GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The iconic John Ball statue at John Ball Zoo is moving for the third time in almost a century.
As of Feb. 26, work began to move the 99-year-old statue to a spot outside of the zoo's entrance.
The move is happening to not only give even more visitors a chance to see and interact with the statue, but also to make room for building a new habitat.
“Millions of people have photographs of their families with the John Ball statue year after year,” said Allmon Forrester, director of facilities, planning and sustainability at John Ball Zoo. “Moving it outside the Zoo’s entrance will make it more accessible to our community.”
To relocate the statue, first its base will be poured and then the statue itself will be moved.
The bronze statue depicts John Ball with two young children. The design was made by local artist Gertrude Van Houten and the statue was created by Italian sculptor Pompeo Coppini.
The statue was originally located in the current parking area east of the guest services building at the zoo until 1951 when it moved to its current location.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Watch 13 ON YOUR SIDE for free on Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV and on your phone.
