Reid Park Zoo Opens Pathway to Asia Expansion
The 4.5-acre expansion adds about 30 new species, including Malayan tigers, Komodo dragons and a 17-foot reticulated python.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Reptiles
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Reid Park Zoo opened its 4.5-acre Pathway to Asia expansion on Nov. 13, 2026, adding roughly 30 new species. The expansion includes its first-ever reptile house, the Robert H. Hamilton Tropical Discovery Center.
Why it matters
The expansion was funded largely by a sales tax Tucson voters approved in 2017, which added one-tenth of one cent to the city sales tax for 10 years. It is the final project of the zoo's Phase I Master Plan, reflecting the city's long-term investment in its zoo.
The 4.5-acre expansion was built on former zoo and Edith Ball Adaptive Center parking lots, with 45 percent of former asphalt converted to green space and 100 new trees planted. The sales tax funded about 85 percent of the project, though the exact remaining funding breakdown from private donors and grants was not specified.
The players
Reid Park Zoo
Reid Park Zoo is a municipal zoo in Tucson, Arizona, operated as part of the city's Reid Park and known for its animal collection and conservation programs.
The details
The expansion features Malayan tigers Maya and Berani, Komodo dragons, Asian small-clawed otters, sand cats, straw-colored fruit bats and a reticulated python named Kira measuring about 17 feet long. Its architecture is inspired by the ancient Khmer temples of Angkor, and it uses no green space in Reid Park.
Timeline
Nov. 7, 2017: Tucson voters approve Propositions 202 and 203 funding the zoo.
Nov. 13, 2026: The Pathway to Asia expansion opens to the public.
Nov. 14-15, 2026: Opening weekend continues Saturday and Sunday.
Dates to be announced: Red pandas and lar gibbons arrive after opening.
Roadmap
The opening completes the Phase I Master Plan funded by Propositions 202 and 203, which Tucson voters approved on Nov. 7, 2017. It marks the culmination of a decade-long sales tax investment in the zoo's facilities.
Tucson residents can now visit the expansion during regular zoo hours, including the opening weekend of Nov. 14-15, 2026. The new green space and 100 trees add shaded areas to the Reid Park grounds.
The takeaway
The Pathway to Asia expansion shows how a voter-approved sales tax can fund visible improvements to a public institution. Residents interested in the zoo's newest exhibits can plan a visit during the opening weekend.
What happens next
Red pandas and lar gibbons will arrive at Reid Park Zoo after opening, with dates to be announced.
Further reading
Explore more about reptiles at the zoo's newest exhibit, the first reptile house Reid Park Zoo has ever opened.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KVOA.
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