Sacramento Zoo and city sign up for three more years in Land Park
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Sacramento extendes zoo partnership through 2028 after relocation fell through.
- Sacramento Zoological Society will evaluate site issues, seek upgrades and notify donors.
- Donors to former Elk Grove zoo offered refunds.
Sacramento City Council members on Tuesday approved an operating agreement to extend the city’s partnership with the Sacramento Zoo in Land Park. This comes after a push for the zoo’s relocation to Elk Grove fell through.
The Sacramento Zoological Society has operated the zoo in partnership with the city since 1997. The Elk Grove City Council approved the move for the zoo’s relocation from its current Land Park location in May 2024, but by April of this year, Elk Grove and the society announced that the plans would not come to fruition due to economic uncertainty and increased operating costs.
Consequently, Sacramento and zoo expressed interest in extending the zoo’s agreement with the city through June 30, 2028, until a new contract is negotiated.
The prolonged partnership furthers the city’s 2040 General Plan Goal to “provide a diversity of arts, culture and learning opportunities” for the reinvestment in the city, its history and its citizens, according to the staff report.
Dustin Hollingsworth, assistant director of the department of convention and cultural services for the city of Sacramento, explained that the extension of the partnership between the city and the zoo will help identify issues with the zoo’s current operations.
“Over the next three years, the city will collaborate with the zoological society to define some of the restrictions and issues and seek opportunities to improve the zoo,” Hollingsworth said. “Ideas will come back to the council periodically, and that’s what the next couple of years are going to be: evaluating the site, maybe making some modifications and collaborating with the zoological society to find the best way to optimize what it has to offer.”
The city will pull more than $200,000 from the General Fund and nearly $100,000 from the Community Center Fund from the current fiscal budget to the Sacramento Zoological Society. The society will also receive approximately $50,000 in revenue from Funderland Amusement Park.
An Elk Grove spokesperson said donations to the proposed Elk Grove – Sacramento Zoo were wire transferred to the Sacramento Zoological Society, which will reach out to individual donors with information on refunding options.
Elizabeth Stallard, president of the Sacramento Zoo Board of Trustees, explained that the society would contact donors to inquire about whether they wanted their refunds back or reassigned to contribute to future projects.
This story was originally published June 17, 2025 at 2:49 PM.
