News Release
April 24, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sondra Katzen
Public Relations
708.688.8351
sondra.katzen@czs.org
Brookfield Zoo Ranked Second Best Zoo in the U.S.
in Parents magazine’s “10 Best Zoos for Kids”
Brookfield, IL— The Chicago Zoological Society’s (CZS) Brookfield Zoo received high honors from Parents magazine, ranking second in its top ten list of the country’s best zoos for kids. This achievement marks a momentous milestone in the zoo’s 75-year history as an educational leader in the community and reinforces its mission to inspire conservation leadership by connecting people with wildlife and nature.
“We are pleased to receive this recognition,” said Stuart Strahl, Ph.D., CEO and president of the Chicago Zoological Society. “For the past 75 years, CZS has worked to engage children and foster their relationship with animals and nature by creating zoo exhibits that incite their curiosity and imagination. With all of our attractions, we focus on making the experience educational, meaningful, and fun.”
Brookfield Zoo was selected for offering a variety of hands-on, family-friendly activities while fostering appreciation, knowledge, and excitement about the natural world. The editors celebrated the zoo for its educational and interactive activities, calling Hamill Family Play Zoo “the most awesome exhibit for kids” and noting the nearly 300 educational zoo chats per week, an activity during which visitors can interact with zookeepers. Other exhibits highlighted as “must-sees” included the seasonal Butterflies! exhibit, and the children’s petting zoo.
The “10 Best Zoos for Kids” list was the result of a three-month study conducted by Parents magazine staff. A total of 50 zoos nationwide were ranked based on many factors, including accessibility of animal encounter exhibits for children, exclusivity of the exhibits, zoo shows, educational programs, staffing, zoo transportation, restaurant services, and admission prices. The full list can be seen on the Parents website at www.parents.com/topzoos.
In addition to recognition from Parents magazine, Brookfield Zoo was also just named as one of America’s Best Zoos by ForbesTraveler.com, which credited the zoo for being one of the first zoos in the United States to exhibit animals in naturalistic environments.
Celebrating its 75th year, the Chicago Zoological Society inspires conservation leadership by connecting people with wildlife and nature. Open every day of the year, Brookfield Zoo is located off First Avenue between the Stevenson (I-55) and Eisenhower (I-290) expressways and is also accessible via the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), Metra commuter line, CTA, and PACE bus service. For further information, visit www.CZS.org.
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