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John Ball Park Zoo

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John Ball Park Zoo

John Ball Park Zoo

With temperatures in the 70°s, the sun is finally showing itself, after having been cooped up all winter and in need of some cardio I grabbed my camera and headed for the John Ball Park Zoo. It had been a quite a while since I had shown my face here and wanted to see first hand why a proposal was on the ballet for a new and improved zoo to be built. Did we really need it?

After just a few minute I had my answer. The zoo had hardly changed since I was a kid and I had no doubt how I plan to vote on the upcoming proposal.

John-Ball Park is a small zoo around 140 acres which is clean and well maintained but only really enjoyed by the kids. Yes, we have the usual bears, eagles, elephants, chimpanzees, wolfs and lamas, but the cages are small and the exhibits lack interest. The indoor aquarium and the penguins/gulls exhibits, though small, are pleasant to observe.

There’s a petting zoo area allowing kids to get up close and personal with different barn animals, such as goats, chickens, roosters, sheep as well as turkeys. When I was walking around I was repeatedly being harassed by this huge turkey. He definitely got me a little flustered and kept following me everywhere (possibly scared of my camera).

I read they are getting a new Sting Ray Lagoon which is a 5,000 gallon outdoor touch pool featuring Cownose and Yellow Spotted Rays which will provides visitors with the opportunity to not only see, but to touch, feel and experience the Sting rays. This exhibit will be the only exhibit of its kind in Michigan. That is a good start, but not enough to get visitors flocking to this park.

Unfortunately, the citizens around the zoo and city officials fought to keep the zoo from expanding in recent years and we lost the proposal for a new wildlife park to be developed, by a small margin. All the land was going to be donated by the generosity of Fred Meijer and would have been a wonderful place to visit as well as get more people to Grand Rapids.

I do however, applauded the hard work of the staff as well as the many volunteers who devote many hours in making the John Ball Park Zoo an educational experience, as well as a fun place for children from the area who may not get an opportunity otherwise to see these animals. It’s not top-rated but I guess for some, better than nothing.

Parking is free, and the park is open everyday except Christmas. Regular hours are 10am-4pm, extended to 9am-6pm starting May 20th for summer hours. Free admission, December-February and weekdays during March and November. It’s located at the corner of Fulton and Valley just 2 miles west of downtown GR and has an easy access from the I-96 expressway. Admission: Adults (14 - 62 years) $6, Children (4 - 13 years) $4, under age 3- free, seniors- $4.50.

From journal Great- Grand Rapids My Hometown

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