Kansas City Zoo reports record 1.27 million visitors, outlines capital projects

Sean Putney, CEO of the Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium, told the Jackson County Legislature on Feb. 24 that 2024 was the zoo’s best year on record, drawing “over 1,270,000 guests,” and outlined planned repairs and new attractions for 2025 and 2026.

Putney said attendance last year exceeded the previous best year by about 200,000 and credited higher attendance with allowing the zoo to hire more full‑time staff and fund infrastructure repairs. “Back in 2007 when I first came to the zoo we had 140 full time employees, and now we have 250,” Putney told legislators.

Why it matters: the zoo is a regional attraction that drives tourism, paid staff and ticket revenue, and several of the projects Putney described involve county permitting and accessibility upgrades that affect visitors and county planning.

Putney described specific near‑term work: a 2025 refurbishment of the Lion and Kopi area in the 30‑year‑old African exhibit; removal of the last on‑site porta‑potties through a new restroom; a temporary dinosaur exhibit (13 life‑size animatronic models) scheduled May–August with no extra charge to visitors; a new zip line ride called the Flying Flamingo for the area beside the aquarium (Putney said “the last permit we needed is in place”); and a giraffe project that Putney said would begin site work in March (Putney named March 17 as the expected start). He said the giraffe work would move the holding area closer to the public exhibit so visitors could see giraffes daily and expand indoor space to about 8,000 square feet combining indoor and additional areas, with an expected opening in spring 2026.

Putney also described school outreach and conservation efforts tied to the zoo’s Zoological District work that provides free field trips for many second, fourth and eighth grade classes and curriculum materials aligned to Missouri standards. On animals, he said the zoo currently has a pregnant giraffe and expects more arrivals, mentioning possible river otter and sea turtle rehabilitation opportunities in the year ahead.

Legislator Charlie Franklin, who introduced Putney to the Legislature as the panel’s county board representative to the zoo, thanked Putney and noted the zoo’s regional draw. Putney took questions from legislators about attendance trends and school programming; he said attendance had dipped in January–February because of weather but that recent days had shown improvement.

Putney closed by inviting legislators to the zoo and said the presentation materials distributed to the Legislature contain additional project and budget details.