Kansas City Zoo changes name

The Kansas City Zoo has a new name. With the Sobela Ocean Aquarium scheduled to open in September, it now will be known as the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium, with a new logo to reflect the change.

The new logo includes elements from both the zoo and aquarium as the new 650,000-gallon aquarium will increase the number of animals at the zoo from 1,700 to nearly 10,000. The new logo retains the familiar font from the old one, a nod to the zoo’s history, with “& Aquarium” added to it. It also includes additional animals and colors to reflect the diversity of the many species that reside there as ambassadors of their native habitats.

“With the aquarium adding so many animal residents at the zoo, it was important for our name and logo to reflect both land and sea residents,” said Steve Putney, executive director and CEO. “The new brandmark does a great job of showing the diversity of species the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium will have to offer while still having a familiar look and feel to our previous logo. We have a wonderful history dating back to 1909, and we want to continue to build on that while we continue to make the Zoo & Aquarium even better for the Greater Kansas City community.”

Zoo visitors will enjoy an up-close-and-personal experience, beginning at the warm-water shore habitat and traveling “deeper” through mangrove forests, sandy shores, tropical lagoons and coral reefs. Then they will l “ascend” through a kelp forest and end at a cold-water rocky shore. Each habitat will showcase a variety of fascinating ocean life, immersing visitors in the experience of being at the ocean.

When the Sobela Ocean Aquarium opens on September 1, it will be included with admission to the zoo but will require timed reservations to facilitate as many guests as possible. Those reservations will be made available in a few weeks. For more information about the new aquarium, visit Aquarium | Kansas City Zoo,