Detroit Zoo's July Attendance second highest ever

**kraig** · August-19-09, 01:24 PM

For those in a mood for good news.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Detroit Zoo's July attendance second-highest ever

Jennifer Chambers / The Detroit News

Royal Oak -- Visitors continue to flock to the Detroit Zoo this summer for a dose of "Vitamin Z."
July's attendance of 251,979 visitors represents the second-highest month ever for the zoo. July 1997 holds the record of 270,319.
Attendance for last month was a 26 percent increase over July 2008. No other month besides these two has seen more than 250,000 visitors since the Zoo began tracking attendance in 1983.
Attendance for calendar year 2009 so far is up 18 percent, with 814,201 visitors compared to 689,842 in 2008.
The Zoo introduced its "Vitamin Z -- Part of a Complete Childhood" advertising campaign in May, which captures the moments of wonder that kids experience at the Detroit Zoo.
Billboards, TV commercials and print ads feature the Zoo's immersive experiences, including the Arctic Ring of Life, Australian Outback Adventure, Butterfly Garden and Giraffe Encounter. The campaign also promotes Dinosauria, the Zoo's blockbuster summer attraction featuring 19 life-like animatronic dinosaurs, which ends Labor Day.
jchambers@detnews.com [[734) 462-2289

MIRepublic · August-19-09, 05:22 PM

Very nice, especially when you consider the economy. I've found myself attending more local events and places since the national economy hit the skids and riding public transit, more. I do want to check out the zoo, again. I haven't been in years.

**Lowell** · August-19-09, 08:12 PM

Fits well with this summers buzz term 'staycation'. Always great news to hear of its success.

**Gistok** · August-19-09, 11:21 PM

I wonder if the relatively cool July this year helped in the attendance as well? With weather mostly in the 72-85 range that month, it made for a comfortable diversion.

Maybe some folks thought July was too cool to go to the beach?

**SMRJim** · August-20-09, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

I wonder if the relatively cool July this year helped in the attendance as well? With weather mostly in the 72-85 range that month, it made for a comfortable diversion...

That was the first thought that came to my mind. I know I would be a lot less likely to want to walk around the zoo on a day where it's in the high 80s or more.