New Primate Forest - Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

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We often enjoy the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (see our past "zoo" blog posts), but our visit this autumn day was extra special. On Monday, October 26, 2026, we went with our son, Michael, to the new Primate Forest building, which had just opened at the Zoo the week before (Thursday, October 22, 2026).

 

To learn more about the Zoo's Primate Forest and the history of zoos in the Cleveland area, we highly recommend reading Cleveland Magazine Senior Editor Annie Nickoloff's article. She goes into great detail about the phases of this project and how it fits within the Zoo's past:

• The Primate Forest is a Centerpiece of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s Longtime Transformation
  The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s $120 million Primate Forest project unveils the first phase of its Primate Forest project on Oct. 22.
  October 15, 2026 at 8:31 AM. By Annie Nickoloff - Cleveland Magazine

  That changes on Oct. 22 [2026], when the zoo opens the first phase of its new Primate Forest. The project is the largest capital improvement in the zoo’s 144-year history. The apes, which have resided in the former Rainforest’s indoor, domed habitat since it opened in 1992, will soon have a new outdoor yard to use during the warmer months in Cleveland. There, they can swing on ropes courses, climb up and down trees and nap in the shade.
  . . .
  Soon, like the orangutans, the gorillas will get a state-of-the-art home in Primate Forest’s second, and final, phase. Other projects are lined up to follow its completion, including a reworked front entrance to the zoo. Beyond 2032, more improvements are already being imagined — most of which are centered around resident animals’ well-being. Kuhar says he hopes to update more of the zoo’s bear habitats next, providing a more enriching environment for its hulking grizzlies.

 

As Cuyahoga County residents, we were able to enter the Primate Forest with the Monday discount:

All General Admission tickets include admission to both the Zoo and Primate Forest. However, residents of Cuyahoga County and Hinckley Township that are admitted to the Zoo for Free Monday, must purchase a separate $8 admission ticket for admission to Primate Forest.

Since the Primate Forest is the largest project in the Zoo’s history, we wanted to share what we saw at this exciting, new venue.

 

 

Exploring the New Primate Forest

As you can see in the description above, of the featured items by floor, there is a lot already in this building. We look forward to learning more details about what planned expansions will ofter to future zoo visitors. We spent over two hours exploring the Primate Forest building.

While inside the tropical forest display, it started raining, and then thunder and lightning began! Listen for the kids screaming with joy (or fear? -- you decide!) with each crash of the thunder!

I recommend viewing videos in full screen mode.
Please feel free to pause the video to look more closely at the rainforest.

While we were at the orangutan outdoor viewing area, the zoo staff had to bring all the orangutans inside. The rumor was that orangutans were loosening the bolts on the cables that hold together the enclosure's netting. We saw the staff checking the cables to confirm that the orangutans were contained (see our photo of the many staff inside the orangutans' outdoor enclosure). Was Dr. Zaius trying to escape? (If don't know who Dr. Zaius is, please see how the the apes ruled over humans in the movie Planet of the Apes.)

In addition to all the animals and plants, it was interesting to see that the zoo created an entire playground area based on primates (PNC Adventure Playspace). Here are our photos of what we saw:

I recommend viewing videos in full screen mode.
Please feel free to pause the video to look more closely at the photos and to read any interesting facts that are in the slides!!

 

 

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Northeast Ohio's most visited year-round attraction, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's 183 rolling, wooded acres feature countless opportunities for guests to connect with wildlife.

We also visited other parts of the zoo for over an hour before we had to leave at the 4:00 pm closing time (winter hours had just started). There is so much to see at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo:

I recommend viewing videos in full screen mode.
Please feel free to pause the video to look more closely at the photos and to read any interesting facts that are in the slides!!

 

 

Related Blog Posts

We always like to include in our blog posts a list of related posts that may be of interest to our readers. Here are our four past "Zoo" blog posts and related blog post categories:

• Blog Date: September 30, 2025 - Asian Lantern Festival 2025 - Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

  We were fortunate that the eighth annual Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Asian Lantern Festival was extended beyond its original August 24th end date, since we had just returned from our second trip this summer . . . We put together this blog post to show the good time we had when we visited the zoo with our sons on the evening of Saturday, August 30, 2025.

• Blog Date: December 30, 2024 - Six More Days: Twelve Extra Trails Completed - 2024 Cleveland Metroparks Trail Challenge
  See the section of this blog post entitled: Trail Challenge 22: Monday, December 23, 2024 - Guest Choice: Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

• Blog Date: December 28, 2020 - Beyond the Cleveland Metroparks Trail Challenge 2020: Part Three (Additional Thirteen Trails)
  See the section of this blog post entitled: Trail #30) Monday, November 9, 2020 - Brookside Overlook, Brookside Reservation and Visit the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

• Blog Date: May 30, 2018 - Escape Day to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

  On Mother's Day, on May 13, 2018, we enjoyed a relaxing day with our family at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Julie's mother, Yolanda Strauss, had recently passed away, so we knew it was going to be a difficult day for our family. It is fitting that we decided to go to a Cleveland Metroparks property, since we had recommended that family and friends give memorial contributions to Cleveland Metroparks. The parks were a big part of Julie's mother's life.

• "Cleveland Metroparks"- 40 blog posts.

• "Parks" - 74 blog posts.

 

We hope that this blog post encourages you to visit the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo soon.

Thank you for reading our blog post. You can learn about our travel journeys and the venues we explore in Cleveland and Akron at: sosAssociates.com/Blog