Sesquicentennial Weekend, the Philadelphia Zoo’s
150th anniversary kick-off celebration, was a huge success! Nearly 20,000 guests came to wish America’s first zoo a Happy Birthday, many of who donated hundreds of pounds of food and enrichment items for the Zoo’s
over 1,300 rare and endangered animals. Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Philadelphia City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, Pennsylvania Congressman Chaka Fattah and Pennsylvania State Representative Frank Oliver were among the guests who experienced the 150th anniversary ceremony which featured live animal encounters, puppet shows, Victorian games and Storytellers dressed in Victorian garb, generously loaned to the Zoo by the Walnut Street Theater.
Click here to check out some great photos from the weekend.
“The celebration this past weekend was a family reunion of sorts,” said Philadelphia Zoo President and CEO, Vikram H. Dewan. “Many generations of Zoo visitors regaled us with stories of their experiences here, including how much they feel at home at the Philadelphia Zoo. On behalf of the entire Philadelphia Zoo community, I want to convey my sincere and heartfelt thanks to our guests, volunteers and members, as well as the entire region, for their support in coming together to mark this unique milestone.”
Sesquicentennial Weekend included the participation and support of many partners, including the Philadelphia Phillies, the Please Touch Museum, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. The Philadelphia Zoo would also like to thank the following performers for donating their time and skills to make this event a smashing success: University of Pennsylvania Marching Band, Prism Quartette, Beck’s Brass Band, F.W. Holbein Middle School, Salvation Army Citadel Band, Children’s Song, Girard Academic Music Program Jazz Band and the Tredyffrin and Easttown School District Jazz Bands.
Continuing the celebration, the
Zoo will debut the new $17.5 million
McNeil Avian Center on May 30. This new aviary incorporates lush walk-through habitats where visitors can discover over 100 spectacular birds from around the world, many of them rare and endangered. The exhibit immerses visitors in exotic landscapes full of color and sound, with birds including fantastic rhinoceros hornbills, striking Victoria crowned pigeons and nest-crazy hammerkops. Closer to home, in the multi-sensory 4-D Migration Theater, viewers follow Otis the oriole on his first migration south from where he hatched in Fairmount Park. This beautiful renovation of our 1916 birdhouse is an engaging blend of old and new, which ties in perfectly to our birthday celebration.
As one of the Philadelphia area’s leading conservation experts, the Zoo’s involvement in educating the community about environmental challenges is essential. In some world cultures, at a certain age you give presents on your birthday. To celebrate that tradition, the Zoo has pledged to donate 150 educational experiences to regional schools and community organizations. The Zoo has also selected fifteen grant recipients to receive $1500 each for local projects based on conservation and sustainability, because the Zoo believes that being a leader in the community means giving back.
The Philadelphia Zoo is excited to celebrate its past, but it is also looking forward to the exciting highlights of its future, which include plans to open the Hamilton Family Children’s Zoo, a goal of going carbon neutral by 2012 and more. Other special events and programs to commemorate the Zoo’s 150th birthday will be ”hatching” throughout the year.