COLUMBUS – The combination of a three-day holiday weekend, unseasonably warm temperatures and free admission added up to a record crowd and a major traffic jam at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Monday.
According to a report by WBNS 10-TV, zoo officials estimated that 63,910 people turned out to take advantage of the warm weather and the free admission for Presidents Day.
Traffic on the roadways leading to the zoo became such an issue that Powell police asked people to avoid the area.
Most of the traffic had cleared out of the area when the zoo closed at 4:00 p.m., the station reported.
The previous attendance record was set Dec. 10, 2015, during the Wildlights holiday festival as 37,459 people visited the zoo that day when temperatures were also in the 60’s.