by Craig Webb, Akron Beacon Journal
The Akron Zoo has added some new amenities to help make visits more enjoyable for all guests.
A new guest Comfort Station, along with a new program dubbed Sensory Explorers, were dedicated March 2.
Pam Holtz, Chief External Affairs Officer at Akron Zoo, talks to Margaret Reymann Skinner, of The Charles and Salome Reymann Foundation, about the new Guest Comfort Station at the Akron Zoo after the ribbon cutting ceremony for the station in Akron on March 2, 2026. Mike Cardew, Akron Beacon Journal
The Comfort Station, situated inside of the Komodo Kingdom Building, offers an oasis for parents seeking a quiet place for their children who might be overstimulated during a visit to the zoo.
The sound-proof room has comfortable seating along with childfriendly activities on its walls and a specially designed chair for nursing mothers or kids needing a space of calm amid sensory overload.
The lighting can be adjusted and there is a sound machine inside that offers the calming noise of gentle waves.
Zoo spokesperson Elena Bell said the room made its public debut over the weekend and has already offered a place of respite.
Doug Piekarz, president and CEO of the Akron Zoo, said this is just the latest in an ongoing effort to make the zoo accessible to all guests.
He pointed out that the Akron Zoo was the first zoo in Ohio and just the second in the country to be sensory accessible certified in 2017.
Akron Zoo President and CEO Doug Piekarz speaks before the ribboncutting ceremony March 2, 2026, for the new Guest Comfort Station. Mike Cardew, Akron Beacon Journal
Workers at the zoo are trained to understand sensory processing and overload and offer resources like the new Comfort Station, sensory bags and weighted lap pads for guests free-of-charge.
“This is a very important moment, because for me personally, this is deeply meaningful,” Piekarz said.
He said he has family members who are neurodiverse, as well as relatives who are mobility challenged.
“I know that my family will be using this as well as the 20% of humanity who decides to visit the Akron Zoo and will have a need to use this space,” he said.
The Comfort Station, which has been two years in the works, and the Sensory Explorers program were made possible by grant funding by the Charles and Salome Reymann Foundation and Community Fund Ohio.
Margaret Reymann Skinner, of the Charles and Salome Reymann Foundation, speaks before the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Guest Comfort Station at the Akron Zoo in Akron on March 2, 2026, for the new Guest Comfort Station. Mike Cardew, Akron Beacon Journal
“Our goals at the Charles and Salome Reymann Foundation align so well with this project at the Akron Zoo,” said Margaret Reymann Skinner, vice chairman of the foundation’s board. “We are dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities.”
The Sensory Explorers interpretive program, set to launch this summer, will feature five sensory boxes that will be located throughout the zoo.
Staffed by zoo workers and volunteers, the boxes will offer all guests the opportunity to learn more about the animals by touching everything from fur to skulls to eggs. Participants will also get a chance to learn what the animals eat, as well as some other fun facts.
Doug Piekarz, President & CEO, far left, joins with others from The Charles and Salome Reymann Foundation to cut the ribbon for the new Guest Comfort Station at the Akron Zoo in Akron on March 2, 2026. Mike Cardew, Akron Beacon Journal
The boxes will feature 11 animal species ‒ from African lions to Galapagos tortoises to Sumatran tigers to Humboldt penguins.
“We’re grateful to be able to offer these new initiatives to ensure that everyone feels well and to visit your Akron Zoo and connect their lives to wildlife while inspiring lifelong learning and moving everyone to conservation action,” Piekarz said. “Our community matters because you belong here at the Akron Zoo.”
Margaret Reymann Skinner, of The Charles and Salome Reymann Foundation, speaks as Doug Piekarz, speaks before the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Guest Comfort Station at the Akron Zoo in Akron on March 2, 2026. Mike Cardew, Akron Beacon Journal
Elena Bell of the Akron Zoo and Alice Luse, of The Charles and Salome Reymann Foundation, get an early look at the new Guest Comfort Station at the Akron Zoo before the ribbon cutting ceremony for the station in Akron on March 2, 2026. Mike Cardew, Akron Beacon Journal
Joseph Sokol, of The Charles and Salome Reymann Foundation, exists the new Guest Comfort Station at the Akron Zoo after the ribbon cutting ceremony in Akron on March 2, 2026. Mike Cardew, Akron Beacon Journal