Design Your Own Zoo Drawing Book

Design Your Own Zoo is a fun and interactive drawing journal for kids and creative minds who love to draw animals, design habitats, and imagine their own amazing zoo.

Encourages Creativity – Inspires kids and adults to dream up unique zoo designs, habitats, and attractions.

Fun for All Ages – Perfect for kids, teens, and even adults who love to draw, plan, and imagine.

No Wrong Answers – Whether you're a skilled artist or just love to doodle, every design is your own masterpiece.

Boosts Problem-Solving Skills – Challenges users to think about real-world zoo design aspects like space, animal welfare, and visitor experience.

Learn About Animals – Includes fun facts to introduce different species and their habitat needs.

Encourages Storytelling – Users can create a backstory for their zoo, its theme, and its animal residents.

Open-Ended & Structured Prompts – A mix of guided tasks and freeform pages for variety.

Great for Individuals or School Projects – Ideal for home fun, classroom activities, or educational projects.

Hands-On STEM Learning – Introduces concepts in zoology, ecology, and environmental science in an engaging way.

Encourages Confidence in Drawing – Focuses on ideas rather than artistic skill, making it accessible to everyone.

Supports Planning & Organization Skills – Helps users think through layout, operations, and guest experiences.

Perfect for Aspiring Zoo Designers & Animal Lovers – A fun way to explore career interests in zookeeping, design, and conservation.

Use Any Art Supplies – Works with pencils, crayons, markers, or any preferred drawing tool.

Bleed-Resistant Layout – Prompts are only on one side to prevent ink from showing through.

Engages Kids Away from Screens – Encourages hands-on creativity without digital distractions.

Promotes Critical Thinking – Users consider ethical questions like animal welfare and conservation efforts.

Ideal for Travel or Quiet Time – Great for road trips, waiting rooms, or relaxing at home.

Encourages Imaginative Play – Kids can act out their zoo ideas with toys or stuffed animals.

A Unique Gift Idea – A thoughtful and fun present for animal lovers and young artists.

Endless Replayability – Every time you pick up the book, you can create a brand-new zoo!

Pickup your copy of Design Your Own Zoo from Amazon today!

Columbus Zoo Adventure Cove Construction Update

Looks like the new seal world exhibit at the Columbus Zoo is now part of an area called Adventure Cove and we finally have our first overhead rendering. Below are some construction pictures from February 2018.

Here's an overhead view from Google maps before the construction began:

Overlay of the plans:

Columbus Zoo Sea Lions/Wild World Construction Begins

Construction for the new sea lion and Wild World area set to open in 2019 at the Columbus Zoo has officially broken ground.

The paths to get to Jungle Jack's Landing have been walled off.

The former Funnel Cake building and the Animal Encounters Village looked to have been leveled.

The construction is already having an effect on some of the events at the zoo. Last year, there was Trick-or-Treating in the picnic shelter area. This has been spread out around the park for Boo at the Zoo this year. The Sparkling Spruce Tree that was added to Wildlights last year has been moved next to the grizzly bears in the Polar Frontier. Jungle Jack's Landing is completely inaccessible.

Here's my sketch of the area that looks to be under construction.

No concept art or plans have been released yet. See a previous long term plan concept here.

Columbus Zoo adding 4D theater, interactive park

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is adding a new 4D theater attraction as well as an interactive playground. The area will be known as the Shores Park. See renderings of the plans and construction pictures below.

Heart of Africa Opening Date

While there's been no official word from the Columbus Zoo, DublinLife magazine announced the Heart of Africa opening date as Thursday, May 1st, 2014. I myself was anticipating a Memorial Day weekend opening and after visiting today it looks like there is still a lot of work to do. We've heard the African lions will be moving into their new digs within two weeks. It's been rumored the old lion exhibit will be converted into a snow leopard exhibit. The Columbus Zoo currently keeps two snow leopards that are part of the Jack Hannah Promotion/Education Department. Look for them to acquire at least two more.

Fencing along the pedestrian path in North America between the Mexican Wolves and Bison/Pronghorn exhibits is being replaced. A couple of trees have been removed which has me wondering if they are going to expand the pathway by a few feet in anticipation of more foot traffic heading back towards Heart of Africa.

Last Columbus Zoo update I showed the location of the new tram station. Today, I found where the other station is going to be, just inside the old zoo entrance on the right. Pictured below is an overhead drawing of the location of the stations and the service road the trams will take. Honestly, if the wait is more than 5 minutes you might as well walk.

A surprising new project underway is a large renovation on both front yards of the zoo's Pachyderm Building which are going to be used for black rhinos.

Black rhino area

And here's a short Vine video I took of the polar bears:

Columbus Zoo Heart of Africa Update 2/22/14

The temperature was over fifty degrees today so I visited the zoo for the first time since October. The biggest surprise was they moved the reindeer again (at least the third time)! The move wasn't far, just across the path. The moose have taken over the old reindeer enclosure which makes perfect sense. There is a new path (not open yet) going around the new reindeer exhibit back towards the entrance of Heart of Africa. The placement of the exhibit as well as the new reindeer buildings and facades will add more to see on the train ride.

Reindeer's new home

The framing for the entrance into Heart of Africa is up and clearly visible. Looks like there will be two paths encircling the reindeer that lead to the entrance to the new region. A few buildings are visible in the background, such as the new restaurant by the lions. Hard to see where the camels and camel rides are going to go (if they're still planned).

Entrance way to Heart of Africa

New facades along the train tracks

Crossing the railroads tracks into Polar Frontier, immediately on the right, is a station for the new tram transportation system. I’m not sure where or how many other stations there will be. My guess is one by the entrance. Any ideas?

New tram station by Polar Frontier

New path towards Heart of Africa

There are still a lot of signs up around the zoo referring to the new region as Safari Africa and not its new and official name: Heart of Africa.

Zoo Design: PGAV Destinations Interview

The Season Pass Podcast recently posted a great interview with PGAV Destinations - a themed entertainment design firm that has worked on numerous theme park, zoos, aquarium, and science center projects. They're currently working on Safari Africa at the Columbus Zoo. The main focus of the interview is their relationship with the Busch (now SeaWorld Entertainment) parks. Some of the topics they touched on in their hour long discussion:

• How they helped rebrand Six Flags as Discovery Kingdom
• Georgia Aquarium exhibits use projections
• The perfect picture location on the Manta coaster at Sea World Orlando
• Mixing guests, rides, and animals
• The challenges of building within Sea World San Diego ‘s40 foot height limit
• Designing ”mail box moments” (or Facebook moments)
• An awesome photo opportunity at the lion exhibit in Busch Gardens Tampa
• Glacier Run at Louisville Zoo

Click here to check it out now. If you have any interest in zoo design you should definitely give this a listen!

Columbus Zoo Update March 2013

We took a trip to the Columbus Zoo on Saturday, March 9th to see what was going on and if anything was new. In the latest edition of the Beastly Banner, the zoo president and CEO Tom Stalf said "We are moving to Phase II of the Safari Africa construction project. I was impressed with the 60 large trees that were planted throughout the area. This process happened in just a few days and it really transformed the area. The completion of the area will be in the summer of 2014. Giraffes, zebras, and lions will be some of the featured animals." At this point none of the Safari Africa construction can be seen from inside the zoo, other than mounds of dirt, markers, and construction equipment. The construction is going on right behind the grizzly bear enclosure.

Tom also talked about the zoo's 2013 plans in the magazine: "In honor of Jack, we are excited to provide a dinosaur experience. Enjoy walking through the Jurassic era and come face-to-face with these amazing creatures. This exhibit will also include our boat ride tour as you travel by many dinosaurs, ranging from the size of your hand to our T-rex that is larger than a city bus!" The dinosaurs are going to be found in the Islands of Southeast Asia region of the zoo. While visiting the zoo I spotted numerous red and yellow flags in the ground which I suspect are the future locations of the dinosaurs and I snapped a few pictures (seen below).

A couple other of my own notes and observations:

• All three polar bears were out in the yard and playing, the first time I have seen all three at once.
• It looks like a new cage was added to the bat exhibit in Asia Quest to separate some of the bat species.
• A new Colobus monkey was born at the zoo recently but, of course, is not on public display yet.

Enjoy our pictures from the Columbus Zoo!

Columbus Zoo possible early Dinosaur exhibit construction (I believe the placement of the flags is where the animatronic dinos will be):

 

Columbus Zoo Update 11-10-2012

I went to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium yesterday for the first time since August. A few observations and changes since my last visit:

• It looks like they’ve expanded the pathway leading into the North America section (next to the elephant building).
• I still haven’t seen the otters out in the old black bear enclosure.
• There was a single beaver occupying the old otter enclosure that I could see (rumored to soon have four beavers). 
• The tiger cubs were playing outside, the first time I have seen them in person. I shot a short video of the cubs. There is also a short segment at the end with the gibbons. They were so loud yesterday, you could hear them all the way at the other end of the zoo in the Polar Frontier region. Crazy!
• A large gorilla statue was added to the Expedition Congo: African Forest section outside the entrance to the gorilla building.
• Safari Africa expansion construction is well under way. Looks like a chain link fence is being erected around the entire site, which is currently nothing but dirt
• Zoo crews were going gangbusters setting up Christmas lights and decorations for the Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo with opening only a week away! They were also setting up a neat looking “Christmas Around the World” type display in the Asia Quest building complete with figures that looked like they came directly out of Disney’s “it’s a small world” ride.

Stay tuned for our future updates as we will cover Wildlights and the ongoing construction of Safari Africa.

Columbus Zoo Safari Africa Groundbreaking Ceremony

The Columbus Zoo announced today that tomorrow, September 20th, there will be an official groundbreaking ceremony for its newest region, Safari Africa. The new Columbus Zoo expansion is located north of the old Powell road and will significantly increase the size of the zoo, so much so that new transportation methods from the new region to the entrance of the zoo are being discussed. According to the press release:

“Safari Africa at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium will transform guests into world travelers on an adventure to southern and eastern Africa. Here guests will find a colorful and active village outside the gates of a national park and experience the sights and sounds of a vast savannah, home to a population of fascinating African animals including the return of giraffe and zebra.
At the Columbus Zoo, guests will have an up-close, experiential safari adventure. Africa’s enduring energy, through immersive Zoo experiences, will depict the soul of its land, the spirit of its people and the thrill of its animals.”

Zebras and giraffes are confirmed to make their return to the zoo in the African savannah after a lengthy absence. The groundbreaking ceremony is a private event for invited media members only. Zoo Tails will closely be following the construction of Safari Africa and we will bring you pictures as soon as possible.

Join our Facebook page to keep up to date on the latest developments of Safari Africa expansion. View our previous post to see the initial Safari Africa plans.

Columbus Zoo Update: Safari Africa and Stingray Bay

Safari Africa expansion has been approved and Stingray Bay is now officially open.

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s African safari expansion plans were officially approved by the zoo’s board last week. The 43-acre exhibit will be built at a cost of $30 million dollars and will be open in time for the summer season in 2014. An artist’s overhead rendering of the expansion was featured in the latest issue of the Beastly Banner, the zoo’s quarterly magazine for zoo members. It’ll be north of the polar bear exhibit and will be accessible through the northeast corner of the North America exhibit. They also mentioned  that a new trolley or other vehicle system will provide transportation to the area from inside the front gate to Safari Africa for those who need it (for the size of the zoo a transportation system of some sort is rally needed in my opinion but very expensive to maintain).

Safari Africa is a long time coming for fans of the Columbus Zoo. Plans for a similar exhibit were first announced back in the 1990s but was repeatedly delayed as other projects and regions were prioritized ahead of it.

We can finally accurately answer your question: Is sting ray bay open? Located in Jungle Jack’s Landing near Zoombezi Bay (the Columbus waterpark), Stingray Bay will feature an 18,000-gallon saltwater pool for dozens of cownose and southern stingrays to call home.

Please note, this attraction is not free and is not included within the regular zoo admission. The pricing structure is as follows:

Stingray Bay is as follows:

Non-member children and adults $3
Columbus Zoo member children and adults $2
Zoombezi Bay season pass holder $2
Gold membership holder Free
Ride wristband holder at $8 Free
Stingray feeding (one cup) $2

Visit my previous post to see some pictures of Stingray Bay at the Columbus Zoo.

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columbus ohio safari

safari columbus ohio