By Lloyd Whittington — Editor in Chief of the Triad Business Journal
The North Carolina Zoo has something more to celebrate, right on the heels of marking its 50th anniversary, progressing on its $100 million Asia expansion and mapping out a future Australia continent.
The 2,800-acre attraction in Asheboro has been selected as the “Best Zoo” in the U.S. in the Newsweek Reader’s Choice Awards, based on voting that was done daily between July 3 and July 31. According to the Zoo, nominees were suggested and vetted by a panel of travel writers and tourism experts before a final voting selection was made by Newsweek’s editors.
The results were:
- North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro
- Memphis Zoo in Memphis, Tennessee
- San Antonio Zoo in San Antonio, Texas
- Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, Illinois
- Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance in Denver, Colorado
- Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo in Gulf Shores, Alabama
- San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California
- Cincinnati Zoo in Cincinnati, Ohio
- St. Louis Zoo in St. Louis, Missouri
- Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, Louisiana
North Carolina Zoo in March was selected as the No. 3 zoo in the U.S. in USA Today’s 10Best rankings.
The Zoo in May welcomed it’s 30-millionth guest since opening in August 1974, and that came on top of the attraction in April setting a record for attendance with more than a million visitors in the calendar year in 2023, eclipsing the previous record of 930,002 set in 2022.
“It is humbling to be recognized as ‘Best Zoo’ during our golden anniversary year when we are reflecting on our past and looking to the future,” said North Carolina Zoo Director and CEO Patricia Simmons. “The North Carolina Zoo set out over 50 years ago to create a zoo unlike any other, and we are deeply honored by the outpouring of love and support throughout this contest period and beyond. This award, like any accolades we receive as an organization, is dedicated to our Zoo Team members, community partners, generous donors, and loyal guests who make the North Carolina Zoo an unforgettable place to work and visit.”
The preceding article was written by Lloyd Whittington, Editor in Chief of the Triad Business Journal, and originally appeared on August 14, 2024 at their website. It is made available here for educational purposes only. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 106A-117 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Photo above: Ronan the Grizzly Bear in his habitat in the North America continent area of the Zoo.
