TOLEDO – Bouncy mesh and brightly painted concrete hide water pumps in the Aquarium Adventure Trail’s splash pad, and right now, bright yellow tape blocks off the area while two maintenance men ready the water experience for warmer weather and family fun.
“Prepping for the season,” explained Virgil Baird, a maintenance technician who conveys the overall mood for all parts of the Zoo & Aquarium.
“I actually do everything,” he said, adding that he has over 40 years of experience working for the Toledo Zoo. “So I do plumbing, welding, electrical…I do carpentry, I do HVAC, I take care of all the irrigation in the park.”
All of these practical preparations are necessary for the Zoo to be at full capacity, with the greatest number of exhibits and programs set for the public by Memorial Day weekend.
“It’ll be a great weekend where we have animal feeding demonstrations, keeper talks, animal shows within our Nature’s Neighborhood Children’s Zoo,” said Jennifer Brassil, the director of events, PR & communications. “Everything kind of opens up.”
Reptile House
Perhaps most anticipated feature this summer season is the reopening of the Reptile House, which has been closed since late 2024.
The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium promised there will be significant upgrades to the space, including better air conditioning, expanded exhibits, a dedicated event space, more reptiles and the return of the crown feature of the Reptile House, Baru, a 17-to-18 foot crocodile, considered to be the largest in North America.
Tours
Cassowary, flamingo and lemur tours will be in full force, and are only available between May and September.
“We’re now in our fullest schedule of behind the scenes tours,” said Josh Minor, the assistant director of education for the Toledo Zoo & Aquarium. Currently, there are 18 different animal tours available.
“Tours really give them [visitors] a chance to experience the zoo in a different way,” Minor said. “They get to connect with animal care staff to learn about the animals…It also gives you an opportunity to get closer to the animals than you can from the public side, so those experiences combined make it a once in a lifetime experience for people who participate.”
Camps
Week and day camps will be opening up this summer, as well with a host of different options available to Zoo-goers.
There are specific camps for 4 to 5 year-olds, 5 to 10 year-olds, 8 to 12 year-olds and 10 to 15 year-olds. Camps run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. unless otherwise noted, and all campers must be able to use the toilet independent of staff.
“We tend to put them in groups of about 10 campers for a teacher,” Minor said.
Nighttime Zoo & Aquarium
Overnight experiences are available for those who want to see more nocturnal creatures. “We do have a handful of dates out there that families or individuals can sign up to do an overnight, and that’s a great time.”
From 6:30 p.m. to 10 a.m. zoo-goers can walk around the premises, and they can choose to sleep in four locations: Nature’s Neighborhood, Arctic, Safari or in the Aquarium. Minor said these are held because “some animals are lounging during the day, especially in the heat of the summer, and then when the evening comes, that’s when they’re more active.”
For visitors who want to continue enjoying the zoo at 10 a.m. the next day, after their overnight stay, they have full access to the Toledo Zoo & Aquarium (2 Hippo Way).
