You Can Pet Stingrays? Detroit Zoo Reveals Opening Date for New Interactive Trail

If you’ve been waiting for something new at the Detroit Zoo, well…here you go.

The zoo just announced that its brand-new 7-acre interactive experience, the Fred and Barbara Erb Discovery Trails, is almost ready to open.

When Do the Detroit Zoo Discovery Trails Open?

According to a Facebook post, it officially opens on Saturday, May 23. And this is definitely a step up from the usual just walking around and looking at animals kind of thing.

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What Animals Can You Touch at the Detroit Zoo Discovery Trails?

This is way more hands-on than anything they’ve had before.

We’re talking:

• Petting stingrays (seriously)
• Feeding or interacting with goats
• Getting right up close to prairie dogs and burrowing owls
• Seeing animals like alpacas, anteaters, bamboo sharks, and even bush dogs

Basically, you’re not just standing there staring through glass anymore.

What Is the Canopy Trail at the Detroit Zoo?

One of the coolest parts might be the Canopy Trail.

It lifts you about 14 feet up, so you’re literally walking and looking out over parts of the zoo from above. That alone sounds worth checking out.

Is the New Detroit Zoo Trail Good for Kids and Families?

Yeah, this place was built with kids in mind, and they’re going to love it.

But they also added quiet areas and sensory-friendly spaces, so it’s not total chaos the whole time. You can actually take a breather if you need to, which…at a zoo with kids running around everywhere, you’ll probably need.

How Much Did the Detroit Zoo Discovery Trails Cost?

The whole project came in at around $20 million, mostly funded through donations and grants.

If you’ve been looking for a reason to head back to the Detroit Zoo, this might be it.