A capital campaign is underway to build the African Experience at Franklin Park Zoo to include African Penguin Coast and the African Savanna habitats.

The $16 million project, when completed, will be a feature of the continuing transformation of Franklin Park Zoo as the habitats – marking the return of these temperate climate living species to the zoo for the first time in more than 50 years – will connect guests with Zoo New England’s conservation mission as they enter the park.

To date, $13.5 million has been raised in the campaign for this project, which is expected to open in summer 2025. 

“This experience is unlike any other at Franklin Park Zoo, and I could not be more excited to provide an opportunity for guests to better appreciate, and understand, these iconic birds,” said John Linehan, Zoo New England’s president and CEO. “With the rapid loss of biodiversity across our planet, our conservation mission is more important than ever before. These new experiences will connect guests of all ages to incredible wildlife and to the critical role we all play in preserving and maintaining healthy ecosystems.”

African penguins are found in large colonies along the rocky southwestern coast of Africa from Namibia to Port Elizabeth in South Africa. The African Savannah habitat, home to Hartmann’s mountain zebras, wildebeests, and ostriches will undergo a dramatic expansion. A watering hole, a place where different species would naturally congregate and share space in the wild, will be added. New containment moats will allow for unobstructed viewing of these fascinating animals and their social interactions.

Torre Design Consortium is the lead architect and design firm for this project.