Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo was founded in 1868 and has always focused on preserving wildlife while enhancing the visitor experience. As with many historic sites, Lincoln Park Zoo faced the challenge of modernizing its infrastructure without sacrificing the integrity of the location or overwhelming the natural environment. The zoo had relied on traditional, static signage for wayfinding, events, and educational content, but as the guest experience continued to evolve, the need for a more adaptable, engaging, and informative digital solution became clear.
Additionally, given Chicago’s extreme weather conditions—ranging from frigid winters to humid summers—the zoo required a weather-resistant signage solution that was durable enough to withstand these environmental challenges.
The zoo received a grant, including funding for the installation of digital signage technology that would optimize the communication of venue and programming information across the zoo via digital signage. Peerless-AV implemented outdoor kiosks and indoor display mounts across the zoo’s high-traffic areas.
Working closely with Lincoln Park Zoo and the team at CDW, Peerless-AV provided a comprehensive range of solutions to address the zoo’s needs.
The indoor Searle Visitor Center installation included four 75-inch Samsung landscape displays with Peerless-AV SmartMount Universal Flat Wall Mounts and a 55-inch Samsung display with a Peerless-AV SmartMount Universal Flat Wall Mount. The outdoor East Gate area installation included three PeerlessAV Smart City Kiosks with 55-inch Xtreme High Bright Outdoor Displays fixed to concrete pedestals, each equipped with a Wi-Fi antenna and a BrightSign media player and two Peerless-AV 75-inch Xtreme High Bright Outdoor Displays (XHB754) and Outdoor Flat Wall Mounts with corrosion resistant coating and stainless-steel hardware.
The design had to communicate to guests, without disrupting the natural lighting patterns of animal enclosures to avoid impacting the well-being of the animals.
The zoo’s IT team was also involved in the planning, ensuring the existing Wi-Fi infrastructure was robust enough to support the content management system (CMS). Peerless-AV worked with the zoo to ensure the system was easy to update remotely, facilitating quicker adjustments to content, event promotions, and other important messaging.
Peerless-AV worked hand-in-hand with the zoo’s project managers, providing technical assistance, engineering expertise, and on-site support during installation.
The digital signage has not only transformed the visitor experience at Lincoln Park Zoo, but it has increased revenue opportunities by promoting multiple types of content, encouraging greater participation in zoo activities, and growth in on-site spending. Thanks to the centralized CMS, communication has become streamlined for quick content updates, reducing the time and resources spent managing static signage.
