Welcome to John Ball Zoo Society's website!
General Information
Hours & Rates, Directions, or contact us with questions.
Haga clic aquí para información general acerca del zoo.
Events
Click here to check out our Events!
SUMMER EXHIBITS OPEN SATURDAY – MAY 17 !!!
300-foot, 4-story ZIPLINE: Take a ride on the only zipline in Michigan!!! ($5.00 per ride)
ALL NEW SKY TRAIL: Double-decker ROPES COURSE! Seven climbing
elements on each level! ($7.00 per experience)
WALK THRU WALLABIES: These smaller versions of kangaroos will roam freely around throughout their exhibit as you as you stroll thru!! Keep a close eye for the ‘joeys’ peeking out of the pouches!
SWAN BOATS: Tool around the park pond in these whimsical paddle boats! ($5.00 per ride – 2 adults or 1 adult and 2 children per boat)
PYGMY
GOAT PETTING CORRAL: This petting corral is perfect for toddlers
because the goats and lambs are babies too!!
FARM ANIMAL PETTING CORRAL: Brush the donkeys, cows, goats and sheep!
RIDE THE HUMP: Camel rides now open! (Only $4.00)
STINGRAY LAGOON!
Touch the COWNOSE RAYS, NURSE SHARKS and the all new HORSESHOE
CRABS! ($1.00 to enter)
Coming soon!!! WALK THRU BUDGIE AVIARY containing over
300 colorful parakeets that you can hand feed! ($1.00 for seed stick)
RendeZoo XIX - Let it ROAR!
Friday,
June 13th from 7:00 to 11:30 PM
Join us for the Best Party In Town at RendeZoo XIX - Let it ROAR, a unique fundraiser with a preview of our new BISSELL Lions of Lake Manyara exhibit, gourmet dinner, unusual entertainment, and dancing under the stars with music by Sweet Japonic.
FROGS!!!
New
FROG Exhibit
Frogs are in trouble. So are toads, salamanders and newts. In fact, almost one-third of the world’s amphibians are threatened with extinction partly because of an infectious fungus that is believed to have been introduced when pet frogs, specifically the Clawed Frog, were released into the wild.
To raise awareness of this crisis, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) has highlighted 2008 as the “Year of the Frog”. This will be a national awareness campaign and zoos and aquariums around the country have agreed to participate in efforts to get the word out about the plight of amphibians. In many cases, breeding programs at Zoos around the country are the only thing saving some species of frogs from extinction. John Ball Zoo’s contribution to this effort is a brand new frog exhibit and a ramp up of their breeding efforts.
The new exhibit, which opened on Saturday April 19, features about 80 different animals representing 15 different species of frogs and toads. The new exhibit is intentionally designed to capture the attention of the young children. It is brightly colored with interactive graphics that parents and children can explore together. One offers tykes a chance to actually hear the ‘call’ of many different frogs. The strategy is to build upon the strong attraction young children already have for frogs and to help develop needed respect for these very important disappearing.
Submit
a FROGGY Message and Enter to Win!
KIDS, send us a FROGGY MESSAGE and have a chance to WIN a giant plush Red-eye Tree Frog! There will be a winner each month, from April to September.
WE LOVE FROGS! And we know, you do too! We want to see your frog artwork, poems, letters, or any other ways you can express (on paper) why you think FROGS ARE COOL! Your froggy message might also be selected for display at our new FROG FRIENDS CLUB exhibit.
Employment Opportunities
Be sure to visit our Employment Opportunities page to learn more about exciting part-time and full-time openings at the John Ball Zoo Society.
Click here to visit Employment Opportunities.
John Ball Zoo's New Admission Rates
As you may have read, John Ball Zoo admission prices will be increasing during our peak season, but there's more to the story.
Click here for details about our new admission rates.
Summer Discovery Classes 2008
John Ball Zoo’s Summer Discovery Program is a unique, fun, hands-on learning experience for children, ages 3 years to those entering 8th grade! Each class follows its particular theme and uses a variety of methods to stimulate the learning process (role-playing, behind the scenes tours, games, stories, songs, and more).
Animal Sponsorship Special - Think PINK!!!
Sponsor our Chilean Flamingo for only $35 and get a cozy flamingo plush in addition to our regular sponsorship materials.
Click here for more information.
Apply for a Wildlife Conservation Grant
For twenty years the John Ball Zoo Society’s Wildlife Conservation Fund has helped fund over 100 projects. These projects have helped conserve wildlife and wild places in more than 30 countries. If you are interested in applying for a 2008 Wildlife Conservation Grant, click on the link below for more information.
Click here to learn more and apply for a 2008 Wildlife Conservation Grant.
Videos Featuring John Ball Zoo
Click here to visit MLive.com and view a short video tour of John Ball Zoo, featuring Zoo director Bert Vescolani and produced by Grand Rapids Press.
Click here to check out our Chimp Clip, produced by Grand Rapids Community Media Center.
