Mary Dettinger , 6 got a closer look at the Vera , the 4-month old female Amur tiger cub at the during her public debut at the Minnesota Zoo Wednesday August 23,2017 in Apple Valley,MN. (Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via Getty Images)
APPLE VALLEY, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Zoo announced it is opening next weekend for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic forced it to close to visitors in March.
The zoo will be open to the public beginning July 24, although members will be allowed in earlier for a special preview from July 19-22. Visitors, including those with zoo memberships, must reserve tickets online in advance.
The zoo says it will have "stringent measures in place to ensure a safe and enriching experience with the natural world."
The loss in revenue combined with the upkeep of caring for its 5,000 animals left the zoo in a tight spot financially. Gov. Tim Walz told lawmakers last month the zoo faced permanent closure if it did not get financial help from the government.
The zoo briefly offered a drive-thru experience called the “Beastly Boulevard” to raise money to cover its revenue losses. Beastly Boulevard allowed visitors to take a leisurely drive through the zoo grounds and observe the animals along the Northern Trail, but visitors were not allowed to leave their vehicles.
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Minnesota Zoo offering drive-thru experience during coronavirus pandemic
The Minnesota Zoo is offering a drive-thru experience during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Walz administration eventually gave the zoo a $6 million bailout to help keep its doors open.
Ticket sales for the zoo’s reopening begin Thursday, July 16 at 10 a.m.