Two weeks after deciding to temporarily pause a widely unpopular price increase on annual memberships to the zoo and aquarium, the Audubon Nature Institute will go back to its old pricing for now, while it continues to study new membership levels and pricing.
Beginning March 1, new prices and membership levels, that could include a zoo-only membership option, will be offered for sale, Audubon President and CEO Michael Sawaya said in an interview Wednesday.
Tumani is a Western Lowland gorilla at the Audubon Zoo. Turning in old cell phones help decrease the need for minerals mined near the gorilla areas in the wild.
The move comes after Audubon officials convened a focus group to study the issue in the wake of the recent price hike controversy. The takeaway, Sawaya said, is that the increases introduced in late November were too steep and that locals want a zoo-only membership level, an option that hasn’t been available since the 1990s.
“We didn’t just arbitrarily increase prices. We studied it and did a lot of due diligence,” Sawaya said. “But we put it out there and got feedback and now we are revisiting it. That is what most good businesses do.”
Ahead of Black Friday holiday sales, Audubon upped the price for its annual memberships, which offer deep discounts off the admission price to the zoo and aquarium. Those who went online to renew their memberships, or buy new ones during the holiday weekend sale, found the price of an annual membership for a family of four had nearly doubled from $220 to $425.
After negative pushback on social media, Audubon paused the price hikes and said it would roll out a new deal in mid-December. But after hearing from the community and meeting with the focus group last week, Sawaya said Audubon needs more time still to make it sure it comes up with pricing levels that provide value while also helping to close the gap between rising costs and declining revenues.
Visitors can check out ‘Star Wars’ characters at the aquarium.
“What we need people to understand is that it is not just a zoo,” he said. “We have 10 facilities, and all the revenue we generate has to cover the cost of that.”
Besides the Audubon Zoo and Audubon Aquarium and Insectarium, the Audubon Nature Institute owns and operates seven other facilities and attractions, including Audubon Park, Woldenberg Park, the Audubon Louisiana Nature Center and the Freeport McMoRan Audubon Wildlife Species Survival Center.
The organization will finish 2025 with a $3 million operating loss, the third year in a row it has finished in the red, Sawaya said. It will make up this year’s shortfall by taking out a line of credit and reducing expenses, including a hiring freeze. But raising prices also has to be part of the equation, he said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.