Quote

 

Monday's incredible weather helped the Columbus Zoo shatter attendance records.

The zoo estimates 63,910 people turned out to take advantage of 60-degree temperatures and free admission for Presidents Day.

The overflow crowd put staff to the test. The zoo was managing the crowds without the help of the seasonal employees they have during the summer.

 

 

LINK - WBNS 10TV

 

 

Zoo Executive then: "It's the middle of winter. Let's do free admission for those that brave the cold!"

Zoo Executive now: "Well, that didn't turn out how we expected."

 

Edit to point out this quote:

The previous attendance record was set December 10, 2015, during the Wildlights holiday festival as 37,459 people visited the zoo that day when temperatures were also in the 60s.

Dang! Broke the record by 26 thousand!

1 minute ago, rcwizard13 said:

Zoo Executive then: "It's the middle of winter. Let's do free admission for those that brave the cold!"

Zoo Executive now: "Well, that didn't turn out how we expected."

It's funny... They've done free admission every Presidents Day and MLK Jr Day for the last several years, and usually they'll get a few hundred guests through the gates. Last week, when they saw the forecast for yesterday, they started making plans to get concessions and parking staffed by any available staff that day. 

 

It wasn't anecdotal when they said that the CFO was making pretzels... 

I unfortunately went. We waiting 2 hours to get parked, walked in, couldn't move, said "nope" and then left.