High atop the hill that is the backdrop to
John Ball Zoo's entrance is a lush, green forest that visitors have never been able to explore … until now. The John Ball Zoo (1300 W. Fulton St.) recently opened its new Idema Forest Realm, threaded with a tree-shaded boardwalk/pathway that leads visitors to the hilltop viewing area to catch an eyeful of scenic views of Grand Rapids.
The Idema Forest Realm is part of a $12.5 million project, paid for with private funds, to create new adventures for zoo visitors. The three-year project includes an expanded gift shop, a new visitor plaza entryway, three play zones along the forest path, and a multi-function events center called The Bissell Tree House, all of which opened last month.
A much anticipated three-car funicular (tram), which will take riders up and down the hill, will open within the next couple of weeks, says Brenda Stringer, executive director of the John Ball Zoo Society.
"It's in the testing phase right now," Stringer says. "We have to have a computer setting for each foot of track to keep the cars level so the passengers stay level on their way up and down the hill."
Stringer says that even more changes are coming, changes geared to delight visitors and make the zoo the best it can be for its four-legged inhabitants. The Meijer Grizzly Bear Exhibit opens in 2013 and includes a much larger grizzly bear viewing area, the removal of the moat that separates the bears from the fenced boundary, and the addition of a glass wall that will allow the bears to get up close to visitors. Atop the hill, the Jandernoa Children's Tree House (opens 2013) and the Crawford Tiger Exhibit (opens 2014) are in the design phases with construction slated to begin soon.
A $5 million gift from Bea Idema and the Bill & Bea Idema Foundation spurred development of the Idema Forest Realm & Funicular. The $12.5 million raised will fund all of the projects, plus a central services warehouse.
Source: Brenda Stringer, John Ball Zoo Society
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor
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