A “wicked cool” facility highlighting conservation and providing an extraordinary experience for its visitors.
The Aquarium and Reptile Center has been the most popular exhibit at Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens since it opened in November 1989. Thirty years of wear and tear left the facility in need of renovation. In 2020, Tommy Stringfellow, the Zoo’s Executive Director, Lochlan Wooten, the Chief Operating Officer, and other staff approached the Boyd Foundation about renovation funding. The Foundation, presented with options of a “return to glory” or a “wicked cool” alternative, decided that the Zoo and the Midlands should have the truly outstanding “wicked cool” option. This option completely reimagined the facility for an extraordinary experience highlighting conservation occurring behind the scenes.
The Foundation invested $8.5 million dollars in this project.
