Exciting News! John Ball Zoo Will Open This Friday!

We have suffered long enough through this winter and blizzards. We need some hope. We need something fun to look forward to.

Now we have it!

John Ball Zoo is back for its 2026 season and officially opens this Friday, March 20, which is the first official day of spring, as they celebrate their 135th anniversary!

It's exciting because they will introduce new animals, new events, and
fun new things at the zoo.

I can't wait to see a fan favorites Hugo, the baby pygmy hippo, and Juniper, the snow leopard cub born last summer. Not to mention all of the other animal exhibits including a brand new habitat just inside the main entrance gates.

This promises to be so cool, and will open over Memorial Day weekend. It will be a more than 3,500 square foot exhibit and home to four river otters with underwater viewing areas to watch them dive, swim and play. That promises to be so much fun.

👇 BELOW: HERE ARE MORE GREAT THINGS AT THE ZOO! 👇

But wait there's more!

The Grand Rapids Lantern Festival returns for another year, along with Wildlife Exploration Days, the Wild Strides 5K race, and special Member Nights just to mention a few.

Even with all of the new and exciting things at the zoo this year, they have more good news for us. It won't cost anymore than last year! The admission price is the same!

HERE ARE THE ZOO'S HOURS OF OPERATION:

• SPRING: March 20-May 23: 9 a.m.– 5 p.m.
• SUMMER: May 23 – Sept. 7: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• FALL: Sept. 8 – Nov 22: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

You can always buy tickets at the main entrance, but a really good idea would be to buy in advance, online. CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!