News Release

May 12, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact : Sondra Katzen
Public Relations
708.688.8351
sondra.katzen@czs.org

Note: Images of dolphins at Brookfield Zoo may be downloaded at www.CZS.org/PressRoom.

Celebrate Decades of Dolphins at Brookfield Zoo

      Brookfield, Ill.—It was the year a gallon of gasoline cost just 25 cents, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens hit the airwaves, the Selectric typewriter was introduced by IBM, and the country’s first inland dolphinarium opened for shows at Brookfield Zoo. The year was 1961, and people ventured to the zoo by the thousands to see the dolphins and experience these magnificent creatures firsthand.

Today, 50 years later, the dolphins remain one of the zoo’s most popular animals, and the shows have come a long way baby. They continue to be entertaining, with the dolphins displaying their amazing strength and agility with aerial acrobatics, but now they also focus on dolphin conservation and how Animal Programs staff care for these animals.

In celebration of this 50-year milestone, Brookfield Zoo will be highlighting its group of seven common bottlenose dolphins with Decades of Dolphins on Saturday and Sunday, May 21 and 22. The weekend event will be filled with lots of memories and fun featuring music that reflects the decades from the 1960s to the present, special Dolphin Shows, retro games, and a liquid watercolor craft activity for kids.

On May 21, music from the past decades will fill the East Mall beginning at 1:00 p.m. with The New Invaders, who will entertain zoogoers with groovy tunes of the ‘60s, from the British Invasion to Woodstock and everything in between. At 3:30 p.m., the Shagadelics will thrill guests with their far-out disco dance moves and funky tunes of the ‘70s that are sure to bring back memories of polyester and platform shoes.

The following day, May 22 at 1:00 p.m. the tribute band Arra will have the zoo rockin’ with music from some of the most popular groups of the ‘80s, including Aerosmith, Boston, Journey, Van Halen, and REO Speedwagon. Following at 3:30 p.m., the ‘80s will continue, along with today’s current hits from the Chicago-based band He Said, She Said, whose diverse list of songs cover classic rock gems from The Who’s “Baba O’Riley”and Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” to dance party hits like Deee-Lite’s “Groove is in the Heart.”

Joining in the festivities will be 94.7 WLS-FM’s DJ Greg Brown and 97.1 The Drive’s DJ Bobby Skafish, who will be spinning classic hits from 12:45 to 3:15 p.m. on May 21 and 22, respectively. Both stations will have giveaways and engage guests of all ages in a variety of interactive activities.
On both days, beginning at 11:00 a.m., guys and gals can swing their hips and see how long they can hula hoop or test their skill by trying to solve one of the biggest crazes of the ‘80s and the world’s top-selling puzzle game: the Rubik’s Cube®. Dolphin Show tickets will be presented to those who can twirl the hoop the longest and solve the puzzle the quickest.
During the weekend’s festivities, classic cars will be rolling into the zoo courtesy of members of the Lemont Classic Car Club. The organization will have more than 20 cars from past decades on display around Roosevelt Fountain.
Of course, the main attractions of the weekend celebration are the dolphins—Tapeko, Chinook, Spree, Noelani, Tatem, Allison, and Nea—who range in age from 3 to 29 years old. Prior to the start of each of the four Dolphin Shows (limited seating), staff will engage guests in additional hula hooping and a trivia game with questions highlighting the history of the zoo and dolphins. Throughout the weekend, an anniversary video tracing 50 years of dolphins at Brookfield Zoo will be playing continuously in the Seven Seas underwater viewing area.
Admission to Brookfield Zoo is $13.50 for adults and $9.50 for children 3-11 and seniors 65 and over. Children 2 and under are free. Parking is $9. The Dolphin Show costs $4 for adults and $2.50 for children 3-11 and seniors 65 and over. For further information about Decades of Dolphins or additional happenings at Brookfield Zoo, visit www.CZS.org/Events or call (708) 688-8000.
Open every day of the year, Brookfield Zoo is located off First Avenue between the Stevenson (I-55) and Eisenhower (I-290) expressways and is also accessible via the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), Metra commuter line, CTA, and PACE bus service.

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