Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium’s master plan approved with long-term improvements, homage to Delbridge donation

A vision to bring land, sea and sky together is moving forward at the Great Plains Zoo.

The Sioux Falls City Council voted 7-0 Tuesday to approve a new master plan for the Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium that includes adding an aquarium on the zoo campus and more long-term improvements such as an enhanced giraffe exhibit and a reimagining of the longtime “mountain” near the center of the zoo.

The plan considers a 15-to-20-year horizon and looks at the entire 40-acre campus, with a total estimated investment of $200 million.

“”It’s a lot to take in,” CEO Becky Dewitz said. “We are talking about new exhibits as well as some recent enhancements we’ve done at the campus. … I’m excited for our future.”

The broader goal is to increase annual attendance from about 250,000 today to more than 400,000, in addition to provide new revenue opportunities such as more education and entertainment events.

“We really want to balance the impacts of construction to achieve all of these goals with that guest experience,” Dewitz said. “You also want to balance your large investment with your smaller investments as it relates to exhibitory, design, the guest amenity, make sure you’re building for the future.”

The aquarium, while not fully designed yet, will relocate and greatly expand the community’s existing aquarium at Sertoma Park. Plans call for about 25,000 square feet, including an upper mezzanine, that broadens what the aquarium could offer, including a full shark tank, rays, corals and a jellyfish gallery, plus an adjacent rainforest with butterflies, tropical plants and wildlife.

Denny Sanford was the lead donor in the Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium’s “We Can’t Wait” capital campaign to help support three upcoming phases of construction: the butterfly garden, education center and aquarium.

He gave $25 million, which the organization is planning to match. When that happens, Sanford has pledged an additional $10 million to further enhance the campus. Sanford also donated to bring a splash pad to the zoo and contributed to major projects, including the brown bear and lion exhibits.

So far, SFZA has raised $12 million in matching funds.

The plan is to break ground on the butterfly garden this fall, with projected completion in 2027. Groundbreakings for the education center and aquarium will be announced at a later date.

Overall goals of the master plan are:

• Champion well-being, including animals.
• Embrace Sioux Falls history.
• Maintain accreditation.
• Enhance the guest experience.
• Integrate with the park.
• Diversify and increase revenue opportunities.
• Balance guest experience and operation.

The plan was announced more than a year ago, but a vote was held up while decisions were being made for the Delbridge Museum of Natural History at the zoo, which contained the Brockhouse taxidermy collection.

In bringing the master plan forward Tuesday, the zoo proposed an approximately $200,000 investment to honor the legacy donation. It includes a two-part documentary on the collection that would be available online as well as through the city’s cable channel “so we can honor this and keep it in a way that people can see it for generations,” Dewitz said, adding that the plan is to get footage of the mounts before most of them are moved to the University of Notre Dame.

Within the zoo itself, there would be an interactive, hands-on display in the future education center that would allow for a physical exhibit to learn about conservation.

That would include restoration of the giant panda mount, a gift from the People’s Republic of China, including a new glass diorama and exhibit lighting, in addition to static signage about the Brockhouse collection.

Future focuses of the master plan include the giraffe and bongo exhibit with larger indoor enclosures and a layout that would allow for easier movement – both people and animals – in that area of the zoo. A new cafe would provide outdoor seating adjacent to giraffe viewing.

The “mountain” near the center of the zoo, which is original to the property, is envisioned as being incorporated into a new primate facility that could get up to a second-story boardwalk.

Other proposed improvements include a new red panda exhibit, a river otter exhibit and a relocation of the tigers that would make room for leopards.

The forest and grasslands zone has some of the most deferred maintenance and could become a better exhibit for bison, including an interpretive center.

The overall plan estimates $548.5 million in economic impact from 2022-31, which is the highest industry experts have seen for a zoo this size, Dewitz said, adding that people are more likely to drive a long distance in South Dakota to visit the zoo.

While some of the funding for the proposed plan could come from the city’s capital improvement program, the aquarium so far is entirely paid for by donations.

“People are funding this because they want it to happen,” Dewitz said.