The Saint Louis Zoo is getting a major upgrade sometime in 2026.
The Forest Park institution announced on Friday that replacing the Emerson Dinoroarus exhibit, formerly the site of the popular Emerson Children’s Zoo, will be a new $40 million, 2.8-acre experience for children named Henry A. Jubel Foundation Destination Discovery. Similar to the old Children’s Zoo, Destination Discovery will prioritize up-close encounters with animals. The Children’s Zoo, which operated for 51 years, closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Read more: Check out our guide to visiting the Saint Louis Zoo with kids here.
“Guests, young and young at heart, will have the opportunity to explore the underground tunnels dug by prairie dogs, splash alongside flamingos, and walk through an aviary,” said the Zoo’s director, Michael Macek, in a statement. “Guests will learn all about animals being part of families and communities just like us. No visit to Destination Discovery will be the same for guests. We plan to have spontaneous keeper chats and surprise animal experiences, like macaws flying overhead.”
Plans for Destination Discovery’s entrance include a projection of wildlife spaces that changes with the seasons so that children can learn more about animal habitats.
The Forest Families space will include a climbing tower and treehouses connected by tunnels. There, children can peep animals who live in trees, like coati. A java finch aviary where kids can feed the birds seed is also planned for Forest Families.
Tasmanian devils will return to the zoo for Destination Discovery, and their new exhibit will be one of only three in the United States. A flock of smiley babydoll sheep will also call Forest Families home.
In the Underground Cities portion of Destination Discovery, children will be able to crawl through a tunnel and pop up in an acrylic bubble to experience the habitat of the black-tailed prairie dog. Visitors will also be able to walk among Patagonia mara and alpacas.
No summer family spot is complete without a splash pad, and Destination Discovery will include one near the Chilean flamingo lagoon. Also part of the Freshwater Wilderness portion of the attraction will be a North American river otter habitat complete with acrylic flumes for the playful animals to swim through and guests to watch.
On Friday, the Zoo stated that Destination Discovery admission costs will be announced later. Dinoroarus will close November 5.
