The Jackson Zoo plans to reopen its gates for the first time in almost a year this weekend.
Since its decision to close on October 1, 2019, the zoo has dealt with everything from monetary issues to an unsuccessful effort to relocate to the termination of its management contract with the Jackson Zoological Society.
Now, in the same location that it has been in for the past 99 years, the zoo will reopen on August 22 under the reign of the City of Jackson’s Parks and Recreation Department, and of course, there will be some new guidelines due to concerns from the coronavirus.
“We are excited to be able to safely reopen and offer this amenity to our citizens of Jackson,” Director of Parks and Recreation Ison B. Harris said. “I personally have a couple of young people in my house that are frequent zoogoers, so they’re excited to go out there and seeing some of their old animal friends.”
Not only will all visitors be required to don a protective face mask, but people are also required to stay at least six feet away from each other as required by the guidelines set forth by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
On top of that, tickets must be purchased online. No more than 500 people will be allowed in the park at a time.
The tentative hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. To view the entire list of COVID-19 guidelines being enforced by the zoo, click here.
