TOLEDO – It’s official; the Toledo Zoo is the best in the U.S.
Online voting that ended at noon on Monday clinched the title for the zoo, a month after USA Today Travel
named it among the top 20 zoos in the nation and invited fans to vote online for their favorite from the
list of semifinalists.
"We’ve never seen this level of participation in any previous 10 Best Readers’ Choice contest,"
Libby McMillan, 10 Best content manager, said. "Despite the enormous level of participation by zoo
nominees, Toledo’s win was by a significant margin. 10 Best and USA TODAY feel privileged to have hosted
a contest which resonated so strongly with our readers. The votes for this category were over three
times higher than the most popular contest held prior."
Jeff Sailer, the zoo’s executive director, praised a massive community-wide effort that inspired an
outpouring of support for the zoo. "I consider this a ‘win’ not just for the zoo, but for the whole
region. It’s a great reminder of Toledo’s many world-class cultural attractions, from the Toledo Museum
of Art, University of Toledo and Toledo-Lucas County Public Library to Metroparks of the Toledo Area,
Toledo Botanical Gardens and the Mud Hens," he said. "We couldn’t have done it without the
enthusiastic support from our community, and it proves what we can do when we all work together – even
when we’re competing against much larger metropolitan areas. This whole region loves its zoo."
The USA Today 10 Best organization covers 236 major metropolitan areas worldwide, offering travel tips
and ideas, along with periodic top ten lists. Three other Ohio zoos made the top 20 list: Cincinnati at
third, Columbus at fifth and Cleveland at 12th. Full contest results are available at
www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-us-zoo/.
The Toledo Zoo’s winning title comes just days before three new exhibits open to the public on Friday:
Penguin Beach, Flamingo Key sponsored by Toledo Express Airport, and ‘Keet Retreat sponsored by BP.
Opening weekend celebrations, Friday through Sunday, are sponsored by Kroger.
This new status as the nation’s best zoo marks something that Sailer said is one of the area’s best
tributes: teamwork. "The USA Today #10 Best contest united our community, and it’s a community that
everyone at the zoo is proud to be a part of."