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Memphis ZooTennessee Tuesday expansion credited for access and tourism gains
Summary
At the Shelby County budget kickoff, Chairwoman Avant credited a $1.5 million county investment in "Tennessee Tuesday" for more than 25,000 reservations and broader community access to the Memphis Zoo, and cited spillover benefits for hotels and restaurants from a 100,000-person holiday lantern festival.
Chairwoman Avant opened the Shelby County budget kickoff at the Memphis Zoo by framing the meeting as a kickoff for FY27 and highlighting the zoos Tennessee Tuesday program as a return-on-investment example for county-funded access initiatives.
Avant said the countys $1.5 million investment in Tennessee Tuesday expanded paid admission to cover the full day, improved the reservation system, and produced more than 25,000 reservations in the first six months. She noted that online reservation data show participation from neighborhoods across Shelby County (top ZIPs she cited included 38128, 38127, 38109, 38111 and 38106), and that program changes have encouraged more seniors and grandparents to visit during cooler hours.
The chair also previewed a new stingray exhibit (planned for the west end near the zipline) and described the holiday lantern festival as a major draw: about 100,000 visitors in December (the event ran into January), with sizable attendance from neighboring states (she reported approximately 17,000 visitors from Mississippi and 5,000 from Arkansas). Avant said those visitors translate into hotel stays and restaurant spending, and noted that Memphis Tourism reported a 12% increase in hotel stays for December.
"Your investment, your $1.5 million investment in Tennessee Tuesday has already produced an immediate and measurable return for Shelby County residents," Avant said, adding that more families who might not otherwise access a zoo visit are now walking through the gates.
The presentation invited commissioners to use a community budget toolkit and district-level hearings to solicit feedback on the program and on a proposed "innovation impact fund" that would set aside resources for prioritized investments. No formal action was taken on funding the innovation fund at the meeting; commissioners were encouraged to gather constituent input ahead of May hearings.
The zoo representative (invited by the chair) was introduced to offer a site welcome; the session otherwise focused on budget planning and revenue forecasts. Chairwoman Avant closed the remarks by thanking staff and urging commissioners to study materials ahead of the upcoming hearings.
