Riverbanks Zoo christens new entrance

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden welcomed guests to its new entrance for the first time when the gates opened Friday morning.

The new entry plaza completes phase one of the zoo’s Destination Riverbanks, a $36-million expansion that is being completed in several phases.

The new entry includes a 4,500 square-foot gift shop and a state-of-the-art guest relations center, more ticket booths, a concierge-type desk, an expanded first aid facility, and a room for nursing mothers.

The space is expected to better accommodate the more than 1 million guests who visit the zoo each year.

Later this summer, a new solar array will be installed atop the guest relations center, helping to generate electricity for the building and to create awareness about alternative energy.

Other projects in phase one included the recent opening of the Zoo’s Grizzly Ridge and Otter Run exhibits.

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is located at 500 Wildlife Parkway in Columbia.

This story was originally published July 3, 2015 at 1:45 PM.