When is Huntsville going to get a zoo? (Birmingham, Montgomery: amusement park, salaries)

[SouthernBoy205]

When is Huntsville going to get a zoo?

[E Limestone Dude]

Never. EOM.

[dee 42]

A zoo? Hopefully NEVER.

[jkratze1]

Originally Posted by A&M Bulldawg

When is Huntsville going to get a zoo?

I'm with you. I think zoo's are a great place to take visitors and family. But when was the last time that a US city invested in creating a new zoo? I may be wrong but it seems that most zoos are 50 to 100 years old.

[SouthernBoy205]

I feel like Huntsville can stand something for kids and family events. Something major and something that can draw visitors.

[zenjenn]

Maybe something, but not a zoo. There's the Birmingham Zoo and the Chattanooga Zoo both in driving distance if you want a zoo visit. Huntsville does not have the population necessary to support a proper, ethical zoo.

[SouthernBoy205]

Yes it does. Montgomery has one. And that's the reaspn Huntsville doesn't have a lot of stuff anyway because people always say that there's Nashville, Birmingham, Atlanta, Chattanooga, etc. If people continue to think this way, Huntsville will never have things. Huntsville is big enough to support a zoo and an amusement park. Shoot, people from the listed cities will come to Huntsville and aupport the venues. It's ALL in our minds!

[Keeper]

The Montgomery Zoo was built back in the 50s and at that time Montgomery was the 2nd largest city. Hopefully they have updated as it was pretty nasty back then.

I don't see H'ville supporting a zoo and ppl aren't going to come up here from Montgomery to go to a zoo either.. they already have one or they will go to B'ham.

It costs a lot of money to run a zoo or an aquarium. Tampa has a small zoo and an aquarium which almost went under because no one supported it. Ppl who go to it once don't go back after they have been once.. Tampa Bay has more than 1 mil ppl..

[zenjenn]

I've never visited the Montgomery Zoo, but I've heard it is very modest compared to the Birmingham Zoo, and I thought the Birmingham Zoo was rather modest (granted my former experience was limited to the Los Angeles Zoo, the San Diego Zoo, and the Miami Metrozoo).

Tourism is just not feasible to be big industry in Huntsville. Not only is Huntsville's population modest, but it is not situated on any large interstates, rail, coast, or serve as an air hub. Things like zoos do not sustain themselves on a modest local population... they rely on a substantial metro area and/or a large influx of tourists.

Maybe we can start small and convince some franchises to open like Dunkin Donuts or Dave and Buster's, first.

[HB2HSV]

Maybe Huntsville is not meant to be a metropolis. Maybe it was "designed" to be a medium size city that is selective to only the professionals that work in the Space & Defense industry.

To keep it as "nice place to live" and "low cost of living", maybe we can do without these grand "tax & spend" projects like a zoo. If Huntsville has more money, maybe they will do more sensible thing such as bury all electricity cables underground, provide free wi-fi to all its citizens, pay good salaries to teachers and raise the educational standards..... but it would be a waste to spend it on a zoo....