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Blank Park Zoo reports 500,000+ visitors, outlines conservation work and $6M lion center
Summary
Blank Park Zoo told the council it drew more than half a million visitors in 2025, outlined conservation partnerships (Blanding's turtles, Florida Reef Project), and said it has raised $15 million toward capital work including a $6 million Marjorie Foster Lion Conservation Center; the zoo said it still needs about $3 million to complete current projects.
Blank Park Zoo representatives briefed the Des Moines City Council during the April 20 work session on attendance, conservation projects, education programming, and several capital initiatives, including a $6 million lion conservation center currently under construction.
"We had a total audience of over half a million people last year," the presenter said, noting the zoo expects to continue growth with traveling exhibits and expanded interactive offerings. The zoo credited a mix of local visitors (52% within a 30‑minute drive) and out‑of‑county tourists for its reach; their economic impact study estimates about $42 million per year in Polk County.
Conservation and education highlights included a Blanding's turtle head‑start program run with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Iowa State University (56 hatchlings released last year, with more releases scheduled) and the Florida Reef Project, in which the zoo maintains corals for future reef repopulation.
Capital work described to council includes the Marjorie Foster Lion Conservation Center (roughly $6 million) and the Wild Iowa expansion; the presenter said construction is underway with a mid‑August target for the lion center and an early‑2027 expected ribbon cutting for Wild Iowa. The zoo said it has raised over $15 million toward these projects but still needs roughly $3 million to complete current work.
The zoo described program growth and operations: 1,000 students attended summer camps last year, the Zoo Crew teen program logged 5,300 service hours with 184 participants, and the gift shop produces more than $1 million in gross revenue annually. The presenter noted rising personnel and operating costs and said certain revenue items—such as a postponed wildlife festival—pose budgetary challenges; the festival's net revenue impact is about $250,000.
Event and visitor plans include a 60th anniversary celebration May 8–9 and a community "Roar and Explore" lion‑sculpture trail featuring locally produced art commissioned for the anniversary. The zoo also described smaller investments (wayfinding, point‑of‑sale upgrades, animal additions and breeding programs) and new interactive experiences planned for the public.
Speakers quoted in this report are drawn from the meeting transcript and limited to those identified there.
