Zoo key facts for kids
A zoo key is a special, large key used at American zoos. These keys let you hear audio stories about the animals and exhibits. Zoos used them mostly in the late 1900s. The keys were often bright plastic and shaped like animals. Some keys had other fun shapes too.
The very first zoo keys looked like an elephant. The elephant's trunk was the part that went into the storybook machine. This key was often called Trunkey the Elephant. At the Cleveland Zoo, it had a different name: Packey.
Many zoos had these systems, including those in Portland, San Francisco, Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, New Orleans, and New York.
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How Zoo Keys Started
The idea for zoo keys came from Bruce Sedley (1925-2012). He was an inventor. William Penn Mott Jr., who worked for the Oakland Park Department, asked him to create a new system. Bruce Sedley's invention was first called Talking Storybooks.
The very first system was set up at Children's Fairyland in 1958. Before this, Fairyland had a similar system with coin-operated record players. But these record players often broke down.
Sedley created a better system using magnetic tape. This was like a loop of tape with the audio recorded on it. It was much more reliable! At first, Sedley's own voice was used for the stories. Later, famous people's voices were used.
As of 2018, the system is still used at Children's Fairyland. You can buy new Magic Keys there for $3. Even today, a company in Santa Cruz, California, called The Talking Storybook Company, still makes a version of the system. Bruce Sedley also invented magnetic hotel room keys later on.
Zoo Keys Across the USA
San Francisco Zoo Stories
The San Francisco Zoo was one of the first zoos to get the system. They installed 40 storybook units in 1959. This is when the name Talking Storybook was first used. The storyboxes played a fun song: "All the animals at the zoo are jumping up and down for you." Other zoos, like the Philadelphia Zoo, also used this song in their TV ads.
Philadelphia Zoo's Return
The Philadelphia Zoo got its system around 1959. It was even shown in a TV commercial back then. The original system was removed in 2007. But people loved it so much that it came back in 2020! It's now part of an exhibit called Creatures of Habitat. This exhibit has amazing life-size Lego animal sculptures.
The new system has 20 storyboxes. They offer stories in both English and Spanish. You can buy new keys, but old keys from the original system still work! The new system is also eco-friendly. The storybooks use solar power, and the new keys are made from recycled plastic. You can find new keys shaped like lions, bears, and gorillas.
Cleveland Zoo's History
The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo had the original system from 1959 to 1980. Fletcher Reynolds, the zoo's director, wrote the stories for the audio recordings. Some say professional voice actors in Hollywood did the recordings. Others say a local TV star named Linn Sheldon did them.
The system came back to the Cleveland Zoo in 2017. It's now called ZooKey. KeyBank helped pay for it as part of the Cleveland Metroparks' 100th anniversary. This new setup has more than two dozen stations.
Sacramento Zoo's Colorful Keys
The Sacramento Zoo offers keys in many colors and animal shapes. In 2011, you could get keys shaped like orange tigers, gold giraffes, and yellow lions.
Other Places with Zoo Keys
- Como Park Zoo and Conservatory
- Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
- Louisville Zoo
- Oregon Zoo
- Detroit Zoo
- Belle Isle Children's Zoo and Aquarium
- Oakland Zoo
- Fort Worth Zoo
- Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
- New Orleans Audubon Zoo
- Turtle Back Zoo
- Potowatomi Zoo
How Long Do Zoo Keys Last?
Zoo keys were sold so that kids would keep them. The idea was that children would bring them back on their next visits to the zoo. This has really happened over the years! Some keys that are 50 years old still work in today's storybook machines.
C.J. Hirschfield, who runs Children's Fairyland, said: I constantly hear from 30-, 40- and 50-somethings, 'I still have my key!' And I always reply, 'And it still works!'
Collecting Zoo Keys
Old zoo keys have become popular items to collect. Most keys are worth a few dollars. But some very rare and special keys can be worth up to $225!
Mark Lyons is a well-known collector. He got his first key at the Detroit Zoo during a school trip. When eBay started, it helped him collect many more keys. He thinks he has between 350 and 400 keys from different zoos.
