Zoo Boise | Master Plan

Zoo Boise’s first-ever Master Plan was created collaboratively with the City of Boise’s park system, Zoo staff, and the Friends of Zoo Boise. This plan considered the entire site located within beautiful Julia Davis Park to discover optimum opportunities for improving the lives of animals, the guest experience, and for expansion. The City of Boise is one of the fastest–growing cities in the country and the Zoo aims to be the most beloved destination in the city. The Master Plan addresses important infrastructure upgrades, exciting new habitats and species, and creates an achievable path forward for the next 15+ years.

Project Details

The Master Plan is organized into three phases. 0-8 years, 8-15 years, and 15 years and beyond. As one member of the o Boise staff commented “it captures everything we wanted and it’s realistic.” The plan focuses on critical conservation stories and species with a new Global Conservation Plaza immediately upon entering the Zoo. New habitats will add penguins, sloth bears, snow leopards, red pandas, and meerkats in the early phases. Later phases will include an expansive, mixed species, multi-story Orangutan Forest experience, a future Americas expansion featuring cougars, eagles, and more, a new East Entrance, café, and Conservation Center. The plan also includes “high impact projects;” projects that can be done in any phase with direct improvement on animal welfare, guest experience, or staff operations.