Exciting Changes Coming To Cooper Plaza Fountain At Audubon Zoo

Dazzling changes are in store for the Cooper Plaza fountain - a favorite photo backdrop of Audubon Zoo visitors for decades.

Fencing recently went up and the pool was drained in preparation for several months of construction that will bring a new experience for visitors, including new sculptures along with improved lighting, a geyser-type fountain and smaller water jets that can be programmed for seasonal displays and special events.

The fountain, a gift from the Angus R. Cooper Family Charitable Foundation, is named in honor of the late Miriam Walmsley Cooper, a longtime Audubon Commission member and chairwoman for the first Zoo-To-Do fundraiser held on Zoo grounds. Her friends and family dedicated the elephant fountain in the center of the Zoo in her memory.

The features include life-size bronze sculptures of five African elephants and five African lions inside the fountain, groups of meerkats on benches that ring the fountain and new rock formations lining the pool bottom. The hippo sculptures will remain, but the other existing animal figures will be replaced by the new elephant and lion families. 

The size and shape of the fountain at the end of the palm tree promenade leading from the Zoo's front gate will not change. Access to the nearby orangutan and elephant habitats and the carousel/playground area will not be affected by the work, which is scheduled to be completed by mid-2017.

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