Attendance last year at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden was the highest since 2000, the park reported.

The 1,218,892 visitors in 2009 boosted attendance 24 percent over the 2008 total of 982,043

Read more from the Cincinnati Enquirer here: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100108/NEWS01/1090330/Zoo+attendance+soars+in+2009

Well, they certainly seemed to buck the amusement park trend of soft attendance figures in 2009!

Jeez! I wonder why people all of a sudden started going there; that's at least a 300,000 difference of visitors. Wow!

We went there three times this year, that's more than I've ever been in the same year. Two of those times were free (at least to me)... once was as a chaperone with GatorGirl's daycare, once was for our friend's daughter's birthday party, and then we paid for Festival of Lights. It's a great place and we're lucky to have it. Way to go, Zoo!

I went to the Zoo multiple times in 2009 and enjoyed each visit greatly...checked out festival of lights Friday last week (yes I was crazy enough ) Will be visiting again few times this year xD

Jeez! I wonder why people all of a sudden started going there; that's at least a 300,000 difference of visitors. Wow!

It is the economy. With more people feeling pinched and having to forgo summer vacations, local attractions often see a boost.

I only got to last year. It was pretty fun. That is where is saw Spongebob 4D.

And a much better version than what passed for it at Kings Island last summer, I might add.

A different version? How does that happen?

Seems like a good year for Ohio Zoos:

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20361&st=0&p=350448&hl=Columbus%20Zoo&fromsearch=1entry350448

I haven't read the final 2009 attendance for the Columbus Zoo yet, but they had surpassed 2 million visitors back on December 1st...and they still had the whole "wild lights" to go yet.

A different version? How does that happen?

It's clearer, a newer print, and ALL the motion effects work (just as they did when the same film was at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey).

Seems like a good year for Ohio Zoos:

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20361&st=0&p=350448&hl=Columbus%20Zoo&fromsearch=1entry350448

I haven't read the final 2009 attendance for the Columbus Zoo yet, but they had surpassed 2 million visitors back on December 1st...and they still had the whole "wild lights" to go yet.

LINK - Columbus Dispatch

The final tally for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium's record-setting year was 2.2 million visitors.

^ Leave it to the local news guy to know the answer

2.2 million guests--that's an impressive number. I wonder if any (paid) zoo other than San Diego comes close to that? (I'm not counting the free zoos...like Lincoln Park, the National Zoo, etc.)

^ Leave it to the local news guy to know the answer

2.2 million guests--that's an impressive number. I wonder if any (paid) zoo other than San Diego comes close to that? (I'm not counting the free zoos...like Lincoln Park, the National Zoo, etc.)

Top Zoos by attendance using 2008 numbers, nothing for 2009 out yet:

Disney’s Animal Kingdom – 9.5 million

Busch Gardens Tampa – 4.4 million

San Diego Zoo – 3.4 million

Lincoln Park Zoo – 3 million (free zoo)

St. Louis Zoo – 3 million (free zoo)

National Zoo – 2.7 million (free zoo)

Bronx Zoo – 2.1 million

Brookfield Zoo – 2 million

Denver Zoo – 1.9 million

Columbus Zoo – 1.8 million

San Diego Wild Animal Park – 1.6 million

Oregon Zoo – 1.6 million

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo – 1.6 million

Los Angeles Zoo – 1.6 million

Houston Zoo – 1.6 million

Philadelphia Zoo – 1.4 million

Indianapolis Zoo – 1.4 million

Phoenix Zoo – 1.3 million

Milwaukee Zoo – 1.3 million

Cincinnati Zoo – 1.3 million

Minnesota Zoo – 1.2 million

Cleveland Zoo – 1.2 million

Rio Grande Zoo – 1.2 million

Central Park Zoo – 1.1 million (only 6 acres!)

Woodland Park Zoo – 1.1 million

Lowry Park Zoo – 1.1 million

San Francisco Zoo – 1.1 million

Detroit Zoo – 1.1 million

Memphis Zoo – 1.1 million

Fort Worth Zoo – 1 million

Pittsburgh Zoo – 1 million

San Antonio Zoo – 1 million

Riverbanks Zoo – 1 million

Utah’s Hogle Zoo – 1 million

Toledo Zoo – 1 million