Jurong Bird Park to close on 3 January ahead of move to Mandai
SINGAPORE — Jurong Bird Park will be closing for good after welcoming its final guests on 3 January next year - 52 years after its opening in 1971.
As its 3,500-odd avian exhibits as well as staff members prepare to move to their new home at Mandai Wildlife Reserve, the park is holding a series of activities from Saturday (3 September) to 3 January to celebrate its legacy.
"Jurong Bird Park has been a place that holds special memories for multiple generations of Singaporeans who have grown up with the park," said Mike Barclay, group chief executive officer of Mandai Wildlife Group.
"As we prepare to close the park on its 52nd birthday, we invite everyone to visit (the park) one last time."
Updates on the new bird park at Mandai Wildlife Reserve - to be called Bird Paradise - will be shared at a later time.
Activities to remember park's history
Visitors can embark on a self-guided Heritage Trail at the Jurong Bird Park, with displays that illustrate key milestones in its 51-year history, and learn about the park's transformation since its 1971 inauguration by the late Dr Goh Keng Swee.
The old Panorail station - which served the monorail system that operated from 1992 to 2012 - will be reopened to the public, complete with a re-creation of the Panorail for photo opportunities. There is also a re-creation of the park's old cuckoo clock tower, which now doubles up as a countdown timer to its final day of operations.
Guests can also contribute their favourite memories of the bird park to a Memory Wall at the Penguin Coast exhibit, and watch them pop up on the wall's video screen. They can also download a staff-curated trail and learn about the park's best-kept secrets, such as the best vantage point to observe the iconic indoor waterfall.
Jurong Bird Park will be releasing new programmes over the next months, including the launch of a "Nostalgic Signature Tour" in November, with guides telling anecdotes about the park's exhibits and architecture while engaging in feeding sessions and avian encounters. Bookings for the tour will open on 19 October.
Pushcarts selling local hawker fare and carnival activities will also be launched in November. Meanwhile, limited-edition merchandise such as themed terrariums and medallions are on sale at the park.
