The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell will receive a $10 million gift from The Worthington Companies Foundation and The McConnell Foundation, the organizations announced Sept. 2.

It is the Zoo's second-largest gift ever. The donation trails only the $50 million gift from The Robert F. Wolfe and Edgar T. Wolfe Foundation that launched the planned John F. Wolfe Aquarium.

The new $10 million will support that aquarium project, The Wilds conservation center and the Zoo's broader conservation programs, the Zoo said.

"Their generosity will help bring the John F. Wolfe Aquarium to life, support The Wilds and advance our conservation programs here in Ohio and around the world," Tom Schmid, president and CEO of the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds, said in a statement.

The gift extends a family connection to the Zoo that stretches back decades. John H. McConnell founded the Worthington Steel Company in 1955. The company became Worthington Industries before splitting into two publicly traded firms, Worthington Enterprises and Worthington Steel, in 2023. Together, the two companies employ more than 1,800 people in central Ohio.

In 1979, McConnell and the former Worthington Industries helped transform the Zoo's gorilla habitat by funding a new outdoor space, an early milestone in modern habitat design, according to the Zoo.

His grandson, John H. McConnell II, now serves as vice chairperson of the Zoo's Board of Directors and sits on the boards of both Worthington Enterprises and Worthington Steel. Sonya Higginbotham, president of The Worthington Companies Foundation, said in a statement that employees of both companies make the philanthropy possible and that the foundations are committed to strengthening the communities where those employees live and work.

The Wolfe Aquarium is planned as a free-standing, year-round destination spanning more than 100,000 square feet. It will house more than 1 million gallons of freshwater and seawater across 27 habitats and five galleries, featuring more than 10,000 aquatic animals representing over 300 species. The aquarium's website lists a 2029 target opening.

No construction start date or total capital campaign goal has been announced.