Project Update with Parking Map
Greetings from Reid Park Zoo!
It’s an exciting time at Reid Park Zoo with some new faces and the start of exciting new spaces! The Zoo recently welcomed a giraffe foal named Moyo on January 15 and elephant calf born on March 8. Both little ones are doing well and can be seen at times out on habitat. We will be announcing the results of the public naming contest for the elephant calf on April 17. These births are important for their Species Survival Plans and sharing the message of the importance of conservation programs to protect them in the wild.
In other news, we are set to begin construction on the Pathway to Asia addition starting April 20. This exciting new area will be transformative for the Zoo, helping to further our mission of conservation and education. It will introduce guests to fascinating species of the world’s largest continent – many threatened or endangered – such as red panda, Komodo dragon, sand cats and others. It will also bring tigers back to the Zoo in a spacious habitat.
Please Note: Old Zoo Parking Lot Closing Permanently April 15 — Zoo and Adaptive Recreation Center Guests Will Park in the New lot.
Starting Monday, April 15, the old Zoo and Adaptive Recreation Center (ARC) parking lots and entry to those parking lots will close permanently as we make way for Pathway to Asia. Guests to Reid Park Zoo, Gene C. Reid Park amenities and the Edith Ball Adaptive Recreation Center (ARC) will park in the new lot that is located to the north of the ARC. The lot can be reached by entering from Lakeshore Lane or following the signs on Randolph Way to the entry next to Hi Corbett Field. The new lot features 433 spaces (90 more than the old lots), including 54 accessible spaces in a loop that runs around the ARC.
There are accessible parking spaces on the south side of the loop near the Zoo as well as on the north side of the loop near the ARC entrance. Please note that while the loop drive from Lakeshore is open, there will be times where, due to construction, portions will be closed or it will be one-way traffic only.
To reach the Zoo from the new parking lot, you can walk on the west side down Lakeshore Lane to the entrance or you can walk through a protected walkway next to a construction area for
Pathway to Asia on the east side of the Adaptive Recreation Center (ARC). For drop off, there is a pullout on Lakeshore Lane as well as a pullout on the north end of the loop near the ARC entrance.
After construction is complete on the sidewalk near Pathway to Asia, estimated to be December 2024, the loop will include a drop off pullout on the zoo side and the loop will be fully open for two lanes of traffic.
22nd Street Lot Also Closing
The lot located at the northwest corner of Randolph and 22nd Street (by the elephant statue) will close in April for approximately 2 years as it is used as a construction staging area during the building of Pathway to Asia. This parking lot has had signage up for the past month to notify park users.
We know that at times the parking set up can be confusing. Ensuring accessibility is a priority for everyone at Reid Park and Reid Park Zoo. Thank you for your patience as we all get accustomed to this new route. If there are any issues, please share them by emailing info@reidparkzoo.org or calling 520-881-4753.
Thank You Tucson for Your Support! We are Accomplishing So Much Together.
These new improvements and additions to Reid Park Zoo would not be possible without the generous support of the Tucson voters and the tax initiative of 2017. Together, we are continuing to make your Zoo a place of learning, a resource for our community, and a vital connection to species preservation, inspiring the protection of wild animals and wild places.
In addition to Pathway to Asia, we are still making a number of habitat and infrastructure upgrades around the Zoo for the comfort of animals – whose health and wellness always come first – and for humans. We hope you can visit soon to see some of these changes in action and, again, thank you!