Zoo Atlanta unveils first of its kind event space overlooking Africa exhibit

ATLANTA — Zoo Atlanta has unveiled what they call a first of its kind event space as part of their ongoing renovations.

Channel 2’s Kristen Holloway got an up-close look at the new Savanna Hall that just opened in the last couple of weeks.

“When you walk in Savannah Hall, we’ve built an event venue with a venue unlike anything in the city or anything in the country. You can’t ask for a more immersive experience and for those that can’t go on Safari to Africa, they don’t have to go very far to experience that majestic of what the African savanna is like,” said Raymond B. King, Zoo Atlanta president and CEO.

The new event space includes an outdoor terrace on the second floor and that’s before you even walk into the building.

Once you're inside, there's something for everyone.

“This facility can accommodate anything from a small dinner party for 25 people to a large cocktail party for 750 people,” King told Holloway.

Savanna Hall is already popular after just two weeks.

“We’ve already got nonprofit galas, weddings booked. We got a bar mitzvah booked, we got some industry trade event things, high school proms,” King said.

An outdoor deck allows you to get and up close and personal view of the elephants, zebras and giraffes that part of the zoo’s Africa exhibit.

King told Washington that the ultimate goal of the zoo’s renovations is to build a stronger connection between people and wildlife.

“The more we can do to give people a reason to come to the zoo, whether they like animals or not, it may just be to come to a specific event, they’re going to look out those windows and go, ‘Wow! I need to come back to the zoo,'” King said.

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