New Blank Park Zoo plaza makes animal visits more accessible, inspires more changes
A small addition will make a huge difference to Blank Park Zoo visitors.
GoGo Plaza at Blank Park Zoo officially opened May 6 to give heightened accessibility options at the zoo.
The project was dedicated to Gloria “GoGo” Burnett — a long time supporter of Blank Park Zoo. GoGo Plaza features a family restroom, outdoor water bottle filling stations, shaded seating, a cooling area, parent's room, snack and an adult-sized changing table.
“A lot of times when you do fundraising for the zoo, everyone wants to do an animal project,” Ryan Bickel, chief marketing officer of the Blank Park Zoo, said. “But these guest services, guest amenities that we could provide with this, it sometimes is harder to find donors for this so that’s why this project is so great because it was funded by donors so that we could provide these really needed guest services.”
The 1,500-square-foot addition to Blank Park Zoo cost $770,000 and is at the center of the zoo between the tortoises and The Harbor.
GoGo plaza serves as a threefold venture for the Blank Park Zoo in creating an equitable experience, offering a better year-round experience and an opportunity to bring in a bit more money that can go towards their education and conservation efforts.
Through GoGo plaza serving Blank Park Zoo year-round, more money will funnel to education for students, conservation efforts, paying employees and funding more accessibility projects like the remodeling walkways around the zoo.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: GoGo Plaza at Blank Park Zoo adds accessibility options for visitors
