17 new zoo & aquarium projects opening in 2026

After a significant year in 2025 marked by new habitats, immersive experiences, and major expansions, the zoo and aquarium sector continues to innovate in animal welfare, conservation education, and visitor engagement in 2026.

From ambitious biopark renovations and advanced aquarium exhibits to expanded sanctuaries and next-gen immersive spaces, institutions globally are redefining how people connect with wildlife and nature.

In no particular order, we highlight some of the most notable projects opening this year, all sharing a common goal: to inspire awe, deepen respect for biodiversity, and promote species survival amid environmental challenges.

Whether it’s creating underwater tropical forests, housing iconic species in purpose-built habitats, or offering innovative experiences that blend culture, science, and conservation, 2026 is set to bring further milestones in the growth of zoos and aquariums worldwide.

See also: Top 10 attractions industry trends to watch in 2026

Florida Waters at ZooTampa, Florida, US

In spring 2026, ZooTampa will unveil its largest expansion ever, Florida Waters, which includes the new Straz Family Manatee Rescue. This immersive zone allows visitors to explore the underwater habitat of manatees and observe the zoo’s rescue efforts firsthand.

The redesigned area provides memorable educational experiences, showcases elegant jellies drifting with the current, and features a dedicated space for special events.

Otter Oasis, image courtesy of ZooTampa

Florida Waters also includes Otter Oasis, a riverbank sanctuary for playful otters, and the Reptile and Amphibian Discovery Center, which emphasises conservation efforts for Florida’s often misunderstood and underappreciated native species.

The project is part of a planned $125 million transformation, which began with the opening of Florida Wilds in 2022, featuring expanded habitats for endangered and threatened native species, Stingray Shores, and the new Australia realm.

Asia Continent at North Carolina Zoo and Botanical Gardens, North Carolina, US

The North Carolina Zoo's new 12.5-acre Asia Continent will highlight iconic species such as tigers, Komodo dragons, Visayan warty pigs, Asian small-clawed otters, king cobras, white-cheeked gibbons, and many more. This is the zoo's first major expansion project since its opening in 1994.

The area, opening in June 2026, will also feature a gift shop, a 300-seat indoor café overlooking the tiger habitat, and an overhead tiger walk. It is being financed through a combination of government grants and private donors.

The North Carolina Zoo is approximately 80 miles northeast of Charlotte, located just south of Asheboro in Randolph County. Set on 2,600 wooded acres, with 500 developed acres, it is the world's largest zoo dedicated to natural habitats.

New elephant house at Berlin Zoo in Berlin, Germany

The new elephant house at Berlin Zoo will house African elephants within a vast savanna setting when it opens in summer 2026.

It will be Europe’s largest, most modern elephant house for African elephants, covering 16,300 square meters, including 3,500 square meters of indoor covered space for shelter and privacy.

Its innovative design focuses on animal welfare and features architecture that mimics the natural habitats of African elephants. Implementing the Protected Contact (PC) method enhances safety by enabling secure interactions between staff and elephants through physical barriers.

All exchanges depend on the animals’ voluntary participation, prioritising respect for their autonomy.

Images courtesy of dan pearlman

The elephant house is designed to house up to 15 African elephants, supporting various social groups: family groups led by a matriarch, bachelor groups, or individual bulls. This flexibility reflects the different social structures found in elephants’ natural habitats.

The new facility significantly enhances the visitor experience. Guests can now see elephants alongside zebras, giraffes, and antelopes in a spacious savanna.

Like other innovative projects such as Berlin Zoo's Panda Garden and Rhino Pagoda, the elephant house at Tierpark Berlin is being developed in partnership with the dan pearlman Group.

Denny Sanford Elephant Valley at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, California, US

Opening on 5 March, this is the largest project in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s 50-year history.

The Denny Sanford Elephant Valley has evolved the current elephant habitat into an engaging savanna and exploration space. It offers visitors of all ages a unique opportunity to interact with elephants, fostering deeper empathy, understanding, and admiration, and inspiring a passion for wildlife conservation.

Guests will be surrounded by elephants on multiple sides, including overhead, via a walkway offering views of the herd as it passes. They will learn about elephants as vital ecosystem engineers and their complex social behaviours.

Elephant Valley is also home to a two-storey lodge where visitors can learn from educators about the region's wildlife while observing elephants wade in watering holes.

The lush plant life in Elephant Valley has been meticulously curated by a team of expert horticulturists and arborists to authentically reflect the sights, sounds, and smells of the African grasslands.

The extensive new habitat will enhance the elephants' experience by introducing several innovative features that adapt to seasonal changes, closely mimicking the African savanna year-round.

In 2025, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance revealed plans to biobank every endangered species by 2075.

The Giraffe Project at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado, US

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is famous for its large herd of reticulated giraffes, and soon, visitors will have a new way to experience them from summer 2026.

The zoo is constructing a new 12,000-square-foot giraffe barn, expanding and diversifying the outdoor habitat, building an outdoor aviary for African vultures, and making numerous other improvements to enhance animal care and offer guests a fresh, engaging way to connect with the giraffes.

The $40 million project, scheduled to open in 2026, is funded by zoo revenue and donations. It will boost the herd’s outdoor space by 25% and add a 12,000-square-foot giraffe barn to expand their indoor enclosure.

Home to the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe (the Giraffe Center), established in 2022, CMZoo is recognised as a leader in giraffe care.

The new giraffe barn offers choice for both the inhabitants and zoo guests.

The animals can interact with visitors and enjoy enriching activities independently. The aim is to keep them engaged through activities such as exploring, eating leaves and twigs, or resting. With a large herd of varied personalities, their habitat will offer meaningful choices, including 11 feeding zones, up from three in the old exhibit.

Along with a new gift shop and café, the project includes a new outdoor aviary just outside the existing giraffe barn, featuring the Baobab tree, with indoor and outdoor perching for vultures. It also includes a termite mound with a heated alcove for the zoo's African Cape porcupine.

See also: From accreditation to action: AZA’s impact on the future of conservation

Central African Forest at the Bristol Zoo Project, Bristol, UK

This project aligns with the Bristol Zoological Society's goal of establishing a new conservation-focused zoo, where at least 80 percent of its species are linked to conservation efforts in the UK and globally.

The habitat will accommodate the zoo’s current group of western lowland gorillas. It will also introduce a new group of endangered cherry-crowned mangabeys, along with critically endangered slender-snouted crocodiles, endangered African grey parrots, and various threatened West African freshwater fish species.

Gorillas and mangabeys will reside in an area four and a half times larger than their previous home at the now-closed Bristol Zoo Gardens. The habitat will be created within the wooded part of the zoo's 136-acre site in South Gloucestershire and will include immersive learning spaces for visitors.

The new £1 million learning facility will be integrated into the gorilla house and will serve as a space for schoolchildren, community groups, and other visitors.

It will be directly connected to the interior of the gorilla house, allowing guests to view the animals through large windows. Additionally, it will include digital tools and educational materials, as well as two covered outdoor learning areas.

The Central African Forest habitat is due to open in 2026. Following this, the Bristol Zoo Project will develop a new Central African savannah habitat, additional visitor facilities, and a conservation campus for students.

In 2025, Bristol Zoological Society launched a brand campaign to promote its conservation efforts across the world.

J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver Manatee River habitat at Jacksonville Zoo in Florida, US

In March 2026, the Jacksonville Zoo will debut a new manatee habitat and a new zoo entrance as part of its 'Rezoovenation' project.

The new Manatee River is a 330,000-gallon critical care centre dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing aquatic mammals. It primarily cares for manatees injured by boat propellers or suffering from cold weather or habitat changes.

The habitat also aims to educate visitors about manatees and their ecosystem, offering a closer look at conservation efforts. According to the zoo, the new facility will increase its capacity to care for at least 20 manatees at once, up from six previously.

Meanwhile, the VyStar SkyScape entrance will include an immersive video screen, offering direct views into the Manatee River habitat, along with a café, retail space, and meeting and banquet areas for corporate and private events.

The new openings are the first significant parts of the zoo's £120 million long-term, multi-phase transformation plan aimed at revitalising almost every part of the zoo campus.

The fundraising campaign includes five projects in total: a renovated car park, a new education centre with an expanded lion habitat, a redesigned elephant enclosure, and the introduction of orangutans.

Xixi Aquarium Park in Hangzhou, China

Xixi National Wetland Park will be home to a new nature exploration centre covering about 25,000 square meters on the first basement floor of Xixi Qiyue City. The new science education and leisure area will combines local aquatic ecology with marine wonders, with a planned public opening in June 2026.

The planned aquarium will highlight the aquatic ecology of Xixi, West Lake, and the Qiantang River as a microcosm.

Visitors will be able to observe goldfish, algae, and calamus gently swaying in the water, search for the Chinese loach and scaly chub hiding among rocks, and see common Qiantang River residents such as river eels, bighead carp, and crucian carp.

The park also intends to work with local aquatic research institutions to set up a conservation and research facility for aquatic organisms outside their natural habitats.

Additionally, it will create a range of study tour courses tailored to various educational levels, from kindergarten to high school.

See also: Top 15 zoos & aquariums in Asia

Kidepo Trail at Blackpool Zoo in Blackpool, UK

The new £500,000 development at Blackpool Zoo’s Giraffe Heights is called the Kidepo Trail, named after the Kidepo Valley in Uganda. This area is part of the Nubian Giraffe Conservation Project, which is funded directly by Blackpool Zoo through the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.

Work to triple the size of the external habitat, currently housing O'Grady and Olympia the giraffes, and expand the public viewing area with an extended walkway began in autumn 2025.

Angolan giraffe eating in northwest NamibiaPicture courtesy of the Nubian Giraffe Conservation Project

The facility, expected to open by Easter, will include African savannah soundscapes, safari-style lookout points, educational trails, and animal encounters.

A specially designed antelope stable at the opposite end of the expanded paddock will house the zoo’s sitatunga herd, also from Africa, and both species will share the space.

In 2023, Blackpool Zoo opened a £1.5 million habitat for big cats, enabling the zoo to provide the best possible care for its lions and tigers.

Brewer Ocean Conservation Lab at San Antonio Zoo in Texas, US

The San Antonio Zoo plans to open a new coral laboratory in summer 2026 to conserve Texas coastal coral species and reintroduce them to their native habitats.

The 937-square-foot facility will support coral conservation efforts and allow visitors to observe staff as they work to restore corals, which will be reintroduced into the wild to help sustain coral reefs.

The lab is funded by the Brewer family in honour of R.P. Brewer III, a geology professor at San Antonio College. In collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), it will focus on the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, a coral reef off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana.

In the future, the lab will also house coral from another international reef, featuring a touch tank and Texas Gulf Coast coral species, positioned next to the existing Friedrich Aquarium.

While zoo staff already engage in coral propagation and conservation efforts at the aquarium, this new addition allows visitors to observe that work.

The zoo also opened Congo Falls, its new gorilla habitatnew gorilla habitat, in 2025.

See also: San Antonio Zoo: building on a foundational year

Tierra del Fuego at Leipzig Zoo in Leipzig, Germany

At the southern edge of Leipzig Zoo's South American-themed landscape, a new aquatic habitat for seals and penguins will open in 2026.

A wave-generating machine mimics the ocean environment, entertaining the animals. Visitors traverse from the penguin area to the seal enclosure via an underwater viewing tunnel, offering an immersive experience as if they were on a diving adventure.

Leipzig Zoo adopted its Zoo of the Future master plan in June 2000, aiming to evolve into a modern, nature-focused, and species-appropriate zoo. Over 245 million euros have been invested in the zoo's transformation.

By the 150th anniversary of Leipzig Zoo in 2028, the master plan should be fully implemented, and all ongoing and significant projects completed.

Changing Oceans at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, US

In autumn 2026, Shedd Aquarium will open a completed renovated gallery, featuring an immersive experience around ocean habitats and climate change. The project is part of the aquarium's $500 million redesign, which aims to improve the visitor experience with a focus on conservation.

Changing Oceans highlights the diverse, colourful biomes beneath the ocean's surface, and explores how climate change, especially global warming and ocean acidification, poses a major threat.

Key features include the Kelp Forest, where an expansive habitat window overhead offers guests a view of towering kelp forests and the aquatic life within. This recreated California kelp habitat will be home to swell sharks, leopard sharks, and a variety of other aquatic creatures.

Meanwhile, Whalefall will explore how, when a whale dies, animals from miles away gather to feed on the carcass, creating a temporary habitat on an otherwise barren ocean floor that can last for years.

Guests can explore an underwater environment through multi-sensory experiences, touch sculpted animals resting on whale bones, and hear the orchestra of the ocean from the depths below.

There will also be a Caribbean reef habitat with a walk-through tunnel, offering a diver 's-eye-view of life on the reef.

See also: A commitment to conservation at Shedd Aquarium

Les Terres Rouges at Beauval Zoo in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, France

In April, the new Les Terres Rouges themed area will open at France's Beauval Zoo.

This new zone spans 2.5 hectares and is dedicated to Australian wildlife. It will feature up to ten animal species, including black-capped rock wallabies, Parma wallabies, Southern hairy-nosed wombats, Tasmanian devils and kangaroos.

In addition, another new area, Bucolia, spanning approximately 1 hectare, will open the same month. Here, visitors can explore a diverse range of native domestic and farm animals, including sheep, chickens, donkeys, and goats.

Nearby, a new adventure play zone called Les Roches Vives is under development, featuring water fountains, cascades, and fine-mist sprays.

See also: Top 17 zoos & aquariums in Europe

Ocean Berlin in Berlin, Germany

Set to open in summer 2026 in Berlin-Lichtenberg, Ocean Berlin is a new aquarium for the city.

A range of marine life will soon inhabit the Ocean Berlin aquarium in Rummelsburger Bucht. The development includes several large tanks and a 3D cinema. The largest tank, holding 7.5 million litres, will showcase predatory species, including sharks.

Beyond being a new Berlin attraction, the new aquarium aims to promote ocean conservation. Exhibits designed for interactive experience will let visitors explore the full marine ecosystem.

A sustainability centre will be connected to the aquarium, where natural corals will be bred in a coral farm. Additionally, a hotel is under construction in conjunction with Aquarium Ocean Berlin.

Gorilla House at Jersey Zoo, Jersey

The new Gorilla House at Jersey Zoo is expected to be completed in spring 2026, replacing the current gorilla house, which opened in 1981 and has been in use for over 40 years.

This new building will provide the zoo's gorillas with significantly more space to roam and will be more sustainable to operate. Phase 2 of the project began in June 2024 on the enclosure that will house Badongo, Bahasha, Hlala Kahilli, and the youngest member of the group, Amari.

The building will feature a modern humidity and cooling system to ensure a comfortable temperature for the gorillas. It will contain two spacious indoor enclosures, eight bedrooms, and a separate area dedicated to training and weighing the troop.

Jersey Zoo has cared for western lowland gorillas for over 60 years, successfully breeding them and training conservationists to safeguard them in their natural habitat.

Exploration Asia at Calgary Zoo in Calgary, Canada

The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is beginning a period of transformation with the multi-phased redevelopment of its Exploration Asia zone. Phase 1 is scheduled to open in summer 2026. Once completed, the space will immerse visitors in the rich biodiversity of Southeast Asia, the Eastern Himalayas, and Northeast Asia.

The redevelopment will include large, vibrant habitats designed to improve animal well-being and offer engaging educational experiences for visitors.

Conservation stories will be woven throughout, encouraging passion and motivating actions to protect species struggling within these ecosystems.

As part of the project, the zoo will say goodbye to certain species to make room for bigger, more intricate habitats for others.

New aquarium tunnel at Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad, India

Hyderabad's Nehru Zoological Park is about to open a tunnel-style aquarium. One of the largest in the country, it will invite guests to walk underwater and be immersed in aquatic life.

Located on a one-acre site within the zoo, this modern aquarium will showcase exotic fish species from Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Nehru Zoological Park covers 380 acres and houses nearly 100 species of birds, animals, and reptiles. This includes Indian rhinos, Asiatic lions, Bengal tigers, panthers, Indian elephants, pythons, deer, antelopes, and various bird species.

The zoo also has 15 small aquarium exhibits showcasing freshwater and marine life.

More new zoo and aquarium projects to come

Looking further ahead, construction is progressing on Twycross Zoo's new £25m conservation centre, with the main building framework now finished. Scheduled to open in 2027, the state-of-the-art facility will act as a hub for conservation research, education, and collaboration.

Once finished, it will include a 200-seat lecture theatre, classrooms, wildlife gardens, and a science lab overlooking a new orangutan habitat.

Additionally, a 24-room residential wing will accommodate visiting experts and students, supporting the training of the next generation of conservation leaders.

Nashville Zoo in Nashville, US, plans to start building a new orangutan habitat in 2026, which will include a two-storey viewing pavilion with an observation deck on the second floor, offering visitors a bird's-eye view of orangutans as they move through the treetops.

In Australia, expressions of interest were sought in late 2025 for the design of the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium in Townsville, a major new aquarium showcasing the world's largest living coral reef exhibit.