The Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park opened Islands, its new exhibit, on Sept. 3, 2026. The regular season ended on Sept. 27. That left 25 calendar days for what Pennock called the zoo's biggest expansion. Every one of those days came after Labor Day, and Funland's season had already ended.
The zoo added two weather-permitting bonus weekends in October. The first one ends today. The second runs Friday through Sunday, Oct. 9–11. After that the gates close for the season, and the next regular-admission chance to walk through Islands will come whenever the 2027 season opens.
So an exhibit that took six-plus years to plan and fund will have had about a month of public life in 2026. Many households in Idaho Falls haven't seen it yet, and next weekend is the last opportunity this year.
The calendar Islands opened into
| Window | Dates | Hours | What it means for Islands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season after the opening | Sept. 3–27 | 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. daily | The first 25 days the exhibit was open |
| First October bonus weekend | Oct. 2–4 | Fri–Sun, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m., last entry 4:30 | Ends today |
| Second October bonus weekend | Oct. 9–11 | Fri–Sun, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m., last entry 4:30 | Last regular-admission days of 2026, weather permitting |
| Boo at the Zoo | Oct. 15–17 | Evening event | Separate ticket, listed as sold out |
When KIFI covered the fall schedule on Sept. 30, it counted six regular-admission days left across the two October weekends. As of this afternoon, three remain.
Why it opened in September in the first place
Islands didn't wait until fall on purpose. Zoo executive director David Pennock told East Idaho News that planning began before 2020, and that the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the project down. Donations kept arriving during the delay and ended up covering the entire cost. Pennock said that although the City of Idaho Falls owns the zoo, no taxpayer money went into Islands. The community gave money, time, talent and materials.
A project paid for by donations finishes when the donations and the construction allow it to, not when the season calendar would like it to. In this case that meant a September opening. The city's announcement opened with "The wait is finally over," and for a project this old, the line is literally true.
"We're excited to finally open the doors and let our community experience Islands," Pennock said in the city's release. "There are so many details to discover, from the animals and their habitats to the interactive experiences and playground."
What's actually inside
Islands is built around how animals live on islands, and around why some species can survive in those isolated places while others can't. East Idaho News described it as four new animal exhibits plus an educational space about the threats these species face in the wild. Some of the animals are new to Idaho Falls, and some are longtime residents in new quarters.
New to the zoo
- Fossa. The city calls it "an incredibly unique mammal." It is Madagascar's largest carnivore, and for most visitors it will be the least familiar animal in the building.
- Nene, or Hawaiian goose. The city describes it as the rarest goose in the world. At the Sept. 3 opening, the geese were still going through the standard veterinary procedures required for every new animal and were expected on exhibit the following week. We didn't find a later public update confirming they went on view, so ask the front gate if they're a priority for your group.
- Madagascar hissing cockroaches, a rosy boa and a ball python. These are set up for close viewing.
Familiar faces, new habitats
- Ring-tailed lemurs and collared lemurs. The ring-tailed lemurs now have both indoor and outdoor space.
- Omar the Aldabra tortoise
- White-faced whistling ducks
- Several African bird species
Moving these animals into Islands also had effects elsewhere in the zoo. The city says the relocations gave the animals better habitats and gave keepers better workspace. They also freed up room in other parts of the zoo that can be used to improve conditions for the animals still living there. Changes from Islands will keep appearing around the grounds after this season ends.
The playground is part of the exhibit's teaching design. "With the playground, every piece, every sign, every activity that someone does in the playground is geared to teach them about animal habitat," Pennock told East Idaho News. For families with young children, the playground may be what makes a chilly October visit worth it.
A zoo that is growing to match its gate count
Pennock connected Islands to demand. In 2025 the zoo had 150,000 visitors through the gate, and he described many of them as repeat visitors. He said the community around the zoo is growing, and the zoo has to expand to keep up.
Repeat visitors are also the people a late opening affects most. Anyone who did a summer zoo day and planned to come back next year missed Islands completely. And 2026 already gave them several reasons to come back:
- Lenny the snow leopard. He arrived in June to live alongside Pandora, the zoo's resident snow leopard. The transfer was part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan.
- Funland and the Log Hut café. Funland reopened May 23 with all rides running and a fully renovated Log Hut café. About $145,000 from the CHC Foundation supported the café restoration, and the café is open to park visitors without ride tickets. Funland's season ran through Labor Day, so it's closed now.
- Accreditation. On Sept. 30, KIFI reported that the zoo had earned Association of Zoos and Aquariums accreditation in the fall 2026 review round. Thirty facilities were accredited in that round, and three were denied. Idaho Falls is now one of 255 AZA-accredited facilities in 12 countries. The review covers animal care, veterinary programs, staff training, education, conservation, safety and guest services, and facilities go through it every five years.
Of everything new at the zoo in 2026, Islands had the least time open to the public.
Making Oct. 9–11 count
Gates open at 9:30 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. Last admission is at 4:30, and the whole weekend depends on the weather. Arriving at opening gives you the full seven hours, and that matters more on a weekend when the weather decides whether the gates open at all.
2026 admission prices, from the city:
- Adults 13–61: $12.50
- Seniors 62 and older: $11
- Children 3–12: $9.50
- Age 2 and under: $0.50
- Military with valid ID: $9.50
- Members with valid membership: free
Islands is included in regular admission, so there's no separate ticket. Two adults and two children between 3 and 12 pay $44 at the gate. If you already have a membership, the last weekend costs you nothing.
Boo at the Zoo is a different ticket
Boo at the Zoo is Oct. 15–17. It's run by the Tautphaus Park Zoological Society and starts at 5 p.m. each night. The city's calendar lists the Oct. 15 night as 5 to 8:30 p.m. The Eventbrite listing says a ticket is good for any of the three nights, children 2 and under get in free, and costume contests are held at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. each night.
The society's events page lists the 2026 event as sold out. It also warns that tickets bought from third-party sources won't be accepted, and that tickets have to be bought in your own name through the Eventbrite links the society provides. Eventbrite still showed a starting price of $8.10 when we checked, so contact the society directly before counting on a ticket.
Boo at the Zoo is an evening Halloween event that sells out. The Oct. 9–11 weekend is ordinary daytime admission with nothing sold in advance. If your goal is to see the fossa, the lemurs' new habitat and Omar in daylight, the weekend is the visit to plan, and the playground will be open then as well.
If a weekend at Tautphaus Park has you thinking about the neighborhoods within an easy drive of the zoo, Abigail Martin Real Estate can tell you what your home is worth in today's Idaho Falls market, whenever you want to know. Request a free home valuation and we'll go over the numbers with you.
