Major Attractions

In January 2018, the San Diego Zoo announced its most ambitious project to date, a $69 million brand-new children’s zoo to be completed in spring 2021. Named after Denny Sanford, a San Diego philanthropist who donated $30 million to this endeavor, the new exhibitwill give kids greater opportunities to discover the natural world through play and will be designed to help children develop empathy and better understand and identify with wildlife. Families will be able to venture through four ecosystems—communities of plants and animals that have unique adaptations for their environment. In each region, children will learn about the animals and their environments in ways that awaken their senses and inspire creativity, exploration, and empathy for nature through play. More than 100 species will reside on the 2.3-acre space.