Safari through the grasslands and explore Garden City's favorite family destination: Lee Richardson Zoo!
Every membership to the Friends of Lee Richardson Zoo is packed with adventure and a full year's worth of drive-thru admission-free fun. Lee Richardson Zoo is committed to providing the highest quality care for our animal residents. Your gift directly supports efforts to enhance animal habitats and improve the quality of life for our animal ambassadors.
Lee Richardson Zoo continues to modify operations to support efforts to keep the community safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
Effective Monday, March 30, 2020, Lee Richardson Zoo is temporarily closing drive-through access, as well as the Wild Asia habitat, while still making the outdoor zoo campus available to pedestrians during the coronavirus pandemic.
These changes support pedestrians having ample room to follow the recommendation of maintaining 6-foot social distancing. The roads will be open, other than zoo and construction personnel, providing more options for space for those walking. Wild Asia walkways, which facilitate a wonderful trip through Asian wildlife, do not afford the appropriate options for the recommended social distancing and therefore, will not be available to guests at this time.
The zoo will temporarily postpone the beginning of extended hours and continue with its regular open hours (8 am - 5 pm). This allows staff to reduce crossing with each other in accordance with the directive to decrease contact with others and common touch surfaces, thereby facilitating their safety during the coronavirus pandemic.
Effective Thursday, March 19, 2020, the Finnup Center for Conservation Education will be temporarily closed to the public. The Safari Shoppe, operated by Friends of Lee Richardson Zoo, is temporarily closed to the public.
Zoo staff are working on updates, home activities, and educational segments that will be offered via the zoo’s Facebook page and website.
To support community members during the economic impact of COVID-19, drive-through at the zoo will be free through the end of the month. Zoo staff are continuing the increased disinfecting of hard, non-porous, frequently touched surfaces, including doorknobs, handles, and counters at the public restrooms, and playground equipment. Under current guidelines, the zoo will continue to offer drive-through and pedestrian access for zoo guests.
The zoo offers a beautiful open-air outdoor space that can be enjoyed while guests maintain the recommended social distance of 6 feet. During these unprecedented times, the zoo staff continues to work diligently to care for the community, the zoo residents, and the facility in which the community is so invested.
For more information on coronavirus, go to Center for Disease Control and Prevention website (cdc.gov/coronavirus), Kansas Department of Health and Environment website (http://www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus/) or Finney County Health Department Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/finneycountyhealthdept/). Finney County Health Department Hotline is 620-272-3600.