The Akron Zoo broke ground on its largest expansion to date Thursday with the unveiling of its giraffe exhibit.

The Lehner Family Foundation Giraffe Journey will cover approximately 9.25 acres when it opens in 2028. The area will have enough space for up to 12 giraffes, plus ostriches, wildebeests and Marabou storks.

Giraffe Journey will have outdoor and indoor viewing areas. Year-round feeding experiences will be available for guests who want to get close to animals. 

a rendering of the new giraffe habitat at the Akron Zoo shows an outdoor pavilion that looks out over a wide grassy area with giraffes and ostriches.
A rendering of “Giraffe Journey” at the Akron Zoo. The zoo broke ground on the expansion, it’s largest to date, on June 4, 2026. (Courtesy of Akron Zoo)

The new habitat will be an “immersive experience to bring people closer to wildlife,” said Doug Piekarz, president and CEO of the Akron Zoo. 

The Akron Zoo is part of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums and will follow the organization’s giraffe species survival plan, said Elena Bell, Akron Zoo’s director of marketing and events. Bell said the habitat will be populated with giraffes from other zoos in the association. She could not say what zoos the giraffes will come from.

The giraffe expansion is part of the Pride of Africa section of the zoo. It’s being built near the zoo’s new animal hospital, which is slated to open this year. The expansion will also include a concessions stand, a gift shop and a tower ride for guests of all ages.

Funding for the $21 million project comes from corporate partners, private foundations, individual donors, the zoo’s revenue operations and a Summit County property tax levy. 

A rendering of Giraffe Journey at the Akron Zoo shows a large, outdoor pavilion with guests walking around and looking at the animals in the habitat.
Giraffe Journey at the Akron Zoo will feature a large, outdoor pavilion, allowing guests to get up-close views of the animals. Credit: (Courtesy of Akron Zoo)

For every $1 of levy support the zoo receives, it generates nearly $8 in economic impact, Bell said.

Several politicians were present at the groundbreaking, including Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro and state Sen. Casey Weinstein.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to giraffic park,” Weinstein joked, referencing the 1993 film, “Jurassic Park.” He went on to say that the Ohio Senate recently approved a $740,000 appropriation for the zoo’s giraffe expansion. The Ohio House of Representatives will vote on it next week. The state also provided funding to the new animal hospital.

Shapiro praised Piekarz and the zoo’s work in the community and shared in the excitement over the expansion.

“Imagine, giraffes roaming in Akron,” she said. “How does that sound?”

The Akron Zoo opened in 1953 as the Akron Children’s Zoo. It later became one of the first zoos to become a nonprofit. In May, the zoo welcomed three new animals: Ripley, a South American monkey, and two aquatic salamanders named Neo and Xochi.

Culture & Arts Reporter (she/her)
Brittany is an accomplished journalist who’s passionate about the arts, civic engagement and great storytelling. She has more than a decade of experience covering culture and arts, both in Ohio and nationally. She previously served as the associate editor of Columbus Monthly, where she wrote community-focused stories about Central Ohio’s movers and shakers. A lifelong Ohioan, she grew up in Springfield and graduated from Kent State University.