The RainForest

Opened in 1992, The RainForest at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo occupies a large glass-and-granite building spanning more than two acres over two levels, one of the largest covered tropical environments in the United States at the time it was built. Right at the entrance, a 7.6-meter waterfall and a wall of warm, humid air plunge visitors into an atmosphere held at 27°C year-round. More than 10,000 plants and 600 animals from Australasia, Africa, and the Americas coexist there, spread between a 'lowland forest' and an 'upland forest' linked by walkways. The exhibit also includes a simulated tropical storm with thunder and lightning effects, as well as an educational weather station. Closed since September 2024 to make way for the 'Primate Forest' redevelopment project, the building is due to reopen in a reimagined form in 2026, while retaining its historic role as a showcase for the zoo's tropical biodiversity.