The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium will stretch its 100th birthday across an entire year, and the party starts Dec. 31.
The Delaware County zoo, located just outside Powell, released a calendar of centennial events under the banner "100 Years Wild," as first reported by 1808Delaware. The schedule runs from a Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026, kickoff through a community celebration weekend in September 2027.
The zoo opened Sept. 17, 1927.
Zoo Year's Eve gets it started
The celebration begins Thursday, Dec. 31, with Zoo Year's Eve, a family-friendly noon countdown from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Guests enter at 11 a.m. for music, activities and Zoo Character Ambassadors before counting down to noon. The rest of the zoo opens at noon after the countdown wraps up. The event is included with paid admission or membership.
A centennial light show at Conservation Lake follows from Friday, Jan. 1, through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, with a planned return during Wildlights later that year.
Spring through fall
RendeZOO, the zoo's adults-only event for guests 21 and older, is scheduled for Saturday, May 22, 2027.
The actual centennial date, Friday, Sept. 17, 2027, will be marked by the Untamed conservation gala. A community celebration weekend follows on Saturday, Sept. 18, and Sunday, Sept. 19, 2027. Additional details for both events have not yet been announced.
A logo built from zoo history
The centennial also has a new visual identity. Graphic designer Amanda Winget described the challenge in a Wednesday, Sept. 16, blog post on the zoo's website: the shield-shaped logo features five animal silhouettes facing forward. An elephant, bald eagle, gorilla, cheetah and snake each represent a chapter of the zoo's story.
The gorilla nods to Colo, the first gorilla born in professional care in 1956, who lived at the zoo until 2017. The cheetah represents scientific milestones, including cheetah cubs born through in vitro fertilization. The eagle connects to native wildlife, and the snake acknowledges the historic Reptile Building.
A century from six reindeer
The zoo traces its origins to 1926, when Columbus publisher Harry Wolfe encouraged Mayor James J. Thomas to build a zoological park after visiting the Saint Louis Zoo. Wolfe donated six Alaskan reindeer that Christmas, sparking public enthusiasm for what became one of central Ohio's largest attractions.
The zoo and its neighboring properties, Zoombezi Bay and Safari Golf Club, generated more than $612 million in statewide economic activity in 2025 and supported more than 4,700 jobs, according to an independent study by Silverlode Consulting.
The zoo said it will post historical stories, behind-the-scenes features and event details on its centennial page as 2027 approaches.
Centennial calendar at a glance
- Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026 — Zoo Year's Eve noon countdown, 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
- Friday, Jan. 1–Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027 — Centennial light show at Conservation Lake
- Saturday, May 22, 2027 — RendeZOO (ages 21+)
- Friday, Sept. 17, 2027 — Untamed conservation gala
- Friday, Sept. 18–Sunday, Sept. 19, 2027 — Community celebration weekend
