Brick Safari News Release (PDF)
 

News Release
 
Contact: Sondra Katzen, Public Relations, 708.688.8351, sondra.katzen@czs.org
 
May 1, 2019
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
  
Brookfield Zoo Showcases Life-Size Animal Sculptures at Brick Safari
New Summer Exhibit Features more than 40 Figures Opens May 11
 
Brookfield, Ill. – The wait is almost over for guests visiting Brookfield Zoo to see a roaring tiger, a leaping dolphin, a lounging leopard, and many other animals in an entirely different and unique way. The zoo’s summer exhibit—Brick Safari—will feature more than 40 life-size animal sculptures created from more than 1.6 million individual colored LEGO® bricks. The temporary exhibit opens May 11 and continues through September 29.

Brookfield Zoo is the first venue in North America to display the international traveling exhibit. The menagerie of animals will be located along a winding wooded pathway on the east side of the park. Many of the sculptures are based on some Brookfield Zoo favorites—the giraffe, snow leopard, and pangolin. After checking out these amazing figures, guests can go visit their live counterparts that reside at the zoo. Additionally, guests will encounter some animals they would not normally see at Brookfield Zoo, including an elephant holding its trunk high and a giant panda with its playful cubs.

In addition to fascinating kids, those young at heart, and Adult Fans of LEGO® (AFOL), the interactive exhibit will appeal to both science and art lovers, who will have the opportunity to tap into their creative sides. “We wanted to bring STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, ART, and Math) to Brookfield Zoo in a fun way,” said Andre Copeland, interpretive programs manager for the Chicago Zoological Society, which manages the zoo. “Adults will be able to reflect when they were kids, how using STEAM skills allowed them to be creative, problem-solve, and exercise critical thinking skills. For the younger guests seeing the exhibit, they can use their imaginations and learn how anything is attainable if they put these skills to use.”

Displayed near the sculptures are colorful graphics featuring interesting animal facts and statistics such as the size of each figure, how many bricks were used to build each one, and the amount of time it took to create each sculpture.

To commemorate their visit to Brick Safari, zoogoers can take a selfie in the Safari Jeep created from LEGO^® bricks or behind a life-size photo frame. The gift shop near the exhibit’s exit will have a variety of brick-themed items available for purchase.
Open during zoo hours, admission to Brick Safari is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 3-11 and seniors 65 and over. Children 2 and under are admitted free. Brookfield Zoo members receive half off admission price. General zoo admission is $21.95 for adults and $15.95 for children ages 3-11 and seniors 65 and over. Park is $14. For further information, visit .
 
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About the Chicago Zoological Society
The mission of the Chicago Zoological Society is to inspire conservation leadership by connecting people with wildlife and nature. The Chicago Zoological Society is a private nonprofit organization that operates Brookfield Zoo on land owned by the Forest Preserves of Cook County. The Society is known throughout the world for its international role in animal population management and wildlife conservation. Its Center for the Science of Animal Care and Welfare is at the forefront of animal care that strives to discover and implement innovative approaches to zoo animal management. Brookfield Zoo is the first zoo in the world to be awarded the Humane Certified™ certification mark for the care and welfare of its animals, meeting American Humane Association’s rigorous certification standards. Open every day of the year, the zoo is located at 8400 31^st Street in Brookfield, Illinois, 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 CZS.org.

Brick Safari: By the Numbers (PDF)

Brick Safari
By the Numbers…

Wondering how many bricks were used and how long it took to create the animal sculptures in Brookfield Zoo’s Brick Safari exhibit? In all, more than 1.6 million bricks were used to create more than 40 sculptures. It took nearly 8,000 hours to complete.
 

Brick Safari Images

Photo credit: Cathy Bazzoni/Chicago Zoological Society.

Brick Safari (Tiger - Roosevelt Fountain)

Brick Safari - Elk

Brick Safari - Giant Panda

Brick Safari - Giraffe

Brick Safari - Lion

Brick Safari - Macaws

Brick Safari - Orangutan

Brookfield Zoo Map (PDF)