The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo will be known as the Fort Wayne Zoo beginning Jan. 1.
The decision was announced Tuesday. According to officials, the change is the third name change for the zoo in 60 years.
Founded in the early 60s, it was simply known as the Franke Park Zoo, recognizing its location. Then it became known as the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo.
From 1999 to 2004, it was known as the Children’s Zoo. For the past 20 years, it has been identified by the iconic zoo logo.
That logo will remain.
According to a release, new guests are often surprised to find it is more than just a small zoo or a petting zoo.
The name change will better reflect what the zoo is, says executive director Rick Schuiteman (sky-ta-min).
And it fits with the strategic plan adopted for the Zoo in 2023.
The Zoo is northeast Indiana’s largest tourist attraction with more than 600,000 guests annually, according to Zoo officials.
