed for ages three to four, this program lets kids get closer to animals. They can even touch some animals while learning fun facts.
Programs for School-Aged Kids and Teens
- Weekend Classes and Workshops: The zoo offers special classes on weekends. These are great for school-aged children.
- Summer Camps: During the summer, kids can join exciting camps. They learn about different animals and conservation.
- Zoo Teen Program: If you are 14 to 17 years old, you can join the Zoo Teen program. This is a volunteer program where you learn how a zoo operates. You attend training and work shifts during the summer.
- School Field Trips: Schools can arrange special field trips. The zoo's education team leads these trips.
Opportunities for College Students
The zoo also offers internships for college students. These internships cover areas like animal care, marketing, and education. Purdue University's EPICS project also helps the zoo. They design and build engineering projects to support the zoo's needs.
How the Zoo Gets Support
The Columbian Park Zoo gets help from many places. The Lafayette Parks Foundation helps raise money for the zoo. You can also support the zoo by buying brick pavers. These bricks are used around the zoo grounds. The zoo also gets money from animal sponsorships. People can sponsor an animal to help pay for its care. Memberships are another way to support the zoo. Members often get special benefits, like free entry.
