Growing Pains
Zoo must expand, but please tell us how
By Kristina Rogers
October 2026
For more than 40 years, the Sacramento Zoo has tried to figure out how to grow its footprint in William Land Park.
Weeks before the zoo celebrates its 100th birthday, the beloved family attraction won City Council approval to review its latest expansion plans.
But a bigger zoo isn’t a done deal. The community may wait another 10 years before the facility welcomes guests into a new, enlarged environment.
Between now and then, city residents deserve a comprehensive roadmap that lays out the zoo’s path to growth and success.
Neighbors in Land Park and surrounding communities need to engage with zoo officials and city leaders, and understand the impacts of a bigger zoo.
Questions must be answered about the future of adjacent amenities, such as William Land Golf Course, Fairytale Town and Funderland Amusement Park.
Money will be a major challenge for the expansion plans. But another hurdle is the ongoing struggle by zoo officials to clearly express what they envision.
Many city residents were relieved in April 2025, when the zoo ended discussions about moving to Elk Grove. Since then, Land Park visitors did what they’ve done for generations. They relaxed under the wisteria at Sutter Fountain and enjoyed the peaceful settings.
Ending the Elk Grove relocation threat was a relief, but the zoo still has a big (or small) problem: its boundaries are too limited to maintain habitat for a wide variety of animals under global zoo accreditation policies.
In September, the zoo and city agreed to study an expansion. Pinpointed areas are 4.4 acres at the pony ride and 1.2 acres north of the zoo. If approved, the footprint would increase to 20 acres.
Zoo leadership hosted community engagement workshops this summer. They invited local stakeholders, neighborhood associations and city leaders. Most questions were fundamental:
How will the zoo preserve the integrity of landmarks, such as the Swanston statue and heritage trees? How do traffic and parking fit in, especially on weekends? What about funding and timelines?
Elizabeth Stallard, president of the Sacramento Zoological Society, and zoo CEO Dan Simon, explained they wanted to hear concerns and ideas. They weren’t ready to provide answers.
Stallard said renderings on display were conceptual. She said the zoo would not spend money on anything else until the city approved the expansion. If the zoo can’t expand, it will continue to search for a new location.
The approach was confusing. After decades of supporting a bigger zoo in Land Park, residents expected Stallard and Simon to share a thoughtful presentation.
Instead, Stallard took notes and rebuffed questions. Some neighbors felt the zoo’s vision was too abstract, with the meeting little more than another community engagement checkbox to mark.
Here’s what we do know. First, the City Council only agreed to study expansion, nothing else. Second, development won’t start until funding is secure.
Stallard said the $1.9 million returned to the zoo from Elk Grove can go toward expansion, but it’s not enough.
City Council members have made it clear they won’t pay for expansion. The zoo needs a focused fundraising strategy. Also needed are expensive environmental reports.
After 100 years, the zoo needs to grow in Land Park. The community supports expansion.
But it’s up to zoo officials to clear the fog so everyone can collaborate on an expansion plan the city can be proud of a century from now. The community needs to hear how a new, bigger and better zoo envisions itself.
For information on the zoo, visit saczoo.org.
Kristina Rogers is president of the Land Park Community Association and a Land Park resident for 24 years. For information, visit landpark.org. Rogers can be reached at info@landpark.org.
