The Potawatomi Zoo will open for the season at 10 a.m. March 29.
The Potawatomi Zoo Express Train and the Endangered Species Carousel, two popular attractions, will be open during the 2024 season.
Giraffe feeding will be a daily scheduled event. Feeding takes place on the outdoor giraffe deck or inside the giraffe barn visitor center in inclement weather. Visitors can purchase attraction tickets for the train, carousel or large pieces of lettuce.
The zoo’s education department will be offering a range of classes and camps throughout the season in the learning center and the AEP Foundation STEM classroom. Zoo camp will begin in June.
Visitors can dine at The Lodge, the zoo’s new concessions facility. The Lodge overlooks a new Andean bear habitat. Both are part of the zoo's $12.5 million third phase of its master plan.
The zoo is planning a ribbon-cutting ceremony March 28 to celebrate the opening of The Lodge and the bear habitat. Josh Sisk, executive director of the zoo; James Mueller, mayor of South Bend; Bethany Hartley, president and CEO of the South Bend/Elkhart Regional Partnership; and Ryan Mishler, Indiana State senator, will share remarks before the ribbon cutting.
This season the zoo will host a series of special events from June through November, including Eat and Drink at the Zoo, Children’s Day, Brew at the Zoo, Zoo Boo and the Gift of Lights.
More information about new animals, education programs, special events and operating hours is available here.
The South Bend zoo is home to over 400 animals, and has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since 1987.
Caption: The zoo's lion pride lounges in the sun. (Provided by the Potawatomi Zoo)
