ATLANTA — Every day, we are reporting on new places reopening their doors to the public.
On Saturday, Zoo Atlanta welcomed a sold out crowd, something that you don't often hear about. That's because they normally don't cap the number of tickets sold.
But, as will be the case in the weeks to come, it's not the typical zoo experience visitors are likely used to.
Adam and Sharon Trouche were among the first to head back to the zoo, which had been closed for roughly two months.
"Yeah - just finally something to do around town, and it's a gorgeous day to boot!" they said.
The Trouches, along with their daughter, couldn't wait to get out of the house - but not without taking some precautions.
"I have a mask right here!" Sharon said. "I have asthma, so I'm definitely going to make sure i wear my mask."
On its first day open, Zoo Atlanta welcomed a sold out crowd, but Deputy Director Hayley Murphy said they've thoughtfully planned out how to keep guests safe.
"We have the advantage of being an open-air park, so we've measured our linear square footage, we know exactly where we can pulse people through," Murphy said. "So, we've figured this out to the nth degree."
Zoo leaders are amping up safety measures, making sure guests, team members and the animals stay safe.
For starters, all staff members must wear a mask and gloves. Masks are also recommended for guests. The path is now one-way, making the experience a loop around the zoo. And all indoor exhibits are closed, besides restrooms.
"The only big one that's closed is our 'Scaley, slimy, spectacular,' our reptile building. We are not allowing people to go through there," Murphy said.
Social distancing markers have been placed on the ground. Additionally, staff members are only letting a certain amount of guests in at a time.
"We're doing time-ticketing, so that we can control the number of people, so our guests don't feel crowded and we can maintain that social distancing," Murphy said.
Guests can stop to look at the animals, but they're encouraged to keep moving. The Trouches said they understand the safety - it's just nice to regain a slice of normalcy.
"I've been cooped up, staring at the same four walls," they said. "We're glad to get out of the house."
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