Detroit Zoo Brings Back Beloved Zoo Keys For All Ages

An exciting development has occurred at the Detroit Zoo, as one of their most nostalgic features is making a permanent comeback. The Detroit Zoo has announced that they are bringing back Zoo Keys, and are encouraging everyone to get one to relive the memories of old.

Zoo officials announced that the colorful animal-shaped keys can be used in more than a dozen audio boxes throughout the zoo, and they’ll even be playing the original poems they once played. The nice thing is they only cost four dollars each. The Detroit zoo gave the unexpected, but celebrated announcement recently:

If you remember the magic of turning an elephant-shaped key and unlocking a story — you're in for a treat. After more than a decade, Zoo Keys have returned and are available for just $4 at the Detroit Zoo Shop, main gate ticket booths and other attractions around the Zoo! Guests who've kept an old Zoo Key, good news—select versions will still unlock the new boxes.

What Do Zoo Keys Do?

Each key unlocks powerful poems at more than a dozen storytelling boxes around the Zoo, with many written by local teens from our Zoo Corps Volunteen and Thriving Together programs.

Growing up on the east side of the state, I lived 15 minutes from the Detroit zoo, and every time I go back, I always sense a feel of nostalgia. One of the most nostalgic parts of the Detroit Zoo were the zoo keys that they had.

Zoo Keys were popular in the 1960s when they introduced 56 talking story books that encouraged kids to sing and dance while learning about their favorite animals.

Zoo Keys were active in the Detroit zoo until the early 1980s when they were slowly phased out. But even going there in the 90s, you could still see remnants of the Zoo Keys and where you could once activate them, before all the old hardware was removed permanently.

Now the keys are back and most likely are staying for good.