When large events are finally a part of our daily lives again, there will be a new place to host them here in Iowa! A new article from KCRG says that Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines has officially opened a brand new event center that will be home to "educational activities, conservation programming, recreational events, and private gatherings such as business meetings, weddings, and reunions."

According to the Blank Park Zoo's Facebook page, the Holmes Foster Event Center is 10,000 square feet and serves as a replacement for the ZooPlex. The president and CEO of Blank Park Zoo, Anne Shimerdla said that the new building contains restrooms, a catering kitchen, and bride and groom suites, plus it's temperature-controlled and has AV and wi-fi. It can fit 350 people at round tables, or 500 people theatre-style.

The new event center was expensive to build, costing around $2.2 million, but Anne hopes that it will bring people back to the zoo when the pandemic is over. Her statement reads:

"Once the pandemic concludes, the hope is the event center will aid in the financial recovery of Blank Park Zoo and will help support the operations and conservation work of the Zoo."

The Blank Park Zoo Facebook page says that you won't have to wait long to check out the new facility. They plan to use it for "self-guided education activities" and as a place to stop for a snack. They also plan to have a mini-golf course in there, which will be included in the regular price of admission.

Get a look at the Holmes Event Center in the preview video below:

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