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“The Zoo and Conservatory is a place where Minnesotans make memories and share family traditions,” said Liz Anderson, Como campus manager. “We are thrilled to offer new facilities that will help our guests rediscover Como Park Zoo and Conservatory.”

“There are more restrooms, a great new cafe, a wonderful new gift shop, and an easy-to-find visitor service desk, something we hadn’t had before,” said Jackie Sticha, executive director of the Como Zoo and Conservatory Society. “And there are improved education facilities for people who participate in any of our education programs.”

Cheryl Kohout, the society’s development director, thinks the new Welcome Center improves the experience offered by the Zoo and Conservatory.

The new Visitor Center was a 30-year dream for Society members and employees. It was needed to help
document who visited and to provide more space for classes and a warm place to eat in the winter, Kohout said.

Nancy Sabin, a 22-year Como resident, District 10 Community Council board member, and the executive director of the Jacob Wetterling Foundation, was a supporter of the new Visitor Center. As a board member, she worked with the council to approve the proposal before its construction.

“I look forward to what the new Visitor Center at Como Park will do for the community,” she said. “The new center helps unite the park as one campus and makes it more enjoyable and safer for children and families.

“As a longtime resident of Como Park, I’ve seen the area go through many stages, so it’s wonderful to see the renewed interest in developing and maintaining the park campus for the future.”

The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory is also completing its renovations to include a new wing, which will be home to fern, bonsai, and orchid rooms, as well as a new children’s room.

The renovations for the Conservatory began in the late 1980s after a hailstorm damaged the glass panels.
Money from the Minnesota state legislature and many private donors was used to restore the Conservatory.

“The physical structure was literally falling apart,” Sticha said. “The glass was all turning green, the wood was rotting and falling apart. The structure had to be reinforced and all the glass had to be replaced.”
Even after the extensive renovations to the appearance of the Conservatory and Zoo, admission to the facilities remains free.

“We’re one of only three zoos in the country that are free,” Kohout said. “We’re totally free. We ask for donations, but that is voluntary.”

The suggested donation is $2 for adults and $1 for children. Donations are used to maintain the facilities and fund new plans, animals, and amenities, Sabin said. Funding also comes from the Minnesota Parks and Recreation department.

The easy accessibility of the Zoo and Conservatory is what keeps visitors coming back, Sticha said.

“I think that the reason they have been so cherished in our community is because they are very accessible,” Sticha said. “They’re free and easy to get to in an urban setting, and people can be really close to the animals and plants. They can literally be on the other side of a piece of glass from a gorilla or in the middle of a tropical garden.”

These experiences create the memories that make the visit worthwhile, said Kohout.

“People went there as a kid and remember riding Toby the Tortoise. It’s a beautiful setting,” she said. “I think Como is all about the memories.”