http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...WS01/910290317/

Attendance is up 23 percent compared to this time in 2008, and already has surpassed the annual total for each of the last four years.

Certain businesses do well in rough economies, I guess the zoo could be considered a hot Stay-cation spot?

I loved the Cincy Zoo. They pack a bunch into a small space. Of course they don't have a coaster like the Zoo that is walking distance from work.

And believe it or not, the Cincinnati Zoo at one point in time did have a wooden kiddy coaster that has long since been removed.

Additionally, the Cincinnati Zoo had a Philadelphia Toboggan Company hand carved carousel. They installed it in 1918, which actually predates the PTC Carousel that was installed at Coney (and is now at Kings Island) in 1926. PTC #45 remained in operation at the zoo until 1975. From there, it went to Great America in California. It was placed in storage in 1995 and eventually made its way to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington. It reopened at that zoo in 2006.

I thought some of you would enjoy that little bit of history from the resident KIC historian.

Its been several years since I`ve been to the Cincinnati Zoo. It is a world class facility (and the second oldest zoo in the country). Additionally, the new Historic Vine Street Village entrance to the zoo was recently received a LEED Platinum rating by the United States Green Building Council. (LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The Cincinnati Zoo is the second zoo in the country to have a LEED Platinum building. It is also the only zoo to have multiple LEED buildings. And finally, this LEED project is the first Platinum rated project to be built in the City of Cincinnati. Read more from the Cincinnati Enquirer.

We try to go to the zoo at least once a year! I'm planning on bringing the kids to the Columbus zoo next summer.

UPDATE: Cincinnati Zoo fetes 1 millionth Visitor. Read the article from the Cincinanti Enquirer here.

The article mentions that the zoo may also be able to surpass its all time attendance record, set back in 1997 at 1.32 million visitors.