Hometown Tourism: Lafayette, Indiana, Part 4

Did you know that Lafayette, Indiana has its very own zoo? It’s called the Columbian Park Zoo, and it used to be free to visit. But starting in 2021, they are now charging a $2.00 admission fee per person. I think that is certainly okay, especially since they have added on a penguin exhibit! I think penguins are cute, so I am fine with paying $2.00 to see them in our town!

For a small town zoo, there are quite a few cute and exciting animals to see. For instance, we have a butterfly garden, wallabies, a Galapagos tortoise, a bald eagle, prairie dogs, river otters, monkeys, and more! It is actually quite impressive!

Every year in the summer, the zoo sponsors a 5K run, called the Zoo Run Run. I have participated in it five different times. I ran it in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. My husband, David, has run it with me four times. The 2020 and 2021 runs were virtual due to the global pandemic, so we got to choose when and where we ran it, and we had to time ourselves. The 2020 run was the 18th year that the zoo has held the race, and there was a penguin on the shirt to celebrate how they were building a new penguin exhibit! In 2019, they had announced they were building it, and a guy came to the race dressed in a penguin costume. He actually finished the race in the costume!

After the Zoo Run Run, there would be a pancake breakfast! It was so good! I think there was sausage too, and probably also bacon. In 2019, however, there was a donut truck that gave each of the runners a donut.

I am looking forward to running it this year, and I am hoping it will be in person, but I would understand if it was virtual again.