The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo experienced its third-highest yearly attendance ever in 2014 with a total of 545,563 guests. This figure includes 520,613 people who visited during the regular zoo season of April 26 through Oct. 12, and 24,950 who visited during the Wild Zoo Halloween in 2014.

Attendance in 2014 was just 337 people shy of the zoo’s second-highest yearly attendance of 545,900 in 2013. The zoo’s all-time attendance record is 614,666, set in 2009 when the African Journey exhibit first opened.“

We thank everyone who supported the zoo this year, including our members, out-of-town guests, and the entire community,” said Zoo Director Jim Anderson. “I’m proud of our staff and the excellent work they do to connect our guests with animals every day.”

The zoo is operated by the non-profit Fort Wayne Zoological Society and receives no tax funding for operations. Ticket sales, membership sales, concessions, other earned revenue, donations, and sponsorships comprise the zoo’s operating budget.

The zoo is the largest tourist attraction in northeast Indiana. About one in five zoo visitors comes from outside of Indiana. Forty percent of zoo guests are from Allen County. For more than 90 percent of out-of-town zoo guests surveyed, the zoo was their main reason for traveling to Fort Wayne. The zoo is currently closed for the season and will reopen on April 25, 2015.

As a self-supporting facility, the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo receives no tax dollars for operations. The zoo’s operations are funded entirely by earned revenue and donations. The zoo is closed for the season and will reopen on April 25, 2015.

Source: Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo