CINCINNATI, Ohio (WDTN) — The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden‘s new carousel is now open, and you have a chance to get your name on a carousel hippo!
According to the Cincinnati Zoo, you can spend $5 for one entry to the raffle and one carousel ticket or $20 for 50 entries and one carousel ticket. Click here to buy tickets and enter the raffle.
The winner will be recognized with a plaque at the base of the hippo carousel for its lifetime and will also get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Hippo Cove to meet the hippos.
Each ticket is good for one ride on the carousel through Dec. 31, 2023, said the zoo, and the offer for the behind-the-scenes tour expires in April 2024. The plaque can have up to 175 characters and has to be approved by the zoo.
The carousel is said to be housed in a “vintage-inspired, open-air gazebo with an old-fashioned boardwalk” with views along the lake.
“The new carousel is spectacular and includes a variety of animal seats. There are two hippos, and we know that people will want to hop on those. I rode the alligator during our staff preview spin, since that’s my favorite animal,” said Thane Maynard, Cincinnati Zoo director. Some of the carousel costs were covered by generous donors, and their names are on plaques on some of the animals. We thought it would be fun to open the hippo naming opportunity to the public.”
For more information about the new carousel or the raffle, click here.
