The denver ZOO will incorporate interpretive experiences across all 12 zones within its tropical discovery building that use best practices and innovative approaches to engage guests and motivate them…

The Denver Zoological Foundation, Inc. was awarded a $586,436 Project Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the Museums for America (CFDA 45.301) federal grant program. The grant will fund the incorporation of interpretive experiences across all 12 zones within the Tropical Discovery building at the Denver Zoo. The project will develop and implement innovative approaches to engage visitors and motivate them to conserve tropical habitats, including interpretive signage, live interpretation programs, tactile exhibits, and a conservation action exhibition. Findings from this project will be applied to exhibits and programs across the Denver Zoo's 84-acre campus. The award period is from September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2026.

The denver ZOO will incorporate interpretive experiences across all 12 zones within its tropical discovery building that use best practices and innovative approaches to engage guests and motivate them to conserve tropical habitats. In tropical discovery, guests walk through an immersive space - from cave habitats to rainforests and coral reefs - and, for the first time in 30 years, they will encounter a backwards-designed interpretive experience. The project team will develop interpretive signage, offer live interpretation programs, create non-live interpretive elements like tactiles and community art, and incorporate a conservation action exhibition to showcase concrete conservation actions that visitors can take as they depart the building. Findings from the project will be applied to exhibits and programs across the 84-acre campus.