Historic photos showcase decades of Detroit Zoo water tower designs

Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press
Updated ·1 min read
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The Detroit Zoo is giving its water tower a makeover, re-painting it adding a new, temporary design that should be up by late July or early August and help and is supposed to be "a surprise."

The tower, which is 150-feet and built by the City of Royal Oak in 1928, quit working in 1984, but has continued to serve as a landmark to help folks, especially unfamiliar with the area, to find the zoo. It also has helped advertise it, with its "parade of critters," animals encircling it.

Here are some images of the tower over the years:

The water tower near the Detroit Zoo in 1932.
The water tower near the Detroit Zoo in 1932.
The water tower near the Detroit Zoo in 1985.
The water tower near the Detroit Zoo in 1985.
The water tower near the Detroit Zoo in 1986.
The water tower near the Detroit Zoo in 1986.

Also read: Detroit Zoo welcomes new baby giraffe

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Zoo water tower history: Photos show designs over the years