Carousel Temporarily Closing to Make Way for New Zoo Road

If you’re a carousel enthusiast, make plans now to merry-go-round at the Zoo one more time before the end of the year. Our historic roundabout will soon be temporarily disassembled to make way for a new road through the Zoo!

“Although this has been a huge focus for all of us behind the scenes for a very long time, this will be the first visible signal that big changes are coming to the Zoo,” said Tracey Gazibara, executive vice president at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. “We’re looking forward to our guests, members and donors being able to see the beginning of the progress we’ve been planning for the last few years.”

The carousel will be safely stored for at least a year, so a new road can be constructed just west of the current main road into the Zoo. The ultimate goal is to expand and improve animal habitats in African Rift Valley, create a new admissions plaza, and drastically reduce the amount of time pedestrians and vehicles share paths, but that’s not all.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we’ll soon start work to:

Advance animal care by improving existing animal exhibits, including plans to update and expand African Rift Valley and giraffe indoor spaces. The funds will also allow us to design new habitat for orangutans, but will not fund construction. The next animal-centric capital campaign will focus on construction costs for those habitats and play space.
Improve animals’ fresh food security by growing the majority of needed lettuce and other high-demand produce at the Zoo. CMZoo’s horticulture team is already testing an on-site shipping container farm, made from a recycled shipping container, and will soon add another to continue testing. This plan also includes building a larger and more easily accessed hay barn.
Expand the entry plaza with an updated look and feel. Guests and members will enjoy more space and beautiful mountain rustic aesthetics as they start their Zoo day.
De-emphasize the main road’s impact on guest experiences by rerouting traffic. Imagine a more peaceful meander from the Zoo’s entrance up to Australia Walkabout. Cars visiting Shrine Road or Broadmoor Cloud Camp, above the Zoo, would enter the Zoo behind Water’s Edge: Africa, and cross pedestrian paths only briefly, instead of continuously sharing the main road with foot traffic.

We’ll keep you informed as these exciting projects take shape. For more information on how you can support the Zoo’s future, visit cmzoo.org/support.

Back to The Waterhole