According to The Gazette, "This new space gives giraffe more choice about where to stand, where to rest, who to be near and where to engage with our guests," Cheyenne Mountain Zoo President and CEO Dave Ruhl said on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. He was speaking at the grand opening of the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe.
The giraffes got more choice. Visitors got a little less. Anyone who arrives in a car, members included, now needs an advance timed ticket. For neighbors who are used to deciding on a Saturday morning to drive up Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Road, the Zoo's centennial fall means planning ahead. The reason goes back to how this Zoo has always paid its bills.
Penrose's Animals, Nobody's Tax Dollars
Spencer Penrose founded the Zoo in 1926, eight years after he opened The Broadmoor Hotel in 1918. His first animals were a black bear and a small herd of black-tailed deer and elk at his Turkey Creek Ranch. Over time, bears, mountain lions and monkeys lived in enclosures lining The Broadmoor golf course, where hotel guests could visit them.
That early setup is why many people still think the hotel owns the Zoo. It doesn't. The Zoo's own centennial history says it is independently operated. It also has a correction for anyone who grew up on the monkey-bite story. According to the Zoo, the animals moved off the golf course in 1926 and 1927 to make way for a major golf tournament.
Independence comes with a budget. Of the 237 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of just a few that runs without tax support. Its money comes from admissions, membership dues, special events and donations. The Giraffe Center was a $40 million project paid for through Zoo revenue and donations. Seventy-five cents from every visit goes to Quarters for Conservation, which has raised more than six million dollars for conservation work worldwide and in Colorado.
When attendance pays the bills, controlling attendance matters. The timed-ticket system follows from that funding model.
The centennial year also brought a change at the top. Bob Chastain, the Zoo's President and CEO for 20 years, announced he would retire in June 2026 after 30 years with the Zoo. Ruhl spoke as President and CEO at the September opening.
What $40 Million Bought on the Hillside
Feeding the giraffes has long been the signature Cheyenne Mountain Zoo experience. The new center makes it much bigger. Here's what changed:
- Barn: 12,000 square feet, with a clear ETFE roof that lets in sunlight and moonlight and is fire- and hail-resistant.
- Yard: 25 percent larger, with a new feeding tower and switchbacks that get the herd walking the mountain's hills for the first time.
- Feeding zones: 11, up from three in the former exhibit.
- Angles: For the first time in the Zoo's history, guests can feed giraffes from above, face-to-face and down at hoof level. That includes a rope bridge or stairs to a feeding island in the middle of the indoor barn.
The indoor barn has giraffe-size garage doors and windows, and guests can feed the herd from each spot. That makes the barn usable on cold or gusty days in a way the old exhibit wasn't. Giraffe feeding is listed daily in African Rift Valley from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lettuce is $3 per bundle or $5 for two. Plans for the project also included a new admissions area, a Quarters for Conservation plaza, a gift shop and a café.
One familiar ride is out of service for now. The Zoo lists its historic carousel as closed until further notice.
The Fine Print on a Ten-Minute Drive
Living close to the Zoo still helps. It just doesn't replace planning. These are the rules that apply this season:
- Everyone books a time slot. Members and non-members both need advance timed e-tickets, and every visitor needs one, including children age 2 and under. You have a 30-minute window from the arrival time on your ticket.
- Membership doesn't guarantee a slot. Member e-tickets are free, but the Zoo says a preferred date and time can sell out.
- Rideshare is the backup. Rideshare tickets don't include parking. They stay available even when timed tickets sell out, and they're free for members. At Admissions, you show your Zoo ticket along with an Uber, Lyft or taxi receipt.
- The Shrine rides on your Zoo ticket. Zoo admission includes the drive up to the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun, and everyone going up needs paid admission and a timed ticket. The Shrine is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The last car goes up at 3 p.m., and it's closed Sundays and Mondays.
- The Sky Ride runs on weekends only. The posted schedule is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., weather permitting, with the last ride at 1:30 p.m. It's closed on weekdays.
Normal hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, year-round, unless the Zoo lists an exception. This fall has several exceptions, and some of the area's other outdoor spots change hours in the same weeks.
The Southwest-Side Calendar Through New Year's
All dates below are for 2026 unless marked otherwise.
| Date | What changes |
|---|---|
| Thursday, Oct. 15 | Zoo opens at 9:30 a.m. |
| Oct. 16, 17, 23–25, 30 and 31 | Boo at the Zoo runs 4–8:30 p.m. Daytime Zoo hours are 8 a.m.–2 p.m. The Shrine closes at 1:30 p.m., with the last car up at 12:30 p.m. |
| Through Oct. 19 | Seven Falls is open Thursday–Monday, 9 a.m.–7 p.m. |
| Oct. 23–Nov. 29 | Seven Falls is open Friday–Sunday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., plus Nov. 26–27 for Thanksgiving |
| Nov. 1 | North Cheyenne Cañon Park moves to its listed Nov. 1–April 30 gate hours, closing at 9 p.m. instead of the May–October 10 p.m. |
| Wednesday, Nov. 11 | Shrine closed for Veterans Day |
| Thursday, Nov. 19 | Zoo opens at 9:30 a.m. |
| Nov. 25–27 | Shrine closes early the day before Thanksgiving and is closed Thanksgiving Day and the day after |
| Dec. 2–Jan. 1, 2027 | Electric Safari runs nightly except Christmas Eve |
| Tuesday, Dec. 15 | Zoo opens at 9:30 a.m. |
| Dec. 18, 19 and 24 | The Broadmoor's Holiday Show, 6 p.m., with a three-course dinner and variety show |
| Dec. 25–Jan. 2, 2027 | Shrine closed |
Boo at the Zoo follows the same rule as a regular day. Timed tickets are required for on-site parking, and rideshare tickets are available. Seven Falls says its hours can change for weather or private buyouts.
North Cheyenne Cañon has its own seasonal changes. Starsmore's fall and winter hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Helen Hunt Falls Visitor Center is listed as open Memorial Day through Labor Day only. North Cheyenne Cañon Road and Gold Camp Road inside the park reopened to cars on July 2. That followed summer storm cleanup that covered debris removal, Gold Camp repairs, culvert clearing and retaining-wall fixes. That announcement is the latest road update available, so check conditions before a winter drive.
Electric Safari's Centennial Night
Electric Safari is in its 35th year. The 2026 version has more than 85 light sculptures, illuminated inflatable animals, and Santa every night through December 23. USA TODAY 10Best readers voted it the #2 zoo lights event in the country in 2025.
The new addition is a centennial drone show at 7:30 p.m., weather permitting. It lasts about 15 minutes and can be seen from almost anywhere in the Zoo. The Zoo names Elephant Boardwalk, the Lodge at Moose Lake and the Grizzly Grill Roundabout as the best viewing spots. High winds or severe weather can cancel the inflatables and the drone show. On a mountainside in December, keep a backup night in mind.
The Giraffe Center adds something to the event this year. Electric Safari lists giraffe feeding among its activities, at an extra cost, so you can feed the herd after dark under the new barn's clear roof. During the event, the Sky Ride costs $3 per person, and children 2 and under ride free. Be in line by 7:30 p.m., because the last ride leaves at 8 p.m. The Shrine closes early on Electric Safari nights. As of the Zoo's latest update, Electric Safari tickets will go on sale closer to the event.
Because the Zoo is funded by its visitors, timed tickets are what make a $40 million barn, a drone show and a 100th birthday possible without tax money. For Broadmoor neighbors, it all comes down to the same step. Book the slot before you start the car.
Living near a 100-year-old institution that pays its own way is part of what makes this corner of Colorado Springs distinctive, and it's the kind of local detail that comes up when people weigh where they want to be. If you'd like to talk through what the southwest side looks like up close, Michael DuBois is glad to help. Let's Connect.
