A New $40 Million Discovery Zone is Coming to the St. Louis Zoo

The St. Louis Zoo just announced a massive new destination discovery zone coming to the zoo in 2026.

The new Destination Discovery will take over the space where the former children's zoo (which closed in 2020) used to be. Currently at that location is the Emerson Disnours Exhibit which will close on November 5. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,

The children’s zoo area at the St. Louis Zoo has been reimagined and will be rebuilt as a place where children and families can interact with and be inspired by animals: whether they’re “popping up” next to a prairie dog, splashing on one leg with Chilean flamingoes or climbing through tunnels alongside Tasmanian devils, one of only three places in the country to see them.

Knowing that the dinosaur exhibit was temporary, zoo officials started planning on what to do with the space once the exhibit closes later this year. After making the difficult decision to close the children's zoo after 51-year they knew whatever they did to fill that 3-acre space had to be epic and grand, and I can say a $40 million project is pretty epic and grand. This new addition to the zoo is the second big project the zoo is working on. They also announced a 425-acre Wildlife Park to open soon.

After meeting with families on what they wanted new or back at the new it was then that Destination Discovery was imaged. I can't tell you how excited I am to see that area become something huge like this. This will definitely put the St. Louis Zoo back on top as one of the favorite zoos in the nation.

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