Australia Adventure
Blank Park Zoo
Des Moines, Iowa
Client
Blank Park Zoo
Design Start Date:
2009
Construction Completion Date:
2010
Firm and Role:
AFH Design, LLC
Zoo Exhibit Design
Interpretive Design
Consultant
The guiding principle for the Australia Adventure Exhibit was to provide a thrilling, interactive and educational experience to zoo visitors. Australia Adventure immerses visitors in the sights, sounds and culture of this fascinating continent. Wallaby and emu are joined by a host of other animals including lorikeets, parrots, an Austral-Asian Aviary, Black Swan, cassowary and a favorite among children of all ages: the kookaburra.
The landscape and architecture was carefully crafted to authentically represent various settings in Australia; the Outback, a remote “station” including a rustic barn, the rainforest, home of the cassowary, and an Australian rural train station. The cultural influences of aborigine people, the early explorers and finally settlers are explained, and compared to the similar early history of the United States.
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