The Detroit Zoo is circling a date on Metro Detroiters’ calendars: May 23. That is when the zoo will officially open the Fred and Barbara Erb Discovery Trails, a seven-acre interactive trail built for hands-on, family-focused fun. Visitors can expect everything from brushing goats to touching stingrays, plus an elevated canopy walkway and quiet, sensory-friendly spaces. The new experience runs along the zoo’s southwest corridor in Royal Oak and is designed to blend play, learning and up-close nature encounters for visitors of all ages.
The May 23 opening date was revealed this week, as reported by MLive. The zoo has been rolling out glossy renderings and construction peeks on its Discovery Trails hub, which highlights the planned play spaces, habitats and accessibility features. The Detroit Zoo site offers project renderings and short preview videos, while the Detroit Zoological Society has shared additional construction updates and background on the overall plan.
Hands-on habitats and a canopy trail
Discovery Trails will bring a mix of new and returning species into refreshed habitats, including alpacas, bush dogs, burrowing owls, bamboo sharks and more. Guests will find an interactive Stingray Cove where they can touch and feed rays, according to a press release, and an accessible canopy trail that lifts visitors about 14 feet above ground level. For younger kids, Little Sprouts and a farmers-market-style learning area are built in as dedicated play-and-learn zones.
"These up-close encounters in Discovery Trails will foster empathy and understanding for animals, nature and the environment," Detroit Zoological Society executive director Dr. Hayley Murphy said in the announcement. Full details and design highlights are laid out in a press release from the Detroit Zoological Society.
Funding and community impact
The project is expected to cost roughly $20 million, Metro Times reported. The Erb Family Foundation provided a major boost with a $6 million gift announced recently, as detailed by the Erb Family Foundation. Local coverage and zoo officials say Discovery Trails could increase the zoo’s regional economic impact and add roughly 13,000 school field trips a year. Randi Hamilton, the zoo’s chief experience officer, said the Trails "invites guests to slow down, look closer and be active participants in their experience," according to MLive.
Plan your visit
Designers say Discovery Trails was planned with accessibility and inclusion in mind, with added rest areas, accessible routes and sensory-friendly quiet spaces away from the most active play zones. Members and day visitors alike can expect new programming, preview days and family events tied to the launch, and the zoo is lining up membership previews and school program rollouts ahead of the May opening. Zoo fans should keep an eye on the Detroit Zoo’s event listings for member preview opportunities and ticket details as opening day approaches.
