Primate Forest Preview

The Zoo has been transforming before our eyes since construction began on Primate Forest in September 2024.

The CrossCountry Mortgage Forest Home will welcome visitors into a dynamic and immersive forest experience.

Now, as we look ahead to the opening of its first phase, the vision for this exciting new space is starting to take shape. Primate Forest is all about the interconnectedness of people, animals, and environment, and each aspect of the experience will aim to inspire or activate this concept in some way. From fresh ways to observe beloved species like orangutans in expanded habitats, to activities that prompt visions of a sustainable future, to opportunities to play and create memories with family and friends, Primate Forest represents an entirely new adventure at the Zoo.

With “forest” in its name, trees are a point of focus too. Cleveland Metroparks and the Zoo have long supported the protection and reintroduction of tree canopy in Northeast Ohio, and Primate Forest will celebrate the critical role of trees in a healthy future for our planet.

"Primate Forest is a wonderful opportunity for the Zoo to communicate the importance of forests and trees,” said Zoo Executive Director Dr. Chris Kuhar. “Trees are important to animals, as a source of food and shelter, but they are also important to humans. Trees help manage stormwater, reduce air pollution, provide shade to cool summer days or deflect wind in the winter. Trees are important to our health and they provide economic value to our cities."

There are multiple new spaces to explore – and some familiar spaces in the former RainForest that will find new purpose. As the wait until opening day grows shorter, here is an introduction to what Primate Forest has to offer.

CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE FOREST HOME

The rotunda that has become a prominent sight during construction is sure to be an icon of Primate Forest. This is one aspect of the CrossCountry Mortgage Forest Home, a vanguard space that will immerse visitors in the magic inherent in nature and set a tone of reverence and wonder as they embark on their Primate Forest experience.

Upon entering the building, guests will be transported to a place both familiar and fantastic. Towering, interactive trees and floor-to-ceiling video projection will immerse visitors in awe-inspiring narrative reflections of forests’ intricacies and rhythms, and a “hero tree” will glow responsively as guests engage with it, illustrating the invisible, communicative abilities of trees. Other fabricated trees, rocks, and whimsical forest elements, complemented by ambient lighting, forest sounds, and winding paths for exploration will complete the evocative setting.

This is a new approach for the Zoo. By leading with connection, the hope is that guests experience the interconnectedness of people, animals, and environment through their visit to Primate Forest and perhaps leave with a greater sense of themselves and their place in the world.

ORANGUTAN FOREST

Primate Forest's expanded, reimagined orangutan habitat will be designed to maximize the apes’ well-being, promote natural behaviors, and give visitors never-before-seen glimpses into the Zoo’s husbandry practices. With its world-class science and animal care teams, the Zoo is building a space centered around key contributors to these great apes’ health.

Orangutans will have an outdoor habitat space for the first time in Cleveland.

A zoo habitat that aims to replicate their wild home – the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra – and offers ample opportunity to move and exercise can also support orangutans’ cardiac and respiratory health. Primate Forest aims to do just that. Not only will the Zoo horticulture team grow a variety of plants inspired by the apes’ wild habitat, innovative design elements will provide opportunities for the orangutans to climb, swing, and nest, creating a space that feels like – well, a forest.

Climbing structures will replicate the experience of scaling a tree as it moves with the wind, and long ropes will allow for more brachiating, the branch-to-branch swinging movement that carries them through the forest canopy. Enrichment items such as hanging feeders and nesting materials may be given to encourage them to use their vastly increased vertical space. The addition of outdoor access will offer new, natural sights and smells for the orangutans, including people! With these apes, observation is reciprocal – just as Zoo guests will enjoy new ways to watch them, they will also enjoy new people-watching options.

Through positive reinforcement with coveted food items such as fruit for demonstrating positive behaviors, the orangutans are trained to participate voluntarily in blood draws, EKGs, cardiac ultrasounds, nebulizer treatments, and more.

Samuel H. Miller Foundation Tropical Forest

The former RainForest building will remain familiar while boasting renovations and upgrades that offer new experiences. In Canopy Connections, located in the former Researcher’s Hut area, visitors enter the layered world of the forest canopy to explore how animals navigate, connect, and thrive above the forest floor. Featuring an elevated play bridge, climbable cluster logs, and views into the orangutan habitat, visitors can explore the concept of connecting fragmented habitats.

The former theater seating area on the first floor will be a new civic engagement center, where guests will be encouraged to consider the unique role they can play in shaping their community. Built as a hub for dialogue and reflection, the space invites guests – especially teens – to explore how individual voices and collective community efforts can shape local, state, and national conservation policies.

Where the ant habitat once was, the Care and Conservation Center will showcase the Zoo’s leadership role in breeding threatened reptiles and amphibians to support populations in the wild. Plains garter snakes, Puerto Rican crested toads, and spotted turtles may be visible in multiple phases of development through the seasons as the keepers contribute to securing their future in their native habitats.

The Care and Conservation Center will put the Zoo's efforts in reptile and amphibian conservation on display.

LEARNING GALLERY

Connections Studio Proudly Enabled by the Lubrizol Foundation
A touchscreen activity will match guests with a diverse lineup of change-makers from around the world and right here in Northeast Ohio to share how they turned their personal passions into positive action – and perhaps inspire future career paths. Read more about it on page 13.

Dr. Vasu & Lisa Pandrangi and Family Forest Theater
A tranquil theater space will display breathtaking video of forests around the world, immersing guests in the sights and sounds of healthy forest ecosystems and offering a gentle narrative about how time in nature supports human well-being.

Sustainable Future Design Lab
This interactive space will invite visitors to envision what a regenerative future might look like in Cleveland and beyond – and give them the power to redesign the city with nature elements and a focus on sustainability and the environment. After using an interactive kiosk to design a new city, the images can be published on a media wall for Zoo guests to see – and perhaps get inspired to design their own.

The second-floor Learning Gallery will invite visitors to envision a sustainable future - and their role in it.

STILL TO COME

The full vision for Primate Forest will be realized in Phase Two, when the Gorilla Forest adds 25,000 square feet of lush, indoor forest environment to the structure. ETFE roofing that allows UV light to pass through will maximize natural daylight cycles for animals and support the growth of full-size trees and plants, creating a veritable forest for both gorillas and their human visitors to enjoy year-round.

The growing gorilla troop’s habitat spaces will be connected by multiple routes to increase choice for them – and flexibility for the keepers in managing social dynamics. Gorillas’ biological and ecological needs are central to the design of these habitat spaces, which will support their best health while affording guests new and unique views into their natural behaviors. Like the Orangutan Forest, health management hubs will create space for animal keepers and veterinary staff to conduct voluntary, positive-reinforcement training, collect data, and perform medical procedures – all in guest view.

There is so much to look forward to with Primate Forest. New family adventures and places to play year-round are just the beginning; educational opportunities that couldn’t happen anywhere else and programs that support Northeast Ohio’s burgeoning workforce will strengthen the Zoo’s commitment to its community. New spaces for meetings and events, fresh dining spaces and amenities, and improvements to traffic flow and entry will enhance the guest experience.

This is the largest capital project in Cleveland Metroparks history, and for good reason. Primate Forest represents a Zoo experience that has yet to be seen in North America and will secure Cleveland Metroparks Zoo as a leader among zoos – and a source of community pride. Let the countdown begin!

Visit PrimateForest.org to learn more about this project.