Zoological Park Construction

COST of Wisconsin, Inc. has been a full-service zoological exhibit contractor for six decades. In 1957, COST was hired by the Milwaukee County Zoo to create a truly unique zoological experience with an alternative to the standard cage exhibits. This revolutionary project pioneered the modern zoological parks and gardens of today. Since then, COST has fabricated exhibits for over half the zoos and aquariums in the U.S. and for several international clients; many have won industry awards.

Award-Winning Zoo Habitat Design & Construction

As a fifty-year AZA member and industry leader, we are able to meet unique challenges common in customized, one-of-a-kind projects. COST works diligently to create aesthetically pleasing, cost-effective, durable, and animal-safe zoo habitats and animal exhibits. Highly qualified artisans and zoological park construction personnel utilize conventional materials to reproduce and enhance the exhibits we build. But this is only half the equation. The entire team has a deep respect for the animals that are placed within the exhibits and habitats developed, so great efforts are taken throughout pre-construction through final construction to ensure a safe habitat is built. Furthermore, these modern immersive environments are developed to engage zoo patrons in hopes that they, too, will better understand wildlife and the challenges of preservation and conservation.

COST begins each zoo construction project with scaled models based on specifications provided by architectural drawings. These models are then used to properly execute the approval and construction processes. COST’s experience in many different materials, including shotcrete, GFRC, FRP, urethanes, epoxies, various woods, and acrylic, allows us to recreate any environment for natural-looking animal habitats.

Earth bank textures, rock work, water features, faux trees, and decorative coral inserts are just a few of the features developed within zoo exhibits. To further the realism, natural stone, crustaceans, invertebrates, mineral deposits, lichens, and various topical aging enhancements are added to exhibits, providing an undisturbed, timeless, and truly authentic finished product.