For over a century, the San Diego Zoo has consistently delighted visitors from around the world with its extensive array of fascinating animal residents.
Set against a sprawling 99 acres of property, the zoo features a wide array of extraordinary exhibits, including some 12,000 animals from more than 680 species and related subspecies. The most visited zoo in the U.S., many have also regularly described it as one of the finest zoos in the entire world.
As universally beloved as the park is, the San Diego Zoo also routinely finds ways to entice and entertain new and returning visitors who step foot inside their historic entrance way.
To that end, the zoo is formally looking to add in a new immersive exhibit in 2026 to its sister property, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The new exhibit will allow guests to get a more nuanced look at some of the park’s most famous animal residents.
Dubbed the Denny Sanford Elephant Valley (so named after an influential philanthropist), the zoo has described the new exhibit as an “immersive journey that celebrates elephants as ecosystem engineers and architects of a rich social structure,” according to their official website.
As part of the new exhibit, guests will be able to literally walk side-by-side with some of these extraordinary creatures, educating themselves about elephants’ natural ecosystem, social hierarchy and other related facts.”
“We’re eager to welcome guests in early 2026 to experience a place unlike any other—where wildlife and people come together in powerful new ways,” Shawn Dixon, interim president and chief executive officer at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, told NBC San Diego.
As part of the new development, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park will also feature a two-story restaurant known as Mkutano House, as well as an educational meeting gathering place affording guests a chance to learn firsthand about elephants from knowedgable zoo officials.
This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.