The history of the Lake Superior Zoo, formerly the Duluth Zoo, has been researched and compiled for future use. The history of the Lake Superior Zoo, formerly the Duluth Zoo, has been researched and compiled for future use. Glensheen is OPEN DAILY for self-guided 'Never Ending Christmas’ tours through April 11, 2021. With seed money from the Legacy Amendment funding, a pilot program for area third-grade elementary school children called Zoo Science Experience was developed, which provided free zoo admission for the students, teachers and chaperones, a free 30-minute conservation program titled, Zoo ABC’s (Animals, Biodiversity & Conservation), and a memento for each student to take home. As Billy’s pen gained more visitors the idea to construct a zoo soon spread across the community. When he got there, he simply took her trunk, pulled it over his shoulder, and walked her back to the zoo.[1]. City History. The Lake Superior Zoo was founded in 1923 by a West Duluth businessman, Bert Onsgard, when he built a pen for his white tail deer "Billy". The renovated pavilion will facilitate expanding the zoo’s educational and cultural programs, summer camps, theater and dance performances, and special events. Champion: Donald Weesner Foundation and Carol Cecil Oleson, Leader: Sam Maida, Kathy Spehar, St Louis County, and Jack McLeod, Supporter: Barry & Kang James, Robert & Ann Mars, New London Corporation, Jan Stern, and Robin Lee Moline & Kimberly Moline in memory of Kara Pavelich, Partner: John Carow, Kristin Coenen, Carmel & Christopher DeMaioribus, Dennis & Terry Dunham, Steve & Anita King, Robin Lee Moline, Neale & Pam Roth,David & Melissa Saftner, Jack & Sandra Sellwood, Janice & Thomas Shuey, Russ & Karen Smith, The Interior Tomato, Ann M. Glumac & William Ulland, and Marie & Charles Waugh. In his haste, the zookeeper ran out the door in his pajamas to retrieve Bessie. The pavilion renovations are now complete and the pavilion is ready for use. This helped his vision spread through the community who in turn helped him build the zoo. The Great Lakes Aquarium opened in 2000 and is located on the Duluth waterfront. We are so excited to announce that two North American river otters have joined our ever-growing Zoo family! The Pittsburgh Steel Company donated a rail car of fencing, people donated exotic pets, and school children raised money to buy two lion cubs. See Siberian Tigers, Snow Leopards, Gray Wolves, Grizzly Bears and much, much more! Lake Superior Zoo contracted with PJA Architects to create schematic and design documents for a new Bear Country exhibit within a portion of the area of land that is currently the former Polar Shores exhibit. The Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth, MN, is the region’s wildest place to explore – and be inspired. The legacy funding helped to produce advertising materials, graphics, and signage to promote the new gray wolf exhibit. That’s why we are asking for your help in continuing our legacy in the Duluth community and improving YOUR Zoo! The zoo would eventually expand to cover 16 acres of land surrounding Kingsbury Creek in Fairmount Park, and hold hundreds of animals from around the world. Lake Superior Zoo started in 1923 when Duluth businessman Bert Onsgard decided to build a simple pen for his pet deer, Billy. Conceptual plans will be used to inform renovations to better accommodate education programs, small animal exhibits, catering, multipurpose areas, informal gathering spaces, and flexible public spaces for school groups, education programs, special events, rentals, and winter programs. In accordance with the zoo’s new master plan, this project proposed to develop a Zoo History & Heritage Center on zoo grounds. All of this $34,000 appropriation will be used for contracted services. with a jungle playground and a giant cement snake for a great photo op – all included in zoo … The exhibit not only showcased butterflies, but provided the educational experience of a butterfly’s life cycle displaying their larvae and chrysalis stages, and interpreting their value as pollinators and the important role they play in the earth’s ecosystem. In the mid-1980s the Duluth Zoo became the Lake Superior Zoo, and attained accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This project developed a new exhibit for gray wolves in a vacant exhibit, which was unsightly and had erosion problems that produced runoff and impacted the St. Louis River, via Kingsbury Creek. The zoo went through some difficult years during the Great Depression but eventually managed to build an elephant house. This project reflects a $16,000 FY 2013 appropriation to work with various local tribal governments and educational institutions to develop and produce educational and interpretive signage connected to our zoo animals and the Indian culture. All of the $16,000 appropriation will be used for contracted services: $9,000 of it will be used for the design and production of signs and $7,000 will be used for a half-time contracted individual. Find hundreds of native and exotic species, including some of the rarest animals on earth, at the Lake Superior Zoo. The program taught students the roles modern zoos play in education, research, and conservation; the definitions of habitat, ecosystem, biodiversity, and conservation; and what they can do to protect wildlife and natural resources. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "About Us | Lake Superior Zoo | Duluth, MN", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lake_Superior_Zoo&oldid=996156093, Articles needing additional references from August 2015, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 24 December 2020, at 21:25. At the time of our 2008 application for Legacy Amendment funds, our intention was to build a new structure for this center. Clean Water Land & Legacy. She came to the zoo at the age of 12 in 1937 when the elephant house opened. Superior hiking trail (exit site) Educational Opportunities - Lake Superior Zoo (exit site) Great Lakes Aquarium (exit site) Understanding. The addition of appropriate fencing and a man-made wolf den (shown at right) created a pleasant habitat for the wolves that now reside there. Stroll through the Lake Superior Zoo and you'll find lions and tigers, but no bears. Lake Superior first took shape about 1.2 billion years ago as a result of the North American Mid-Continent Rift, which carved an arc-shaped … The zoo’s administrative, guest services, education, marketing, membership, and development offices are also located in this building. Lake Superior, most northwesterly and largest of the Great Lakes of North America and one of the world’s largest bodies of fresh water. It also provides a 20-year plan to inform upgrades, interim improvements, programmatic development, and new capital facilities development. Funds from the Legacy Amendment have supported future planning, exhibit restoration, education programming, and historic preservation. It is 350 miles (563 km) long (east to west), and its greatest width is 160 miles (258 km) from north to south. It has a maximum depth of 1,332 feet (406 meters). This project will facilitate relationship-building with local tribes and research about the cultural significance of animals indigenous to Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin. In 2008, the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution, called the “Legacy Amendment,” was approved by Minnesota voters to: protect drinking water sources; to protect, enhance, and restore wetlands, prairies, forests, and fish, game, and wildlife habitat; to preserve arts and cultural heritage; to support parks and trails; and to protect, enhance, and restore lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater. You can read the report here: Legacy Grant – FY20 Annual Report. Bessie, the elephant, was one of the zoo's first star attractions. The first project completed with Legacy Amendment funding was the completion of a new master plan for the Lake Superior Zoo. This project reflects a $9,000 FY 2013 appropriation to contract a part-time program development staff to assess community needs, expand zoo education, and develop collaborative programs with area schools and cultural organizations. 7210 Fremont Street Duluth, MN 55807 218-730-4500 | … During the master planning process, it was determined that restoration of an existing picnic pavilion, built in the 1930s during the Works Progress Administration (WPA) era, would be a more cost-effective strategy that would also develop zoo programs. Legacy funding also helped leverage a grant from the Donald Weesner Charitable Trust to construct an interpretive kiosk and a children’s parallel play area to enhance the exhibit’s educational value. This sales tax revenue is distributed into the Legacy Amendment’s four funds as follows: 19.75 percent to the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, 33 percent to the Clean Water Fund, 33 percent to the Outdoor Heritage Fund, and 14.25 percent to the Parks and Trails Fund. The Lake Superior Zoo is a cute little zoo nestled in Duluth. Lake Superior Zoo. The zoo’s main building was built in 1929 as the zoo’s primary exhibit facility for big cats and primates. She was donated to the zoo in 1946. The Legacy Amendment increased the state sales tax by three-eighths of one percent from July 1, 2009 through 2034. Valerie was a Himalayan black bear who had been a mascot for a World War II bomber unit. Lynn Perry of Scottsdale, Ariz., is the granddaughter of Bert Onsgard, who founded Duluth’s Lake Superior Zoo in 1923. Lake Superior Zoo. The Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth, MN, is the region’s wildest place to explore – and be inspired. The Lake Superior Zoo, previously known as the Duluth Zoo,[1] is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoo in Duluth, Minnesota.[2]. This program was designed to meet all four strands of the third-grade curriculum standards in the 2009 Minnesota Academic Standards in Science. In February 2010, the final plan was approved. The Lake Superior Zoo also features picnic tables (yes, you can pack your own picnic!) (218) 730-4500 The design utilizes some of the existing structure by renovating it to meet or exceed current animal exhibit standards for the brown bear set by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Read all 237 reviews The zoo went through some difficult years during the Great Depressionbut e… Minnesota is home to nineteen species of amphibians including frogs, toads, and salamanders. We are in the midst of a revitalization which includes improvements to existing infrastructure, construction of new exhibits, and programming enhancements that align with the community and regional goals surrounding conservation and sustainability. The Amphibians of Minnesota exhibit educates our visitors about what an amphibian is, their life cycles, and the differences between the species of frogs and salamanders. The Lake Superior Zoo contracted with Spineless Wonders to construct a seasonal exhibit, located near the banks of Kingsbury Creek within the zoo’s perimeter. We’re open 7 days a week year-round! As the 19th oldest Zoo in the United States, we have a rich history of providing close-up animal experiences. Once the exhibit was complete, three gray wolves joined the Zoo Family: Sierra, Shasta, and Tehama. The project began in November 2009, with consultants from Studio Hanson/Roberts, Main Street Design, and Shultz & Williams, all well known in the business of developing zoos and aquariums. Two contract employees were hired to research news articles from local newspapers, Duluth City Hall, the Northeast Minnesota Historical Center located at the University of Minnesota Duluth, and at the Minnesota Historical Society in the Twin Cities. A bridge was built over Kingsbury Creek, which runs through the zoo. Bear Country will offer our community and visitors from around the region a new and exciting way to learn about animals, natural ecosystems, and conservation. Once renovated, the pavilion would not only provide an appropriate space for the Zoo History & Heritage Center, but would offer much-needed space for zoo education and conservation programs. The Lake Superior Zoo (Duluth Zoo) began in 1923 with a pen built by Bert Onsgard for his pet deer. Birding - Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve. This project was made possible in part by: The Clean Water Land & Legacy Amendment. It is the only zoo in Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin. This project was combined with a $139,000 FY 2012-2013 Legacy Amendment ACHF appropriation for the “Pavilion Presentation Project” to provide remaining pavilion renovations. Mr. Magoo remained at the Duluth zoo until his death in 1968. Get Directions About. Meet Kaya and Kermit, Angolan colobus monkeys born during the summer of 2013. Following much public outcry about the order, President John F. Kennedy granted a presidential pardon that spared his life. The zoo in Duluth, MN, is the ideal place to unleash your wild side no matter the weather. Duluth Golf Library Lake Superior Zoo Parks Listings Parks & Recreation Programs Outdoor Recreation Map Spirit Mountain Skyline Parkway. Bessie remained at the zoo until she died in 1974 at the age of 49. Glensheen, Duluth, MN. Fishing - fishing holes. This exhibit is located across two buildings (Zoo Central and Primate Conservation Center) and has fifteen spaces for animals. The Pittsburgh Steel Company donated a rail car of fencing, people donated exotic pets, and school children raised money to buy two lion cubs. Facebook. During exhibit construction, landscaping and the installation of drain tile resolved the runoff problem. The Lake Superior Zoological Society (Lake Superior Zoo) has received funding for several programs and projects from the Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. The Lake Superior Zoo has been in existence since 1923, and is a key attraction and educational facility in northeastern Minnesota. trout streams (see streams section) Trails - City hiking trails. Compared to the Minnesota Zoo or the insanely larger San Diego Zoo, this is a quaint and fun little zoo well worth a visit. A 501(c)(3) private nonprofit, Great Lakes Aquarium features animals and habitats found within the Great Lakes basin and other freshwater ecosystems such as the Amazon River. The Lake Superior Zoo contracted with Keller Fencing to repair the existing wolf habitat next to the new brown bear exhibit located on the West side of Kingsbury Creek. Over 400 animals and 200 different species await you. Additionally, the community was asked to share stories, photographs, and artifacts for this project. This helped his vision spread through the community who in turn helped him build the zoo. The program also included a hands-on encounter with a live desert tortoise, a North American animal that is threatened with extinction. LAKE SUPERIOR ZOO 7210 Fremont Street (218) 730-4500. The exhibit provides a close-up connection with wolves and brings awareness to the conservation issues the gray wolf faces, as well as provide an opportunity to understand how the wolf fits within our various regions. 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