Aviary Expansion Shrinks

The National Aviary on the North Side says it is shrinking its expansion plans. Aviary Executive Director Patrick Mangus says the overall size of the project will shrink and the theater will fall from 200 seats to 125. He says although it does shrink the cost of the work, the budget was not the motivating factor. He says the Aviary realized it did not need all the space and the small theater will allow it to be used for events other than the free flight shows. The aviary hopes to use those shows as a focal point for visits. The original cost of the expansion came in at $22 million with options, including an expansion of the bird hospital, that could have pushed the cost above $28 million. Mangus says the new project will come in at $16.5 million. The Aviary has already raised that much for the project. The project is to be completed by Labor Day 2010.

National Aviary to open Penguin Exhibit Saturday

Believe it or not, one won't have to leave Pittsburgh, let alone the continent, to catch a glimpse of the threatened African Penguin anymore. On May 23, The National Aviary's will open its newest exhibit called Penguin Point. The Project Director of the exhibit, Erin Estell, says the area will showcase the rare birds from a 360 degree perspective. Visitors can view the penguins from inside the aviary or outside, in the same airspace as the penguins.

"You can actually hear them, you can smell them, you can get splashed by them as they're swimming in the pool," Estell says.

Also, there is a crawl-through space just for kids, where they can see the penguins swim underwater or on land close up.

The $1.7 million Penguin Point has intentions to breed the threatened species as part of the African Penguin Species Survival Plan. Admission to the exhibit is included in the regular aviary admission price. The Aviary's summer hours, beginning May 23, will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. everyday.