Dale Claypoole clapped along with everyone else at the Sacramento City Council meeting on September 1, after the 8-0 vote that could help the Sacramento Zoo expand inside William Land Park. He told The Sacramento Bee he was being polite. He was one of several speakers who criticized the project during public comment, and his summary afterward was short: "We pretty much understood it was going forward anyway."
What went forward is narrower than the headlines suggested. The zoo now has a path to stay in Land Park, and that path runs through an expansion it has not paid for, designed or gotten through environmental review. Rising costs ended the Elk Grove move in 2025. Right now the zoo's plan to stay depends on being allowed to grow, and the timeline for that is measured in years.
What the 8-0 Vote Actually Allows
The council amended the 1997 operating agreement between the city and the Sacramento Zoological Society. The zoo sits on 14 acres, and its leaders want about 5.8 more acres of the park. Dustin Hollingsworth, the city's assistant director of convention and cultural services, told the council, "It's important to note that this agreement does not commit the city to a project."
Here is what the amendment does:
- It lets the zoo begin environmental review for expansion into two areas: the former pony ride area along Land Park Drive and a parcel next to Swanston Gardens, just north of the zoo.
- It requires the zoo to follow the California Environmental Quality Act and keep any improvements consistent with its operating agreement.
- It lets the city take back park land if the zoo isn't moving quickly enough, and require the zoo to restore the land if the project is left unfinished.
ABC10 reported that the city made no funding commitment and that no cost estimate exists. The Zoological Society is expected to raise the money and build in phases. The zoo's own expansion page calls the council action a viable path to remain in Land Park. It also says site design and environmental review must come before any improvements, and that its current concept is not a final design.
Why Staying Depends on Getting Bigger
The size of the zoo is what drives this. Kristina Rogers, president of the Land Park Community Association, wrote in Inside Sacramento's October 2026 issue that the zoo's boundaries are too small to keep habitat for a wide variety of animals under global zoo accreditation policies. She also reported what Elizabeth Stallard, president of the Sacramento Zoological Society, said at this summer's workshops: the zoo wouldn't spend money on anything else until the city approved the expansion, and if it can't expand, it will keep looking for a new location.
Elk Grove shows how far a search like that can get before it stops. The zoo and the city of Elk Grove ended relocation planning on April 30, 2025. The Society cited economic uncertainty, higher construction costs, questions about operating costs and doubts that it could pay for later phases. By then Elk Grove had bought a roughly 100-acre property for $9 million and spent about $4.5 million on early work. The city later returned about $1.9 million in zoo-project donations to the Society. In September 2026, The Bee reported that Elk Grove had discussed selling part of the former zoo parcel to Wilton Rancheria in closed session, with no action announced. The paper described the cancelled project as a $302 million relocation.
That $1.9 million could go toward the Land Park effort. The neighborhood association says it would not cover the expansion.
Where the Extra Acres Would Come From
The two parcels have been described a few different ways as the plan changed, so the acreage depends on which document you read:
| Source | Pony ride parcel | North parcel | Total added |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026 city MOU | 4.4 acres | 1.4 acres | 5.8 acres |
| Sacramento Bee, Sept. 2026 | Not itemized | Not itemized | About 5.8 acres |
| Zoo and ABC10 materials | Not itemized | Not itemized | About 5.6 acres |
| Land Park Community Association, Oct. 2026 | 4.4 acres | 1.2 acres | Footprint of about 20 acres |
The north parcel got smaller because of the park's landmarks. City staff materials describe a revised northern boundary that leaves out the Swanston statue, its garden and the nearby gazebos. CBS Sacramento reported that the original 1.4-acre area included a fountain dedicated to early Sacramento resident Charles Swanston, and that the refined renderings scaled the northern proposal back to exclude both the fountain and the statue. With either figure, the zoo would grow from about 14 acres to roughly 20.
The pony ride parcel is not Funderland. Funderland describes itself as operating in William Land Park, half a block from the zoo and across the street from Fairytale Town, and it is marking its 80th season in 2026. None of the sources reviewed for this post relocate Funderland or Fairytale Town or give either a new use. All of these attractions share one 236-acre city parcel with William Land Park Golf Course.
Three Clocks, Running at Different Speeds
The September vote set up several timelines, and they run at very different speeds:
- The operating agreement. In June 2025, the city and the Society extended the existing agreement through June 30, 2028.
- Environmental review. Zoo CEO Dan Simon estimated it could take 9 to 12 months. He gave no date for finishing construction.
- A bigger zoo, open to visitors. Rogers wrote that "the community may wait another 10 years before the facility welcomes guests into a new, enlarged environment."
The ten-year figure is the neighborhood association's estimate. The city has not adopted that schedule. Even the fastest of the three ends after the zoo's 100th birthday, and the city's power to take the land back applies the whole time.
What Neighbors Asked This Summer
The April 28, 2026 MOU set up a working group with neighborhood and preservation representatives. City staff reported it met on May 28, June 15 and July 16. The zoo also held two community input sessions and a webinar, set up information tables at two Community Days and opened an online feedback channel. The MOU listed design, funding, historic features, mature trees, utilities, traffic, parking and CEQA as topics for discussion.
Rogers described the questions raised at those workshops:
How will the zoo preserve the integrity of landmarks, such as the Swanston statue and heritage trees? How do traffic and parking fit in, especially on weekends? What about funding and timelines?
She reported that Stallard and Simon said they wanted to hear concerns and ideas but weren't ready to answer them, and that Stallard called the renderings on display conceptual. The association's position is that an expansion may be needed to keep the zoo in Land Park. It wants a thoughtful plan for effects on Fairytale Town, the golf course and the sports fields, and practical solutions for parking and traffic on weekends and holidays. The board says it will share updates and take neighbor feedback at its community meetings.
The Park This Fall, Before the Centennial
The zoo opened as the William Land Park Zoo in March 1927, with about 40 animals on four acres. For its 2027 centennial year, it plans to feature one local artist each month, with animal-inspired artwork, stickers, trading cards on select days and a monthly meet-and-sign. The twelve artists are Brenner Barnhart, Ciara Cumiskey, Mary Czechan Coldren, LeRoid David, Andrea Fonseca, Melody Gere, Rylie Hayes, Katie Ann Hill Olson, Tabitha Jensen, Jon Lowe, Kevin Meier and Kerri Warner.
Until then, the park's fall calendar is full. Dates from the zoo's 2026 schedule:
- Oct. 9: Wine on the Wild Side fundraiser. The zoo closes early at 1:30 p.m.
- Oct. 10: Migratory Bird Day
- Oct. 18 and Nov. 29: Species in the Spotlight
- Oct. 24–25: Fall Zoobilee
- Nov. 26 and Dec. 24–25: Zoo closed
- Dec. 23: $10 Community Day
- Dec. 31: Noon Year's Eve
Across the street, Fairytale Town's 40th annual Safe & Super Halloween runs Oct. 16, 17, 18, 23 and 24 from 5 to 9 p.m. Advance tickets are $15, or $12 for covered members. Day-of tickets are $18, and children under 2 get in free. Halloween Fun Day follows on Saturday, Oct. 31, starting at 10 a.m. Winter Wonderland takes over Dec. 5–6 and 12–13 from 1 to 7 p.m., weather permitting, with holiday lights, Santa, Mr. Grinch and snowfall at 6 p.m. Ticket prices match the Halloween event. Funderland's homepage lists November 29 as the final day of its 2026 season, weather permitting.
In her column, Rogers noted that since the Elk Grove plan ended, visitors have kept doing what they've done for generations, relaxing under the wisteria at Sutter Fountain. Just north of the zoo, the Swanston fountain and statue are now outside the expansion's revised boundary.
If you own a home near William Land Park and want to know how a long zoo planning process might affect your sale or purchase timing, I'm happy to go over it with you street by street. With Angela Heinzer, you'll start with a clear picture of what's actually been decided and a free home valuation built around your block.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
