Fresno Chaffee Zoo plans California exhibit with zipline and train

Fresno Chaffee Zoo is mapping out a California Exhibit that would add a train, a Soaring Eagle Zipline Ride and new animal habitats as the zoo pushes to grow beyond its current size and visitor base in Roeding Park.

The zoo says the project is still in the pre-design phase, and the concept continues to evolve. The latest map from the Fresno Zoo Authority lays out a California-themed journey through four ecosystems: the Sierras, the foothills, the Central Valley and the Coastal Range. The Sierras section would include wolf ridge, elk meadow and a rock-climbing wall. In the foothills, plans call for bear meadow, an activity zone with a water play area, food service and an eagle habitat. The Central Valley area would feature a Wetlands Pool and habitats for quail, squirrels and burrowing owls. The Coastal Range would include Sea Lion Cove and a Redwood Forest ending at an events lawn.

Other animals and features are also on the drawing board. The plan shows bobcat, mountain lion and beaver habitats to the south, along with a train running the south edge of the exhibit. Between the foothills and the activity zone, the zoo is proposing the Soaring Eagle Zipline Ride. Zoo officials have not locked down every detail, but the concept signals a larger, more immersive attraction built around California landscapes and wildlife.

The expansion fits into a broader master plan the zoo has been discussing for years. In late 2022, Jon Forrest Dohlin, the zoo’s chief executive and director, said the zoo drew about 875,000 visitors a year and could eventually reach 1.3 million or 1.4 million. That kind of growth would make parking, circulation and access much more important, which is why the earlier plan also called for two 3-story parking structures and a redesigned entrance inspired by California’s natural beauty.

Fresno Chaffee Zoo remains one of Fresno’s most visible public attractions, with more than 200 species and major draws such as African Adventure and Kingdoms of Asia. The zoo says it is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Fresno County residents receive reduced admission through Measure Z. Its history dates to the Roeding Park Zoo’s official opening in 1929, with Fresno Zoological Society support formalized in 1949. The California Exhibit would extend that long-running role, turning the zoo into an even larger family destination and a bigger piece of Fresno’s tourism economy.