LV Zoo Hosted a Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony on Wednesday to Officially Open the Area to Guests

(Schnecksville, Pa.) – Phase 1 of the Children’s Activity Area (CAA) is now complete, as Lehigh Valley Zoo hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for lead donors, legislators and working media on Wednesday to officially open the Fred & Anne Jaindl Family Barnyard and St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital Playground. These two new areas will now be available to guests during LV Zoo’s winter hours of Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“The Zoo is extremely excited to welcome our community to the first completed phase of the Children’s Activity Area,” LV Zoo President & CEO Amanda Shurr said. “We are incredibly thankful to our donors, sponsors and project partners who have enabled us to greatly enhance the Zoo’s facilities for staff, guests and, of course, animals. Despite the timing of this grand opening during the Zoo’s less busy season, we are excited for this momentum as we transition into the next phases of this project.” 

The entire CAA project has an expected completion date of 2027 and includes the construction of the Isaacman Family Education Center (Phase 2) and the addition of the splash pad and improvements to other guest amenities in this section of the zoo (Phases 3 and 4). The $10 M project will be supported by philanthropy, public support and zoo funding. Information about the CAA and how to become a contributor can be found at lvzoo.org/CAA. Currently, the zoo has raised $3.7 million of its $10 million goal.

Fred & Anne Jaindl Family Barnyard

The reconfiguration of LV Zoo’s barnyard is highlighted by a new, two-story, custom-designed building to be open year-round. The barn, which features 10 stalls with access to outside yards and a community area, consists of approximately 2,800 square feet of interior space and a total of 3,200 square feet including exterior yards. Guests will be able to walk through this modern barn and see the animal “bedrooms” as well as participate in brushing or feeding those residents that wish to participate. The layout of the barn and barnyard will also have a positive impact on the ability of the zoo’s animal care team to support these animals. The barn was built by King Construction of New Holland, Pa.

“The Jaindl Family has always felt the Lehigh Valley Zoo was a tremendous community asset and we are proud to continue our support with the Fred and Anne Jaindl Barnyard,” said David Jaindl, owner and president of Jaindl Farms.

St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital Playground

The new playground is approximately 5,500 square feet, featuring modern, accessible equipment and poured-in-place safety surfacing. The area is highlighted by two play structures — a large structure designed for guests ages 5 to 12 that measures 24 feet tall and a smaller structure at 13 feet tall for guests between the ages of 2 and 5. There is also a trio of StemPlay structures, customized panels and spinners, and a 360-loop with an accessible slide-transfer-climbers combination. The playground was designed and constructed by Recreation Resource USA and BCI Burke Company.

“At St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital, our mission goes beyond medical care. We’re committed to creating a supportive, family-centered environment for every child and family we serve.” said Jennifer Janco, MD, Chair of Pediatrics. “That’s why we’re so excited to partner with the Lehigh Valley Zoo on the new St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital Playground, designed to give kids of all abilities the chance to express themselves and experience the power of play.”

The CAA marks LV Zoo’s third major construction project in the past three years, as the zoo added Habitat Madagascar – a new exhibit that houses mongoose lemurs, red ruffed lemurs and tortoises – on May 26, 2023, and Rothrock Red Panda Peak on June 7, 2024.

Guests can now enjoy the Fred & Anne Jaindl Family Barnyard and St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital Playground, as well as the entire zoo by purchasing tickets at lvzoo.org. Beginning in March, the zoo is back to opening seven days per week.

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About St. Luke’s

Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network with annual net revenue of more than $4.5 billion. With 23,000+ employees at 16 hospital campuses and 350+ outpatient sites, it is the Lehigh Valley’s biggest employer.

    The Network’s service area includes 11 counties in two states: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. St. Luke’s hospitals operate the largest network of trauma centers in Pennsylvania, with the Bethlehem Campus being home to St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital.

    Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke’s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania. In partnership with Temple University, the Network established the Lehigh Valley’s first and only four-year medical school. It also operates the nation’s oldest School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 50+ fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with 500+ residents and fellows.

    St. Luke’s has been named a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital and a Newsweek World’s Best Hospital. It is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system to earn Medicare’s five-star ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction. In 2025, the Network earned straight A’s from Leapfrog across all of its 11 acute care hospitals. It has earned 100 Top Hospital designations from Premier 11 years in a row, including in 2021 when its flagship University Hospital was identified as THE #1 TEACHING HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY. Utilizing the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of SLUHN’s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information.

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As a member-supported non-profit organization, Lehigh Valley Zoological Society was founded in 2004, but it has been treasured community landmark for centuries. Located in the Lehigh Valley’s Trexler Nature Preserve, the mission of the Lehigh Valley Zoo is to connect its community with nature to empower people to protect wildlife. We have achieved our mission and educated more than five million people. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Lehigh Valley Zoo hosts year-round, family-friendly events and activities, educational programs, and camps. To learn more about Lehigh Valley Zoo, we invite you to visit our website, www.lvzoo.org, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

— Smart Fun –