Penguin and puffin lovers, celebrate – exhibit reopening at St. Louis Zoo

February 05, 2015   •  By Staff Reports

A St. Louis Zoo visitor finds a spot to sit beside a statue of an emperor penguin as people lined up to see the the birds for a final time on Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, before work begins on Polar Bear Point. Penguin & Puffin Coast will temporarily close until work is completed on the polar bear exhibit in 2015. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com

Zoo visitors who have been missing the penguins and puffins, mark March 5 on your calendar.

That's when the Penguin & Puffin Coast will reopen to the public at the St. Louis Zoo.

The exhibit closed in September 2013 for construction of McDonnell Polar Bear Point, which is next door to the penguin habitats.

Visitors have been able to see the Humboldt penguins in their outdoor habitat since October, but the indoor portion had stayed closed.

The zoo will celebrate the reopening with a parade of king and gentoo penguins leading the way at 10:30 a.m. on March 5.

And if you're wondering, the polar bear exhibit should open by the summer. “We know our visitors have missed the penguins and we’re happy to bring them back,” said Jeffrey P. Bonner, the zoo's president.

The Penguin & Puffin coast opened in 2003 and is home to about 100 oceanic birds.

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