Glacier Run, Louisville Zoo, USA
Designed as an imaginary town on the edge of the arctic wilderness, Glacier Run is mod- elled on the real town of Churchill, Canada, the polar bear capital of the world where people and wildlife have learned to co-exist. The exhibit offers spectacular views, captivat- ing stories of the arctic and opportunities for close-up encounters with polar bears, grizzly bears, seals and sea lions.
Guests can interact with zookeepers, learn about current challenges to arctic environments and animals, and discover how incremental changes in our everyday activi- ties and behaviours can make a difference to the planet and wildlife. The exhibit’s story shows how melting glaciers fl ooded the old quarry, which has become the bear pool.
Guests learn how challenges to arctic environments affect the wildlife The idea for the US$25m (£15.6m,
€17.5m) town came from PGAV Destina- tion Planning. The company worked with the staff at Louisville Zoo and Polar Bears International, a research association based in Churchill. Weber Group designed and built the town and the branded and themed environments, working with local architect Arrasmith, Judd, Rapp and Chovan.
The exhibit includes immersive media
content, providing information on bear be- haviours, habitat, conversation and climate change. The bears are housed and exhibited in habitats designed to engage visitors and provide opportunities for interaction – a Ford truck holds polar bears in the back, so visi- tors sitting in the cab can view the bears up close, though separated by a thick glass wall.
Drusillas Park, UK
Drusillas Park in the UK covers 16 acres of land, so everything has been geared to limited space and younger children. Its owners, Laurence and Christine Smith, have concentrated on small exotic animals such as meerkats, monkeys and penguins and ensured that everything is child orientated, from the animal viewing opportunities to the accessible zoo route. The furthest walk from one enclosure to another is 150ft (48m).
www.attractionshandbook.com The 120 species include squirrel monkeys
Drusillas opened in 1925 as tearooms with a few animals, including Tarzan the chimpanzee and Georgina the ring-tailed lemur. The Smiths bought the park in 1997 and have spent the last 15 years creating a child-friendly zoo with an emphasis on hands-on learning. Now the zoo has more
than 120 different species and attractions, including a Thomas & Friends ride and a new interactive maze called Eden’s Eye. The Smiths have updated the zoo, working with the Western Log Group and Meticulous Ltd. “Change and improvement is essential in
this business,” says Laurence Smith. “Good design is also essential in today’s competitive marketplace. Visitors rightly expect a high standard of design, from the toilets through to new animal enclosures and attractions.” Smith believes that the zoo’s design- orientated attention to detail was one of the reasons that Drusillas won the South East England Large Visitor Attraction of the Year Award in 2011. “Good design is a more ex- pensive route, but it’s an important route.”
Attractions Handbook 2013–2014 67
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