News Archive

In 2026, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will turn 100! The Zoo’s centennial year will be full of ways (we’ll keep you posted on plans!) to recognize our incredible community, celebrate the Zoo’s growth, reflect on our community’s impact on conservation, recount advancements in animal care, and honor the Zoo’s legacy – all while staying focused on . . .

Starting the week of October 6, 2025, the Zoo’s playhill area will be closed for major upgrades including slides, cushier turf playhills, a guest-only sidewalk, more outdoor seating areas and a bigger-than-ever dirt hill. “When we opened this version of the play area, in 2021, we wanted to test whether guests enjoyed it or if . . .

CMZoo’s Giraffe Center Makes Impressive Progress and Nears Pivotal Deadline The International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe is getting taller, and this week, construction teams celebrated the arrival and placement of the first steel beams. Finalizing the steel structure of the Giraffe Center this fall is pivotal. To open on time in . . .

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO – Summer is around the corner, and many families are planning activities to keep the kids active, healthy and inspired. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado offer expert tips for incorporating gratitude into children’s daily lives, and CMZoo’s horticulture team says creating a family garden provides ample . . .

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was ranked #2 Best Zoo in the country, in USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards 2025! Dedicated CMZoo supporters voted daily for a month, and earned the Zoo its highest ranking ever. According to popular vote and the 10Best Readers’ Choice editors, who nominated 20 zoos for Best Zoo consideration, the top-ten . . .

CMZOO IS NOMINATED FOR BEST ZOO IN THE U.S. BY USA TODAY’S 10BEST READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS. SUPPORTERS CAN VOTE DAILY AT www.cmzoo.org/vote – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo had been holding strong at the #1 spot in USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Best Zoo in the U.S. contest, but slipped to #2 over the weekend. We’ve reached . . .

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo established The International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe (The Giraffe Center) in 2022. With three full-time employees, The Giraffe Center is a concentrated effort by CMZoo to consolidate resources, expand educational programs to improve and enrich the lives of giraffe in human care throughout the world, and inspire conservation . . .

CMZOO IS NOMINATED FOR BEST ZOO IN THE U.S. BY USA TODAY’s 10BEST READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS. SUPPORTERS CAN VOTE DAILY AT WWW.CMZOO.ORG/VOTE – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo wants you to vote for Omo – or Emmett, or Wednesday, or Chewy, or Cora! For the ninth consecutive year, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is nominated for Best Zoo in . . .

Construction in admissions plaza, African Rift Valley and the historic road through the Zoo are well underway. Join Cheyenne Mountain Zoo President & CEO, Bob Chastain, for a first look at our ambitious vision for the future. Constructing a state-of-the-art giraffe habitat and care center with beautiful and functional guest spaces – including a gift . . .

As we had hoped, all six participating Colorado Supreme Court justices unanimously ruled in our favor. In June 2023, the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP/NRP) filed a frivolous lawsuit aiming to remove the Zoo’s five aging African elephants from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The lawsuit was dismissed, and NhRP appealed that decision by taking it to the . . .