Zoo Celebrates Grand Opening of Education Center & Veterinary Hospital

Last updated on October 25, 2024 at 12:00 PM

Cameron Park Zoo celebrated the grand opening of the new Corwin, Estes, and Jaynes Education Center and the Carol Schmidhauser Veterinary Hospital on Friday, October 25.

The City of Waco and Cameron Park Zoo extend a sincere thank you to the Zoological & Botanical Society, McLennan County, and all the individual donors whose generous support made these state-of-the-art facilities possible. Thank you to all the residents, visitors, and community partners who joined us at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Together, both facilities will offer a new hub for public education and professional development in animal care for years to come.

About the Facilities

The Corwin, Estes, and Jaynes Education Center features classrooms, offices, event rental spaces, and technology that enables worldwide remote learning experiences. The education center was named in part by Rosella Estes and Stephen Corwin who were fundamental in moving the zoo from its original location near Waco Regional Airport to Cameron Park.

The Carol Schmidhauser Veterinary Hospital is adjoined to the education center, but is an independent facility. It will house surgical suites, pharmaceutical storage, and environmentally controlled holding spaces for animals under care or observation.

Zoo Expansion

The new education center and veterinary hospital mark the culmination of the zoo expansion project that started with the $14.5 million voter-approved bond in 2019. Included in the zoo expansion was the Gloria and F.M. Young Penguin Shores Exhibit, which opened on Thursday, August 8, featuring 11 pairs of charming South African penguins and a black-footed cat. The grand opening of the education center and veterinary hospital conclude this latest expansion of Cameron Park Zoo.

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