The Detroit Zoo can put another award on their shelf. Their Polk Penguin Conservation Center received the 2017 Exhibit Award from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) that they opened in April of 2016.
The Exhibit Award, according to the zoo, is the top honor bestowed annually upon accredited institutions for excellence in exhibit design.
The penguin center cost $31 million to construct and boasts a 326,000-gallon, 25-foot-deep aquatic area where visitors can watch more than 80 penguins of four species – king, gentoo, macaroni and rockhopper.
This award is the highest honor in exhibit design, and recognizes the Detroit Zoo for their dedication and expertise in designing a novel, immersive habitat that provides the best in animal care and welfare as well as a superior educational experience for visitors. – Dan Ashe, AZA president and CEO.