Saginaw Children's Zoo

What Saginaw Children's Zoo does

Saginaw Children's Zoo is a 501c3 nonprofit zoological park operating on 10 acres in Saginaw, Michigan, founded in 1929 by Commissioner George Phoenix at Ezra Rust Park and managed since 1996 by the Saginaw Zoological Society. The zoo houses 150+ individual animals (excluding insects) across mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates, and operates seasonally from April through October. It has held continuous AZA accreditation since 2009 (most recently renewed in 2019), placing it among only six AZA-accredited facilities in Michigan, and participates in five Species Survival Plans covering African penguins, cotton-top tamarins, masked bobwhites, Mexican grey wolves, and white-throated capuchins.

The core product portfolio centers on general zoo admission and annual memberships, supplemented by fee-based attractions including a miniature train and a hand-carved carousel (the only one in the region). Educational and event products include ZooCrew youth programs, seasonal day camps, school field trips, group trips, birthday parties, private event rentals, and conservation-themed special events (Twilight & Tails, Ice Cream ZOOfari, Paws and Claws, Vulture Awareness Day, Bobwhite Boogie). Ancillary revenue comes from concessions (Train Whistle Cafe), the zoo store, and a Dart Container Corporation foam recycling drop-off site.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across earned and contributed sources: day-pass tickets and memberships (sold online through Blackbaud hosting), tiered Adopt-An-Animal symbolic sponsorships ($35 Advocate / $60 Guardian / $100 Protector), direct donations, bench and brick commemorations, business sponsorships, facility rentals, concessions, and a voter-approved Saginaw County millage originally passed in 2014 and renewed in 2024. The customer base is community-anchored — primarily families with children in the Great Lakes Bay Region, supplemented by school groups, conservation-minded donors, and local businesses using the venue for events and corporate engagement. The zoo benefits from 14,000+ annual volunteer hours and a full-time staff including Director Nancy Parker, Manager of Development and Marketing Aimee Conversa, Volunteer Coordinator Kathy McCarthy, and Staff Veterinarian Dr. Shannon Cerveny (formerly of San Antonio Zoo and St. Louis Zoo).

Name

Saginaw Children's Zoo

Legal name

Saginaw Children's Zoo

Website

https://saginawzoo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Saginaw Children's Zoo is a 501c3 nonprofit, AZA-accredited zoological park in Saginaw, Michigan, operating seasonally on 10 acres with 150+ animals, serving the Great Lakes Bay community through admissions, memberships, education programs, and conservation partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Zoological Park and Family Attraction

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJADAL

Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Museums, Galleries & Cultural Institutions

SECONDARYTHAJAEAE

Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Theme Parks, Water Parks & Family Entertainment Centers

Keywords

• Wildlife education programs
• Zoo admission services
• Conservation breeding programs
• Family entertainment attractions
• Animal encounter experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Saginaw , MI

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Day admission tickets sold to visitors for zoo entry, with online purchase available through the zoo's website
2. Membership Program: Annual memberships offering free admission, with different tiers and benefits for members
3. Adopt-An-Animal Program: Symbolic animal adoption packages at Advocate ($35), Guardian ($60), and Protector ($100) levels, including certificates, fact sheets, photos, plushes, and zoo tickets
4. Donations: Direct donations, business partnerships, bench and brick commemorations, and wish list contributions from supporters
5. Special Events: Evening events like Twilight & Tails and Ice Cream ZOOfari with ticket sales at $12 per person
6. Facility Rentals and Concessions: Birthday party rentals, private event bookings, concessions, and ride tickets for train and carousel

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Saginaw Children's Zoo operates a 10-acre, AZA-accredited zoological park offering animal exhibits (over 150 animals), on-site rides (miniature train, hand-carved carousel), educational programs (school field trips, ZooCrew youth program, camps), facility rentals for private events, and an Adopt-An-Animal sponsorship program. The zoo also hosts seasonal special events such as Twilight & Tails and Ice Cream ZOOfari, and participates in five AZA Species Survival Plans for endangered species conservation.

Product overview

The Saginaw Children's Zoo operates as a 10-acre AZA-accredited zoo offering a unified visitor experience combining animal exhibits, educational programs, and recreational attractions. The core product portfolio centers on general zoo admission and annual memberships, supplemented by fee-based attractions (train rides, carousel), facility rentals for private events, and youth education programs (ZooCrew, camps, school field trips). The zoo generates revenue through admissions, memberships, donations, adopt-an-animal sponsorships, concessions, and retail operations. Key attractions include the miniature train, hand-carved carousel, and over 150 animal species representing mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. The organization hosts seasonal special events and provides virtual tour access for remote visitors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zoo Admission & Tickets Day passes for general zoo entry, with online ticketing through Blackbaud hosting. Open seasonally April through October.
• Membership Program Annual pass providing unlimited visits, free admission to special events, and discounts on rentals and concessions.
• Train Rides Miniature train ride offering tours through the zoo grounds, ADA accessible.
• Carousel The region's only hand-carved carousel ride, recently upgraded with ADA accessibility enhancements.
• Birthday Parties & Private Events Venue rentals for birthday parties and private events, including customizable spaces and animal encounters.
• Group Trips Organized visits for groups including corporate events and team building activities.
• School Field Trips Educational programs aligned with curriculum standards for school groups, including guided tours and hands-on activities.
• ZooCrew Youth Program Youth engagement program for children involving animal interactions, conservation education, and volunteer activities.
• Zoo Camps Seasonal day camps for children featuring wildlife education, animal encounters, and themed activities.
• Adopt-An-Animal Program Symbolic animal adoption program with three tiers (Advocate $35, Guardian $60, Protector $100) providing adoption certificates, fact sheets, photographs, and plush animals.
• Donations General donations supporting animal care, conservation, and education programs.
• Facility Rentals Rental options for private events including meeting spaces, outdoor areas, and pavilion reservations.
• Special Events Seasonal events including Twilight & Tails evening events, Ice Cream ZOOfari, conservation awareness days, and holiday celebrations.
• Concessions Food and beverage services including the Train Whistle Cafe.
• Virtual Tour Online virtual tour experience of the zoo via TourMKR platform for remote visitors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150+ individual animals under care
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Dart Container CorporationminorOthers · 10 September 2018The zoo became an official Dart Foam Recycling Center, accepting #6 plastic foam materials for recycling including foam cups, to-go containers, egg cartons, and protective packaging. This provides a community recycling drop-off location that was previously only available at Midland Recyclers Facility.
• Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009AZA is the accrediting body for top zoos and aquariums. The Saginaw Children's Zoo is one of only six AZA-accredited facilities in Michigan, meeting the highest standards in animal care, conservation, education, and safety. As an AZA member, the zoo participates in Species Survival Plans for endangered species including African penguins, cotton-top tamarins, masked bobwhites, Mexican grey wolves, and white-throated capuchins.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe zoo partners with USFWS to conduct annual crane surveys at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, contributing to sandhill crane population research and conservation efforts in Michigan.
• Michigan Department of Natural ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to receive donated deer from DNR for feeding wolves at the zoo, supporting both zoo animal nutrition and sustainable wildlife management.
• Local Food DistributorsminorOthersFresh produce delivered weekly from local distributors; seafood delivered approximately twice yearly (~2 tons annually); grain and hay from local suppliers. Much of the animal food comes from local sources supporting the regional agricultural community.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Detroit Zoo: AZA-accredited zoological park in Royal Oak, Michigan housing 2,000+ animals across 125 acres. Closest large-scale Michigan peer, sharing AZA accreditation, SSP participation, family-focused programming, and admissions/membership revenue model.
• Potter Park Zoo: AZA-accredited zoo in Lansing, Michigan operating on ~20 acres with a comparable collection size. Directly comparable as a mid-sized Michigan AZA zoo with seasonal operations, education programs, and member/donation-funded revenue model.
• Binder Park Zoo: AZA-accredited zoo in Battle Creek, Michigan with similar mid-sized scope. Comparable along dimensions of family-focused exhibits, seasonal operations, education programming, and community-supported nonprofit model.
• John Ball Zoo: AZA-accredited zoo in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Comparable as another Michigan AZA member offering admissions, memberships, education programs, and participation in Species Survival Plans.
• Como Park Zoo: Free-admission zoo in St. Paul, Minnesota operated by the City of St. Paul with nonprofit support. Comparable as a small-to-mid-sized northern climate zoo offering free or low-cost admission and education programming.
• Toledo Zoo: AZA-accredited zoo in Toledo, Ohio with a regional, family-oriented focus and similar admission/membership/event revenue mix. Comparable along the dimensions of mid-sized accredited zoo in a Great Lakes region city.
• Cleveland Metroparks Zoo: AZA-accredited zoological park in Cleveland, Ohio with strong conservation and education programs. Comparable as another Great Lakes-region zoo with Family membership tiers, school programming, and SSP participation.
• Beardsley Zoo: AZA-accredited zoo in Bridgeport, Connecticut — one of the smallest AZA-accredited zoos in the U.S. Comparable in scale, regional focus, and dependence on admissions, memberships, and donations.
• Blank Park Zoo: AZA-accredited zoo in Des Moines, Iowa of similar small-to-mid-scale. Comparable along admissions/membership/donation revenue mix, education programming, and community millage-style local support.

Broad incumbents

• Indianapolis Zoo: Mid-sized AZA-accredited zoological park in Indianapolis, Indiana with broader amenity set including aquarium. Functions as a wider-portfolio incumbent in the same regional family-entertainment and conservation space.

Market position

Strengths6 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SaginawChildrensZoo
• Instagraminstagram.com/saginawzoo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saginaw-children-s-zoo

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Saginaw Children's Zoo