Detroit Zoo Members Get Special Access to Penguin Center

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ROYAL OAK, MI – Detroit Zoo members will have exclusive access to the new Polk Penguin Conservation Center at a dozen special evening events that are collectively called MemberFest.

The new penguin habitat, the largest facility for captive penguins in the world, opens April 18.

The 12 after-hours events for zoo members will be held April 18-21, April 25-28 and May 2-5.

“This is our way of showing appreciation for our members and an opportunity to welcome new members,” said Ron Kagan, executive director and CEO of the Detroit Zoological Society, said in a news release.

DZS members receive free daytime admission and parking to the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo, as well as many other benefits. More information about becoming a member is available here.

The new penguin habitat is expected to attract an unprecedented number of visitors to the zoo, officials said. Admission is free with zoo admission, but because so many visitors are expected, timed-entry passes will be required, available on a first-come, first-served basis at admissions.

The 33,000-square-foot Polk Penguin Conservation Center features a 326,000-gallon, 25-foot-deep aquatic area where visitors can watch more than 80 penguins of four species explore their habitat.

An underwater gallery and two acrylic underwater tunnels provide views as the birds swim above, around and below.

Image credit: Jennie Miller courtesy of Detroit Zoo