Zoo group hopes support, money begins to snowball

Bringing back a Myrick Park
Zoo could cost millions

A zoo restoration effort in La Crosse is expected to snowball at some point. 

By that, Shannon Thompson, from the non-profit Myrick Park Community group, means she expects there will be accelerated support for the effort to rebuild the former zoo.

“I know that once we really get going and we get some money in the bank,” Thompson said, “and the public starts seeing things down there, I know that we’ll be able to apply for some grants and hopefully some bigger donations will come in.”

She understands, though, why there might be skepticism.

“They want to make sure that we are legitimate,” Thompson said. “They want to make sure that this isn’t for nothing. And I can’t blame them. I would probably be in the same boat if I wasn’t on the committee and part of the board of directors.”

The group is coming off a first fundraiser less than two weeks ago. It pulled in thousands of dollars for the project. But, total cost to rebuild a zoo, which closed nearly 10 years ago in Myrick Park, is expected to be in the millions.