Jacksonville Zoo and VyStar debut SkyScape entrance, new gateway tied to manatee care expansion
New public-facing entrance debuts as part of broader campus transformation
Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens and VyStar Credit Union marked the debut of the VyStar SkyScape with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, unveiling a redesigned front-door experience intended to reshape how visitors arrive and move into the zoo.
The new entrance is part of a larger redevelopment initiative branded REZOOVENATION, a multi-phase plan aimed at modernizing guest facilities and supporting expanded animal care and conservation work. The SkyScape is paired with the grand opening of the J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver Manatee River habitat, scheduled for March 6, 2026, during regular zoo hours.
What the VyStar SkyScape includes
Project materials describe the SkyScape as an open-air entry structure designed to support both daily operations and special events. The planned features include a large immersive video screen, flexible event space with a catering kitchen, a new gift shop, and direct access to Manatee River so that conservation messaging and animal care visibility begin at the start of the guest experience.
- Immersive screen designed for programming and events
- Event space supported by a catering kitchen
- New retail space at the entrance
- Direct connection into the Manatee River habitat area
How the entrance connects to manatee rehabilitation
The SkyScape’s opening coincides with expanded infrastructure around manatee care. Jacksonville Zoo operates a Manatee Critical Care Center and maintains a marine mammal response team that assists with rescue and transport operations in coordination with state wildlife authorities. The zoo’s manatee program began receiving patients in 2017, following years of rescue support work in Northeast Florida.
State program descriptions identify Jacksonville Zoo as a federally permitted acute care facility within Florida’s manatee rescue and rehabilitation network. The same materials note the zoo temporarily paused manatee intakes in June 2024 due to life support system work, with reopening anticipated in late 2025 or early 2026.
The new entrance is designed to place conservation and animal care visibility at the start of the visitor experience, with Manatee River positioned as an early focal point.
What comes next under REZOOVENATION
Planning documents for REZOOVENATION outline additional upgrades beyond the entrance and manatee facilities, including a new lion habitat concept, expanded education programming areas, a reimagined elephant habitat, and the addition of orangutans as a future species. Zoo information describes these as phased improvements intended to update habitats and visitor circulation over time.
For visitors, the March 6, 2026 grand opening date provides the first full public opportunity to experience the combined SkyScape entrance and the Manatee River habitat as a single arrival sequence, linking guest amenities with the zoo’s ongoing wildlife rehabilitation mission.