The Erie Zoo has entered a new partnership with Erie Events to enhance its operations and community impact.
Community support through memberships and donations remains crucial for the zoo’s animal care and improvements.
The zoo is working to regain accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
New additions for the upcoming season include new animals, habitat updates, and the return of the Glow Wild lantern festival.
Erie has always been a community that shows up.
We show up on summer evenings at concerts along the bayfront. We show up at festivals, at hockey games, and for family traditions that span generations. And for more than 100 years, this community has shown up for its zoo.
For many across the city and region, the Erie Zoo is where children see their first rhinoceros up close, where what they once read about in a textbook is alive, moving and breathing just feet away. It’s where grandparents walk shaded paths with their grandchildren, reminiscing about their own favorite zoo memories. It’s where the magic of the natural world — and the importance of protecting wildlife —becomes real, personal and inspiring.
The Erie Zoo is a place where all are welcome.
A new partnership, a new opportunity
The new partnership between the Erie Zoo and Erie Events marks an exciting new era — one rooted in collaboration, sustainability and a shared commitment to making Erie a place where families thrive and visitors want to return again and again.
For the zoo, this partnership allows us to amplify our impact as a living classroom, a conservation leader, and a cornerstone of recreation in our region. With added operational strength and expanded marketing reach, we can enhance the guest experience while remaining firmly grounded in our mission.
For Erie Events, this collaboration continues its work of driving economic activity, strengthening regional tourism, and creating opportunities for community gathering. Together, we are aligning our efforts to benefit both the zoo and the broader Erie community.
Continued community support is essential
While this partnership opens new doors, the zoo’s future still depends on the unwavering support of this community.
Memberships and philanthropy remain two of the most powerful ways to invest in the zoo. When you purchase a membership or make a donation, you are sustaining high-quality animal care, supporting experienced educators, enhancing educational programming, modernizing older habitats, and ensuring the zoo remains accessible to families from all walks of life.
Your donations, your memberships, your participation — all directly support the zoo’s mission here in Erie. These funds are reinvested in animal wellbeing, capital improvements, local and global conservation programs, and educational experiences right here at home.
In short, every dollar raised for the Erie Zoo stays with the Erie Zoo — and with the conservation programs we hold most dear.
An exciting year ahead
As we prepare to open our gates on March 1st, we are looking ahead with renewed energy, and we hope our guests feel it.
Building upon the financial stability Erie Events helps provide, we are continuing to forge ahead in our efforts to regain accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums — an important milestone that reflects our commitment to the highest standards of animal care, conservation, education and guest experience.
This year, guests will meet two new additions to the zoo family: Ernie, a male Visayan warty pig, and KJ, a male wallaby, who joined us during the off-season. Modernization efforts are also underway as we update our greenhouse boardwalk, enhance animal habitats, install a new feature near our primate patio, introduce a new summer event, and unveil two exciting features in our Children’s Zoo.
We are also thrilled to announce the return of our wildly popular Glow Wild Chinese Lantern Festival. Glow Wild returns for its second year with all-new lantern displays, making it a must-see event for the entire community. Running April 30 through July 5, Thursday through Sunday from 6:00 to 10:30 p.m., guests will immerse themselves in the light and beauty of Chinese culture through larger-than-life, handcrafted lantern displays featuring stunning flora and fauna, along with nightly cultural entertainment on our main stage.
A shared commitment
With Erie Events supporting the zoo’s sustainability, growth and visibility, we remain focused on what matters most — our legacy, our future and our place in the heart of this region.
For over 100 years, Erie has shown up for its zoo. In 2026 and beyond, we invite you to continue doing so.
Visit.
Attend events.
Purchase a membership.
Donate.
Tell others why it matters.
The Erie Zoo’s next 100 years will be defined by growth rooted in tradition, innovation grounded in mission, and a community that continues to show up, support and believe in one of its greatest treasures.
Melissa
