The Detroit Zoo announces new 7-acre Discovery Trails – here’s what you need to know

ROYAL OAK, Mich — Some big changes are happening behind the scenes at the Detroit Zoo, in the form of a new seven-acre Discovery Trails area.

Administrators and staff said they are excited about what’s to come as the Detroit Zoo prepares to transform that property.

“This is a real attempt to immerse ourselves in nature and connect children with animals,” said Dr. Hayley Murphy, CEO and executive director of the Detroit Zoological Society.

Plans for the new Discovery Trails were officially announced on Tuesday, October 22, 2024.

The new attraction will feature a 14-foot-tall treetop walkway. Accessibility features will be built into Discovery Trails. There will also be a pavilion with stingrays and bamboo sharks.

Children can visit an on-site farmers’ market. There will be a barnyard where visitors can pet animals, including goats and chickens. Visitors can also get up close and personal with anteaters, bush dogs and other animals.

“We bring alpacas and miniature donkeys,” Murphy said. “There will be prairie dogs and burrowing owls. So a completely new experience here at the zoo. We’re so excited about it.”

Planning for the Discovery Trails began several years ago. However, the COVID pandemic brought things to a halt. The project was restarted about three years ago.

“We really worked on the data and the science behind the educational journey for the seven acres and also how we can just create an exciting space for our community,” Murphy said.

Administrators at the Detroit Zoological Society said the goal is to create an environment where families, school groups and more children can have a different, innovative and immersive experience at the zoo. It will be something different than what the zoo already offers.

“It’s very different for us,” Murphy said.

The new Discovery Trails will be a space dedicated to the Detroit Zoo’s enjoyment of nature and discovery. Seven hectares is a very large area for a project of this type.

The stingray and bamboo shark habitat will be a first for the Detroit Zoo. It will help educate visitors about how important water is to the Great Lakes region.

Administrators want the public and members of the tri-county area to view the new Discovery Trails as a gathering place. They said it will be a place where they believe people can come to relax, play, socialize and enjoy the nature around them.

“We really want people to understand that we’re trying to foster that empathy for animals and nature,” Murphy said. “We know that future conservationists start when they are young. So we really want to get the young people in our region to come to the zoo, enjoy this place and really share our connection with animals and nature.”

Visitors can expect a lot of activity and excitement around the construction fences in the zoo. Vertical supports for the 14-foot-tall canopy will soon be erected.

The Discovery Trails are expected to open to the public in 2026.