The Akron Zoo set a new annual attendance record in 2017, with 416,942 guests visiting throughout the year. The previous record, set in 2016, was 398,878 visitors.

The zoo also set several other attendance records in 2017. A new single-day attendance record was established on Saturday, Oct. 21 with 8,196 guests, surpassing the record of 7,550 from Oct. 23, 2016. Wild Lights at the Akron Zoo set a new record with 26,151 guests visiting over the 20-night event. In 2016, 16,724 visited during Wild Lights, which returned after a 16-year hiatus. 

Boo at the Zoo 2017 saw the second-highest attendance with 27,773 guests over six days. The highest attended year was 2016 with 29,938. 

“Thank you to everyone who visited in 2017,” said Doug Piekarz, president & CEO at the Akron Zoo. “Through the support of the residents of Summit County and all who visit the zoo, we are able to support our mission to connect the community to wildlife through life-long learning and conservation action. Together we are making a difference for the wildlife we care so deeply about.”