Milwaukee County Zoo To Reopen As 'Outdoor Experience'

MILWAUKEE COUNTY, WI — The Milwaukee County Zoo will open for visitors on June 13, though the experience will be different because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in Wisconsin, officials said.

“The Zoo is one of the Milwaukee County’s finest assets, and an attraction that has been sorely missed by visitors during the current health emergency,” said County Executive Crowley in a statement Monday. “And on June 13, we’ll be excited to welcome them back. The “outdoor only” experience is Phase I of the reopening transition for the Zoo.”

The Milwaukee County Zoo was temporarily closed March 15 to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and will reopen to the public with only the outdoor habitats open, and a limited daily capacity for visitors and Zoo Pass holders.

Timed, electronic tickets that can be scanned at a safe distance, will be issued to visitors after they make their online reservations, Zoo officials said. Those tickets can be found online. There will only be a limited number of Zoo visitors per day, they said.

In addition to a raft of other safety precautions, here is a list of guidelines that will be in place when the Zoo reopens.

• All visitors are required to wear masks. When arriving, visitors and their party will be asked if everyone has a mask. If a visitor has forgotten a mask, a paper one will be supplied. A limited quantity of masks is available for purchase at the Gift Shop Marketplace, just past the U.S. Bank Gathering Place.
• Visitors will not have access to high-touch areas of the Zoo: Goat Yard, Sky Adventure Zip Line/Ropes Courses, Pony Rides, Playgrounds and areas where larger numbers of visitors could congregate: Giraffe Feedings, Animal in Action Talks and Animal Feedings.
• A limited number of restrooms will be open; with doors permanently propped open
• Water fountains will be closed; the water bottle refill station in the Gathering Place will be open.
• All indoor animal buildings will be closed.
• Concessions will be available, with limited menu items, at: West End Snacks, Coffee Shop and The Coop Food Truck; visitors can bring in food and non-alcoholic beverages.
• Visitors can bring in strollers, wheelchairs and electric scooters