The Greensboro Science Center (GSC) was established in 1957 as the Greensboro Junior Museum. By its 40th anniversary in 1997, it was attracting some 200,000 visitors each year,[1] and attendance has continued to grow to 434,718 as of 2017.[5][citation needed]
The current executive director, Glenn Dobrogosz,[6] was hired in 2004[7]
The facility received accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 2008,[8] this allows for guests to utilize the AZA's reciprocity program where they can get discounts on their admission at the Greensboro Science Center when they have a membership with a fellow AZA organization.[9]
As part of a $20 million makeover, the GSC opened Time Warner Cable's Extreme Weather Gallery in May 2011, and the HealthQuest exhibit in June 2011, however, the HealthQuest exhibit is currently no longer on view to the public.[10]
On May 2, 2015, the Greensboro Science Center opened its tree top adventure park, Skywild.[11]
On June 4, 2021 the newest expansion to the Greensboro Science Center, Revolution Ridge opened to the public and is the largest addition in the Center's history.[12]
Attractions
Rhinoceros iguana at the Greensboro Science Center
The Museum includes SciPlay Bay, Time Warner Cable's Extreme Weather Gallery, touch labs that include live snakes, lizards, and invertebrates, and Prehistoric Passages: Realm of Dragons, which houses a komodo dragon that moves between an inside exhibit and outdoor enclosure in the zoo.
The OmniSphere Theater is a full dome theater where visitors experience everything from the stars to coral reefs in 2D and 3D.[13]
The Rotary Club of Greensboro Carousel[15] is North Carolina's largest carousel featuring animals that showcase the science center (such as Red Pandas, Octopus, Dinosaurs, etc.) along with state mascots (NC State Wolf, UNC TarHeel). The ride is an additional charge, but is built for all ages and abilities.
Winter Wonderlights[16] is Greensboro newest holiday attraction, that features a walkable holiday themed light display, which has been active since 2020.
Plans for the future
In 2009, Greensboro voters considered a $20 million bond referendum for the Natural Science Center. $10 million was used for the SciQuarium, a 250,000-US-gallon (950,000L) aquarium with more than 75 species of animals and a cownose ray touch tank. $10 million is planned for renovations and expansions of existing parts of the GSC.[17] The master plan for this renovation was developed with the help of Cambridge Seven Associates and Moser-Mayer Phoenix & Associates, and phase 1 (the SciQuarium) opened in the summer of 2013. Phase 2 will include updates to the current museum, and phase 3 will include new animals such as pygmy hippos, cassowaries and red pandas in an exhibit called "Endangered Species Village."[18] The final form of which turned into what is referred to today as "Revolution Ridge."
The San Diego Zoo is a zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, housing 4,000 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies on 100 acres (40 ha) of Balboa Park leased from the City of San Diego. Its parent organization, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, is a private nonprofit conservation organization, and has one of the largest zoological membership associations in the world, with more than 250,000 member households and 130,000 child memberships, representing more than a half million people.
The Houston Zoo is a 55-acre (22 ha) zoological park located within Hermann Park in Houston, Texas, United States. The zoo houses over 6,000 animals from more than 900 species. It receives around 2 million visitors each year and is the second most visited zoo in the United States, surpassed only by the San Diego Zoo. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
The Detroit Zoo is a zoo located in the cities of Huntington Woods and Royal Oak in the U.S. state of Michigan. Spanning 125 acres (50.6 ha), it houses more than 2,000 animals and more than 200 different species. The zoo was the first U.S. zoo to feature bar-less habitats, and is regarded to be an international leader in animal welfare, conservation and sustainability by the Detroit Zoological Society.
The Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is a 170-acre (69 ha) zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden located along the Saluda River in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. A small portion of the zoo extends into the nearby city of West Columbia. It is operated by the Rich-Lex Riverbanks Park Special Purpose District, a partnership of the city of Columbia and Richland and Lexington counties. It is overseen by the Riverbanks Park Commission, comprising two members each from the three governments and one at-large member.
The Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden is a zoo that opened in 1928 in Evansville, Indiana, United States. It is located in Mesker Park on Evansville's northwest side and is run by the City of Evansville.
The Charles Paddock Zoo is a small 5-acre (2.0 ha) community zoo located in San Luis Obispo County, California, in the City of Atascadero, California. It is the only zoo in the Central Coast area of that U.S. state. It is home to an endangered male Malayan tiger named Menderu.
The Franklin Park Zoo is a 72-acre (290,000 m2) zoo located in Boston, Massachusetts and is currently operated by Zoo New England, which also operates the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Massachusetts. The zoo is located in the northeast portion of Franklin Park, Boston's largest park and the last component of the city's famed Emerald Necklace.
Happy Hollow Park & Zoo is a small 16-acre (6.5 ha) zoo and amusement park in San Jose, California, which originally opened in 1961. It was closed in 2008 for major renovations, and opened its gates again on March 20, 2010.
Henry Vilas Zoo is a 28-acre (11 ha) public zoo in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, that is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Owned by Dane County, the zoo receives over 750,000 visitors annually.
The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery is a children's museum, science and technology center and zoo in Dayton, Ohio, United States that focuses on science and natural history. Exhibits include an extensive natural history collection as well as maintaining a collection of live animals native to Ohio and abroad. Educational outreach extends to the community by providing in-school programming and on-site special programs. SunWatch Indian Village and Fort Ancient are the sister sites to the museum.
Chahinkapa Zoo is an 29-acre (12 ha) zoo in Wahpeton, North Dakota. Opened in 1933 on land that had been purchased in 1903, it is the first zoo built in North Dakota. It is open May through October and by appointment during the winter. It features over 200 animals ranging from gibbon apes to Bengal tigers and White rhinos.
The Red River Zoo is a zoo in Fargo, North Dakota. The zoo's first 8 acres (3.2 ha) opened in the spring of 1999. It gained accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in 2006.
The Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park in Santa Ana, California, is a 20-acre (8.1 ha) zoo focusing on the animals and plants of Central and South America. The Santa Ana Zoo hosts more than 270,000 people annually. The zoo opened in 1952 and is owned and operated by the City of Santa Ana. Joseph Prentice donated land for the zoo with the stipulation that the city must keep at least 50 monkeys at all times. The zoo maintains an extensive primate collection with over a dozen species from around the world.
The Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park is a 13-acre (5.3 ha) zoological park located in Warner Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The zoo was established in 1937 by the City of Chattanooga with the construction of two 4 by 6 feet cages for rhesus monkeys. The zoo has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 1998.
The Binder Park Zoo is a 433-acre (175 ha) zoo that opened in 1977 near Battle Creek, Michigan, in the United States. Binder Park Zoo is one of the largest zoos in Michigan, and features a large array of animals and plants, including the Wild Africa Exhibit. It includes a train, a tram, a carousel, and ropes course called "Skylark Ridge".
The American Species Survival Plan or SSP program was developed in 1981 by the (American) Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums, most of which are threatened or endangered in the wild.
The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium, located in Toledo, Ohio, is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), valid through September 2023. The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium houses over 10,000 individual animals from 720 species. The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium currently participates in over 80 species survival programs. It has over 57,000 members and hosts over 1 million visitors a year.
The Akron Zoo, officially known as the Akron Zoological Park, is a non-profit zoo located just west of downtown in Akron, Ohio, United States. The zoo sits on 77-acre (31 ha) of which 35-acre (14 ha) are occupied with by habitats, amenities, and support.
The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo (BAMZ) is a facility located in Flatts Village, Bermuda, about 700 mi (1,100 km) east of the United States and at the geographic center of Bermuda. It was established in 1926 by the Bermuda government to enhance a growing tourism industry and "to inspire appreciation and care of island environments." The facility focuses on showing oceanic island species and in conservation, education, and research related to these species, and contains an aquarium, a natural history museum, and a zoo.
The Virginia Zoological Park, commonly known as the Virginia Zoo, is a 53-acre (21 ha) zoo located adjacent to Lafayette Park in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. The zoo opened in 1900, and was accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in 1987.
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