10,000 Fewer People Visited Zoo’s Wildlights This Season

Zoo officials said that weather played a major role in Wildlights attendance this season.

About 340,000 people visited the holiday lights display at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium this year, while more than 350,000 people visited during the 2011 season.

According to Patty Peters with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, the zoo closed on Dec. 26 because of a Level 2 snow emergency in the area.

She said that there was no snow during the Wildlights season of 2011.

Overall, the zoo had 50,000 fewer visitors in 2012 compared to 2011.

“While the 2012 attendance was lower than 2011, it was on par with what we had budgeted for the year,” Peters said. “Budgets are based on a number of factors including if we are opening a major new exhibit.  While Stingray Bay is a great new attraction, we knew it would not draw the same amount of people as Polar Frontier.”

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