John Ball Zoo

John Ball Zoo Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan
A non-profit organization dedicated to saving
Wildlife and Wild Places๐Ÿพ๐ŸŒณ
(21953)

John Ball Zoo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation committed to the advancement of public education on the need for wildlife conservation and preservation. John Ball Zoo has over 2,000 animals including lions, tigers, chimpanzees, and red pandas, indoor and outdoor exhibits, an aquarium, interactive experiences, and so much more.

Elvis has lฬถeฬถfฬถtฬถ entered the building. ๐Ÿฆซ๐ŸŽธMeet Elvis, our new 4-year-old beaver! Heโ€™s already got us all shook up, and ...
08/30/2026

Elvis has lฬถeฬถfฬถtฬถ entered the building. ๐Ÿฆซ๐ŸŽธ

Meet Elvis, our new 4-year-old beaver! Heโ€™s already got us all shook up, and weโ€™re pretty sure heโ€™s going to be a wood-class addition to the Zoo. ๐Ÿ˜Ž

Give him a warm welcome because this little heartbreaker is ready to steal the spotlight. โœจ

08/29/2026

POV: Going on a woodsy stroll with Cricket ๐Ÿฆ—๐ŸŒณ

08/28/2026

Jahari gets the birthday spotlight first ๐ŸŽ‚

Before Hugo turns one next week, weโ€™re celebrating Dadโ€™s 12th birthday with a little playtime, his favorite ball, and a whole lot of jaw-some fun.

Don't forget to join us at the Zoo next Thursday Sept. 3, to help us celebrate Hugo's first birthday at his pickle hippo party. ๐ŸŽ‰

๐Ÿ“ธ: Zookeeper Amanda

08/27/2026

Don't let her cute face fool you. ๐Ÿ˜‡ Junie's always ready to throw paws. ๐Ÿพ

08/25/2026

That first sip of pumpkin spice just hits different ๐ŸŽƒ๐Ÿ‚

A little Monday morning treat: Never-before-seen photos of Hugo when he was just an itty-bitty spud. ๐ŸฅนHugo is turning ON...
08/24/2026

A little Monday morning treat: Never-before-seen photos of Hugo when he was just an itty-bitty spud. ๐Ÿฅน

Hugo is turning ONE! ๐ŸŽ‰ Come celebrate at his Pickle Hippo Party on September 3! Want to help make his birthday extra special? *Donate toward his pickle enrichment ๐Ÿฅ’: jbzoo.org/events/pickle-party/

08/22/2026

Complete and otter chaos ๐Ÿ˜ตโ€๐Ÿ’ซ

๐Ÿ“ธ: Zookeeper Amanda

You might not think much of a butterfly smaller than a quarter, but for the Poweshiek skipperling, every single one matt...
08/21/2026

You might not think much of a butterfly smaller than a quarter, but for the Poweshiek skipperling, every single one matters. ๐Ÿฆ‹

Once widespread across the Midwest, this tiny butterfly was down to just nine individuals found in the wild in the U.S. in 2022.

Through a collaborative effort led by researchers at Michigan State University and conservation partners including John Ball Zoo, the species is beginning to recover. More than 1,300 captive-reared butterflies were released in 2025 alone.

Weโ€™re excited to see this conservation success story unfold, and proud to play a role in it.

Check out MSUโ€™s story to learn more: msutoday.msu.edu/news/2026/08/bringing-butterflies-back-from-extinction

08/19/2026

He's sassy, he zooms, and yes, he occasionally chomps on mom's ear ๐Ÿซฃ

Our feisty little spud, Hugo, is turning ONE! Come celebrate his big day at his Pickle Hippo Party on September 3. ๐ŸŽ‰

And what's a pickle party without a GIANT pickle (toy)?! ๐Ÿฅ’ Want to help support his gift*? Donate here: jbzoo.org/events/pickle-party/

*๐˜ˆ๐˜ฏ๐˜บ ๐˜ง๐˜ถ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ๐˜ด ๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ช๐˜ด๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ด๐˜ต ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜จ๐˜ช๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ฑ๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜ฌ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ด๐˜ถ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ต ๐˜๐˜ถ๐˜จ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ฑ ๐˜ฑ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ท๐˜ช๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฆ๐˜น๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ฑ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ข๐˜ญ ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ญ ๐˜ง๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ก๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ.

๐Ÿ“ธ "yoga" footage: Tobyn McNaughton

08/18/2026

If you didn't zip line across the Zoo, conquer the ropes course or ride on the back of a camel did summer even happen? ๐Ÿค”

Thereโ€™s still plenty of time to make some summer memories with our zoo adventures! โ˜€๏ธ Become a member and save on experiences like zip lining, the ropes course, camel rides, face painting and more. ๐Ÿช

Join today: jbzoo.org/membership/

Address

1300 Fulton Street West
Grand Rapids, MI
49504

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 6pm
Sunday 9am - 6pm

Telephone

+16163364300

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when John Ball Zoo posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category