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Our polar bears are currently off exhibit as we prepare for and
build Glacier Run.
GLACIER RUN
The Louisville Zoo is known nationally for its innovative
award-winning exhibits like the Islands and Gorilla Forest. So
when it came time to plan the next major exhibit, the stakes
were pretty high. After many many months of discussing and
planning and designing, the Louisville Zoo is getting ready to
embark on another major project that will engage and inspire
visitors. Glacier Run is a $25 million comprehensive project
with multiple components. We wanted to share some of the most
exciting parts of this project with you.
Glacier Run Splash Park, which
is open from May 1 to September 15, provides a refreshing escape from Kentucky's hot summer days.
Kids will love to stay cool amidst giant water sprays, a fishing
boat for climbing, a dump bucket and spray heads on the boat
dock and much much more. Designed with safe family fun in mind,
the area will feature a soft playground surface with no standing
water.
 Construction will
soon begin on
the town of Glacier Run, which is modeled after an imaginary
mining town located on the edge of the arctic wilderness. Based
on the idea that humankind and nature must co-exist, Glacier Run
will be a truly unique experience where you can visit the
animals, talk to the keepers about conservation and become
temporarily immersed in life on the tundra. The exhibit will
recreate the natural habitat for some of the Zoo's most popular
residents including polar bears, seals and sea lions. The
addition of sea otters and bird species like the Steller's sea
eagles and magpies will add to the feeling of being surrounded
by wildlife.
 The town will include a school house, climatology lab and
general store. One fun interactive feature will be a parked
truck in which visitors can sit while polar bears explore the
truck bed behind them (separated by a glass barrier of course).
Bears will also walk over visitors' heads along a walkway
resembling a mine shaft. A spacious amphitheatre will make
viewing the seal and sea lion enrichment demonstrations more
enjoyable. And a special program will even allow small groups of
visitors to have close-up interactions with the sea lions.
Thanks to the many generous donors who have contributed over $10
million to the Capital Campaign for Glacier Run. Lead
gifts have been made by the following public and private donors.
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