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. On January 1, 2014 Kent County, owner of the Zoo, and the John Ball Zoo Society unified their respective operations at the Zoo to create John Ball Zoo. A long term management agreement is in effect that allows non-profit management with continued ownership by Kent County

Mission

John Ball Zoo inspires our community to be actively engaged in the conservation of wildlife and our natural environment.

Impact

Located in a 103 acre park and occupies approximately 31 acres
4th most attended cultural facility in Michigan
Over 600,000 visitors annually
Over 800,000 people reached annually with wildlife and conservation messages
Over 220 species and over 2,400 individual animals are care for daily
Participates in 49 Species Survival Plans (SSPs) & 39 taxon advisory groups (TAG)
$40 million annual economic impact in our communities
Over 55,000 economically disadvantaged children and adults in Kent and Ottawa counties provided free Zoo admission through our JUMP program