The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has almost as much variety in the parking lot as it does in its exhibits. Last week, a casual glance at license tags showed visitors had driven across county, state and even country lines for a visit to the Zoo and its adjacent Zoombezi Bay Waterpark!
One distinct benefit of having a family Zoo membership is that it frees us to explore the vast park at our leisure. We can ditch the “do it all in a day” mentality and search out what we’re most interested in on any given afternoon, knowing that there really is a “next time” for any missed exhibits.The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium currently offers 90 acres of exhibits and habitats and is in a seemingly constant state of expansion and improvement. On Friday we were interested in one of the older sections, the North American Exhibit.
The North American section includes grizzly bears, black bears, bison, bald eagles and wolves among its residents. We took a ride on the miniature train that circles the “continent” for tradition’s sake and then headed in to find the moose herd. A big-antlered guy disappeared when it was photo time, but we were intrigued to watch one of his female cohorts trot over to us and then kneel down to resting position.
She looked terrifically awkward as she made her way, knees first, to the ground…
…but was quite content in the shaded grass.
Moose can weigh anywhere from 600 to over 1300 pounds. Males grow antlers made of keratin, the tough insoluble protein also found in human hair and nails. These antlers can weigh over 70 pounds, are regrown annually -and when shed in December or January, are a calcium source for rodents.
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Visitor Information and Map
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (Powell, Ohio)
Acres and Acres of Animals!
Hours of Operation:
9AM -6PM (Memorial Day Weekend – Labor Day)
9AM – 5PM (Labor Day – Memorial Day Weekend)
Open until 8PM on Wednesdays (6/24 – 8/19)
Admission: $12 (ages 10 – 59); $7 (ages 2 – 9, 60+), Free (2 and under)
Parking Fee: $5
Group Discounts/Season Passes available, Admission Specials
Phone: 614-645-3550
Address: 4850 West Powell Rd, Powell OH 43065
Directions: From Interstate 71, travel west on 270 West to Exit 20 (Sawmill Rd). Turn right and travel north (Sawmill Rd becomes Sawmill Pkwy). Turn left onto Powell Rd (SR 750); zoo entrance will be on the right after approximately one mile.
View Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in a larger map
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