Overview:
- The Detroit Zoo opens the 7-acre Fred and Barbara Erb Discovery Trails, the largest project in the zoo's history.
- The trails feature interactive exhibits, animal encounters including stingrays and goats, a children's playscape, and virtual reality experiences, with ADA-accessible pathways.
- A $6-million grant from the Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation helped fund the trails, which are free with zoo admission except for stingray encounters ($2) and VR experiences ($7-8)
The Detroit Zoo opened the 7-acre Fred and Barbara Erb Discovery Trails to the public Saturday. It’s the largest project in the zoo’s history.
The winding path is full of engaging activities, eye-catching enclosures, and tasty treats. It features a Treetop Crossing playscape and model farmer’s market for kids, stingray and baby goat petting, virtual reality simulations, and more.
The animals on the trails include bush dogs, giant anteaters, southern stingrays, prairie dogs, goats, alpacas, burrowing owls, brownbanded bamboo sharks, donkeys, and chickens.
A $6-million grant from the Fred and Barbra Erb Family Foundation helped make the zoo’s new attraction possible.
The Discovery Trails were developed to enrich and connect anyone who walks them to the natural world.
“Every moment of discovery helps build care, curiosity and understanding — it inspires people to protect wildlife and the natural world. Our Discovery Trails brings that mission to life in a way guests can see, touch, feel and remember,” said Detroit Zoological Society CEO Dr. Hayley Murphy.
The trails have interactive infographics and staff on hand to answer questions. They’re built for touching, climbing, feeding, playing, and exploring at your own pace, according to the zoo.
The trails have paved, ADA-accessible pathways, with a paved section inside the goat encounter yard.
The grant from the Erb Family Foundation that supported the Discovery Trails is one of the most substantial in the zoo’s history.
The trails are free with zoo admission. Two experiences are paid: The Aaron and Carolynn Frankel Stingray Cove is $2, and the Wild Explorer VR Experience is $8 general admission and $7 for zoo members.
Walk-up general admission tickets to the zoo are $24 per child and older adult, and $27 per adult. Learn more about the Discovery Trails at this link.
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