Saint Louis Zoo Launches Public

Better Wild, Better World” Campaign

$152 Million Raised Historic campaign supports Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park, Henry A. Jubel Foundation Destination Discovery and the Zoo’s endowment

The Saint Louis Zoo this week kicked off the public phase of a $170 million fundraising effort aimed at supporting the Zoo endowment and two of the most ambitious projects in the organization’s 116-year history.

The “Better Wild, Better World” campaign—the Zoo’s largest fundraising effort to date—has already secured more than $152 million in private support to fund capital projects and strengthen the Zoo’s long-term financial sustainability. The public phase of the campaign remains critical, with just under $18 million still needed to grow the Zoo’s impact and fund two transformational projects:

Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park is a $235 million, 425-acre safari park and conservation center coming to northeast St. Louis County in 2027. Guests to the safari park will experience an interactive zoo museum, take in the sights on an 11-story observation tower and see wildlife in a new way on guided safari tours winding through habitats for giraffes, rhinos and other species. On the same property, the private Kent Family Conservation and Animal Science Center will be dedicated to safeguarding some of the most endangered species in the world.

   Henry A. Jubel Foundation Destination Discovery is a new experience for families coming to the Saint Louis Zoo later this year. Located on the 2.8-acre site of the former Emerson Children’s Zoo, Destination Discovery is estimated to cost $58.9 million. Guests will engage with habitats for species including North American river otters and Chilean flamingos, up-close animal encounters, a splash pad and a 15,000-square-foot new education building and learning center, among other attractions designed to inspire the next generation of conservationists.

Details and information on how to donate can be found at stlzoo.org/BetterWildBetterWorld.

   More About Henry A. Jubel Foundation Destination Discovery

Henry A. Jubel Foundation Destination Discovery will be a dynamic, 2.8-acre area in the Saint Louis Zoo designed with the youngest guests in mind, emphasizing close-up encounters with animals in an immersive, kinetic and hands-on learning environment for guests of all abilities.

Destination Discovery aims to inspire empathy and connection with the natural world through play, interactive exhibits and adventures.

Guests will be able to feed a flock of Chilean flamingos, stand nose-to-nose with a prairie dog, stroll by a barnyard full of babydoll sheep and walk under a North American river otter zooming through a water flume. Pop-up encounters will feature animals including a sloth, porcupine, bobcat, vulture, toucans, reptiles, amphibians, and more.

An elevated boardwalk will include a towering, invertebrate-themed climbing structure that will allow kids to climb, jump and explore. A splash pad will be home to whimsical animal sculptures and interactive water elements in the summer and a snowy play zone, complete with a snow machine, in the winter.

The 15,000-square-foot Conservation Education Building will include an interactive educational play space for guests along with classrooms that will significantly expand the Zoo’s preschool, camps and year-round education programming.

Zoo members may use their member benefits for free admission to Destination Discovery. Additional details, including admission costs, will be available closer to opening later in 2026.

More About Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park

Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park will dramatically increase the Zoo’s capacity to conserve animals and engage the public in its mission.

Conservation breeding and research will focus on endangered and threatened animals. The park will help grow a critical safety net population of species in zoos and support wild populations around the world, bolstering their numbers and safeguarding their survival.

In the public safari, guests will be able to interact with animals in new ways through immersive guided tours, a zoo museum and an 11-story observation tower that will offer sweeping, 360-degree views of the park’s animals and the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.

WildCare Park will quadruple the Zoo’s footprint in the St. Louis area and is estimated to host up to 425,000 guests annually. Admission will be free to all residents of Saint Louis County. Additional information on the grand opening and tickets will be available closer to opening in 2027.

More about the Saint Louis Zoo Endowment

In 2004, the Saint Louis Zoo Association established a permanent investment-based endowment fund to produce a reliable, annual stream of income that ensures a strong and financially independent Zoo.

Since then, thousands of donors have made gifts to the fund, often to honor loved ones or establish named endowed funds. The endowment includes unrestricted funds that give the Zoo the greatest flexibility to meet challenges and seize opportunities along with funds directed to key areas including animal care, conservation, research, education programs, operations, and facilities and grounds maintenance.

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us