Entrance Construction (from east side)

@Arizona Docent why is the zoo renovating it's entrance area to the degree that it is?

@UngulateNerd92 I am not sure. I still remember when this entrance was built in the late 1990's. I do know when they have special events (like ZooLights) the lines back up well into the parking lot, so it could just be to add more space for people to wait. As you probably know they are redoing the inside entry plaza at the same time to add a flamingo exhibit that will be much larger than the one at the back of the zoo now.

@Arizona Docent ah thank you. The reasonings make sense... for the sake of common tradition, I like the idea of flamingos being placed towards the front of the zoo. This trend was actually the brainchild of former San Diego Zoo director Charles Schroeder.

@UngulateNerd92 And the reason the flamingos at Reid Park are at the back of the zoo is because when the zoo first opened that was the entrance (so they were in the front).

@Arizona Docent ah yes ok. Do you have any photos of the old entrance area?

@UngulateNerd92 No, that was well before I lived in Tucson.

@Arizona Docent ah ok. When you were a docent, did you see any pictures in their archives of that old entrance area?

@UngulateNerd92 I did not see any personally, but I imagine someone has some around somewhere. It's too bad that publisher that has done all the books of historic photos, including Phoenix Zoo and Desert Museum, never did one for Reid Park Zoo.

@Arizona Docent I agree... I was thinking the same thing! Maybe one of us can reach out and write a letter to him about that...