Run or Walk: Columbus Races Roundup for 2023.Free Fishing Days in Ohio and other states.Free Fitness in Columbus for all ages and fitness levels.Go stargazing with Planetarium at The Arne Slettebak Planetarium at OSU.The most beautiful public gardens in Columbus.national parks + Free National Parks Pass for 4th grade families Discounted and Free Museum Days in Columbus.Columbus Museum of Art Free Sundays, discounts, & more.Columbus Zoo Tickets, Discounts, and Free Days.Over 325 festivals in Columbus and Central Ohio in 2023.Big List of the Best Fall Dates in Columbus.50+ Best free and cheap dates in Columbus.Explore Columbus with Neighborhood Hops and Walks.Over 135 options for fun this weekend in Columbus!.Where to go berry picking in Columbus this Spring and Summer.U-pick: Peach and Apple picking in Columbus.Huge list of Farmers Markets in Columbus for 2023.At the end of the day, we'll be a stronger organization because of what happened. They had great positions and were well-compensated. "I think folks are smart enough to understand that we had four (people) who did things they shouldn't have done," he said, referring to Stalf and Bell and two others they worked with. Last year's 2.2 million visitors to the zoo were slightly higher than average, he said. Schmid said he's seen no evidence of the scandals affecting admissions. In October, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums stripped the zoo of its accreditation. In April, the documentary, “The Conservation Game,” premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, revealing that public showings by employees from the Columbus zoo and others of tigers, leopards and other wild cats were not zoo animals, but instead those obtained by private breeders and unaccredited zoos. Last year, a Dispatch investigation revealed that former zoo CEO Tom Stalf and Greg Bell, the zoo's former chief financial officer, allowed relatives to live in houses owned or controlled by the zoo, and sought tickets for their family members to attend various entertainment events. The Columbus rate hike comes on the heels of multiple controversies involving the zoo.Ĭolumbus Zoo: Here's what's changed at the Columbus Zoo amid year of turmoil The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has a variable rate depending on the day of the week, how far in advance tickets are purchased and even weather conditions, an employee there said. The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo charges $18 for adults, $14 for children and $16 for senior citizens. "We're solidly in the middle of the pack," he said at the time, pointing to a scatter plot diagram of other zoo admission rates nationwide. And he noted that one year's membership can pay for itself in two visits. Schmid presented data to the zoo board last month showing that even with the increase, zoo admission is "still very affordable" compared to other zoos. "Our goal is to get to $15 per hour by 2024," Schmid said. ![]() "If your admission price is flat and everything else you're purchasing is going up, that's pretty much an unsustainable business model," he said.Ĭosts of animal feed, building products, fuel and other overhead continues to rise, he said, and the zoo recently increased its minimum wage for employees $2 to $13 per hour. Q&A with Tom Schmid: New Columbus Zoo CEO expects, welcomes scrutiny after difficult year ![]() Tom Schmid, the zoo's president and CEO, who started in December, said the increases make sense economically and should be understandable to the public given recent inflation concerns. But a typical family membership for non-Franklin County residents rose from $139 to $169 per year. Membership pricing is more complicated, with various pricing structures. ![]() The new rates were approved last month by the zoo board.įranklin County residents will continue to pay $16.99 for adults and $11.99 for children and seniors. The rate for children (3 to 9) and seniors (60 and older) rose $2 from $16.99 to $18.99, an 11.7% increase. The changes took effect May 1 and affect residents who live outside of Franklin County, including residents of Delaware and Union counties and the city of Powell, which are the zoo's closest neighbors.įranklin County residents, who comprised about 40% of zoo attendance last year, already support the zoo with a property tax and are not affected.įor those impacted, admission for adults, ages 10 to 59, was raised $3, from $21.99 to $24.99, an increase of 13.6%. View Gallery: 10 Columbus attractions always good for weekend funĪdmission for as many as 60% of visitors to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has been increased this month, the first rate hikes at the institution in almost five years.
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