Zoo Visitors Top 1 Million for the Ninth Consecutive Year

When complete, the Detroit Zoo’s $29.5 million Polk Penguin Conservation Center will be a penguin “deep dive” with views above and below water as the birds dive and soar through a chilled 326,000-gallon, 25-foot-deep aquatic area.

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For the ninth consecutive year on Friday, Aug. 29, the Detroit Zoo’s 2014 attendance surpassed 1 million visitors. At the close of the Labor Day weekend, the number of visitors for the year thus far totaled 1,021,408.

“There are thousands of ways to get Vitamin Z at the Detroit Zoo, as more than a million people have already discovered this year,” said Detroit Zoological Society Executive Director and CEO Ron Kagan. “We’re grateful to the community for its support and look forward to providing more outstanding guest experiences in 2014 and beyond.”

Upcoming events this fall include:

Run Wild for the Detroit Zoo on Sunday, Sept. 14: A 5K, 10K and 1.5-mile fun walk to benefit the Zoo’s Ruth Roby Glancy Animal Health Complex and veterinary care for the animals.

Zoo Brew: The popular event returns Friday, Sept. 26, with more than 100 craft beers for the 21-and-older beer-tasting event.

Zoo Boo: The annual “merry-not-scary” Zoo Boo celebration takes place on select weekends in October.

Wild Lights: For 24 nights in November and December, guests can enjoy more than 5 million LED lights illuminating trees, buildings and animal sculptures throughout the front of the Zoo during Wild Lights.

The Detroit Zoological Society is a nonprofit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo. Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic habitats, the Detroit Zoo is located at 10 Mile Road and Woodward Avenue off I-696 in Royal Oak, Mich.

The Detroit Zoo is open 362 days a year, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through Labor Day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the day after Labor Day through October and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March.

Admission is $14 for adults 15 to 61 and $10 for children 2 to 14, senior citizens 62 and older and active military with ID; children under 2 are admitted free.

The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March; closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Admission to the Nature Zoo is free; however, a State of Michigan Recreation Passport is required for all personal vehicles to enter Belle Isle State Park. For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visi t www.detroitzoo.org.