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Columbus Zoo & Aquarium
9990 Riverside Drive
Powell, OH 43065
(800) 666-5397
www.columbuszoo.org
Area Zoos and Aquarium Guide

Driving distance: From downtown Dayton to Powell, which is about 20 miles north of Columbus, it's 80 miles, and should take you about 90 minutes.

Hours: Labor Day until Memorial Day weekend, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays mid-June through mid-August, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Ticket prices: Adults, $10; Older than 60, $8; Children 2-11, $6; younger than 2 and members free; $5 charge for parking.

Attendance: 1.5 million in 2006. Highest single-day attendance: 22,619 on Dec. 16, 2006; highest year attendance, 1,565,000 in 2006.

Acreage: The entire complex, which includes the zoo, Safari Golf Club and Water Park cover 580 acres. The existing zoo covers 58 acres.

Animals: 6,300 specimens of more than 790 species.

Main attraction: The Columbus Zoo & Aquarium's biggest claim to fame is, perhaps, found in the person of its Director Emeritus, Jack Hanna, a charismatic media-savvy zoologist who was zoo director from 1972 until the early '90s, when he was given his current honorary status. His television appearances did much to bring attention to zoos in general and Columbus in particular.

Specialties & zoo trivia:

• Known for breeding endangered species: Colo, the first captive-born gorilla, was born at the zoo in 1956. Now 51, she's still there.

• One of nine U.S. zoos to permanently house Queensland koalas.

• One of only six institutions to have bonobos.

• Opened in 1927 as the Columbus Zoological Park, with a small collection of donated animals; taken over by the city of Columbus in 1951 and got its first three gorillas; received accreditation by the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums in 1980.

• One of just three institutions outside of Florida to house manatees.

Insider's view: John and Judy Martin, whose son Justin grew up in Dayton and now attends Ohio State University, say they believe part of the reason Justin chose OSU is because of their family tradition of taking in the Columbus Zoo each year. They love the entire place, top to bottom, side to side, and every plant, animal and mineral contained therein are equal in their eyes.

Justin, however, loves the moose.

"He always makes sure to check in on the moose," Martin said. "I don't know what it is about them — this is a kid who doesn't even really know Bullwinkle! Still, I'm happy to visit them, too — they're kind of tucked up in their own little corner and they're sometimes missed by people."

Another favorite, he said, is the wolverine.

"For some reason, he tends to hide during football season," Martin laughed.