APPLE VALLEY, Minn. — The Minnesota Zoo is set to welcome back visitors on Friday, July 24 with limited attendance and new safety guidelines.
Minnesota Zoo members can visit as soon as this Sunday, with special preview days for members scheduled from July 19-22.
Tickets will be sold online starting Thursday, July 16. Time slots will be available between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and all guest and member tickets will need to be reserved online in advance.
"We look forward to welcoming our members and guests back and have stringent measures in place to ensure a safe and enriching experience with the natural world," the Minnesota Zoo announced on its website.
According to an email to members, the safety changes for the "new Zoo experience" will include timed ticketing, a one-way flow of guest movement, and distancing guidelines.
The Minnesota Zoo has been closed to the public since March 14 due to the coronavirus pandemic. In May, zoo officials announced it would need to eliminate 125 positions, including 48 layoffs, due to the financial challenges of the closure.
Last month, the Minnesota Zoo received $6 million in special funding relief from the legislature, after Governor Tim Walz said the zoo was on the brink of closing without financial assistance.
The zoo added special drive-through visits last month to raise money and bring visitors back to the zoo grounds on a limited basis.
