John Ball Zoo Unveils New Massive Otter Exhibit With ‘Otterpalooza’

It's been years in the making, but it's finally happening: John Ball Zoo (JBZ)'s highly anticipated otter exhibit opens this weekend. The previous exhibit is 43 years old, and to celebrate this massive expansion, John Ball Zoo is hosting a weekend "Otterpalooza".

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Much like the music festival in Chicago, this weekend dedicated to these water-loving mammals will feature music, entertainers, and more. Here's what to expect from Otterpalooza.

John Ball Zoo's New Otter Exhibit

43 years ago, JBZ unveiled its new North American River Otters exhibit. Now the number of otters is doubling from 2 to 4, with Slyde and Quigley being joined by Bruce and Crush, while the size of their exhibits is tripling from 1,300 sqft to 3,200 sqft and increasing the gallons of water from 8,000 to 21,000

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It will also feature multiple viewing areas, including an upper, shallow, and deep viewing, and a crawl tunnel for kids that looks into the shallow pool, similar to the one at the meerkat exhibit. Also, another fun one for the kids: a fish cannon that shoots fish into the water for the otters to munch on. It's just a few of the many great additions included in this new exhibit.

Otterpalooza

To celebrate the debut of the exhibit, from Friday to Sunday, JBZ is hosting Otterpalooza, a celebration that brings in local artists like Greg Secor to play the steel drum and Drew Alkema on guitar, as well as jugglers, hula hoopers, and aerialists to wow exhibit attendees.

While you're at the zoo, you can check out this year's Lantern Festival, though Lantern Festival tickets are separate from a general zoo ticket. All these changes show JBZ's belief in conservation and an eco-friendly expansion.