Over 1 million people visited the Kansas City Zoo in 2016, which has never been done before in its 107-year history.
Zoo officials held a ceremony Wednesday thanking Jackson and Clay County officials for helping accomplish the goal.
A $30 million bond package passed in 2004, bringing in more exhibits like polar bears, penguins and a new orangutan exhibit.
Tourism in Kansas City has broken records the past two years. In 2015, 24 million people visited the metro and spent $3 billion.
Zoo Director Randy Wisthoff hinted at a major attraction in the works for 2017. He said the zoo's attendance for the coming year is just short of a million. He hopes they hit the million mark again.
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Sarah Plake can be reached at Sarah.Plake@KSHB.com
