Preserving the Past, Making Memories for Tomorrow: Lake Superior Zoo Pavilion Restoration Completed

Some jobs are more public than others, but even a small construction project can attract significant attention. Consider the Lake Superior Zoo Pavilion in Duluth, a recently completed historic renovation project that drew not only curious zoo visitors, but zoo residents.

“Every morning when our carpenter, Tim Davidson, arrived at the jobsite, he’d hear the lion roaring,” said Kraus-Anderson Project Manager Paul Frost.

Kraus-Anderson recently completed renovations to the historic bluestone zoo pavilion, a well-loved landmark for generations of zoo guests, schoolchildren and families in the region. After years of deterioration, the structure now has new life as a three-season facility that preserves its past while creating space for future memories.

Built as a Works Projects Administration structure in the 1930s, the 2,400-square-foot pavilion is modest in size but presented unique challenges, Frost said.

Protecting Zoo Visitors During Construction

The project required special attention to public safety. The pavilion sits between two popular attractions, the lions and the Australian exhibit, and the visitor trail remained open only a few yards from the site throughout construction.

Beyond signage and orange fencing, the team took additional steps to protect zoo visitors. Because public exhibits remained open between the parking-lot staging area and the pavilion, every forklift load of building materials was escorted by a crew member between the lot and the pavilion. Construction activities were closely monitored, then modified or suspended as needed to reduce disruptions and hazards to the public.

This work reflects the care required when construction occurs in active public spaces. Learn more about building a culture of construction safety.

Restoring a Historic Pavilion

Renovation included replacement of the original timber roof. The existing roof was removed by hand, with crews carefully dropping demolition materials into the building and away from zoo visitors.

Enclosing the rustic, open-air structure required nonstandard materials and careful work around irregular historic conditions. Kraus-Anderson Project Superintendent Jim Roy was tasked with making everything fit, beginning with the need to create a straight surface for the new roof.

“The bluestone was ridiculously crooked,” said Roy. “There was 5 3/4 inches of difference in elevation in the plane of the roof bearing.”

Each side needed to be straightened, which required cutting into the stone. Concrete Sawing Services completed the work with a 48-inch diamond saw blade. Dust created by the stone cutting also required frequent power washing to control dust and keep the trails clean.

Enclosing the building also meant adapting the rustic door and window openings to accommodate plumb window and door frames.

“There was no way to tell in the drawings how out of plumb everything was,” Frost said. “There was a 7-inch difference in sill heights, up to 2 inches out of level from one end of a window to the other end. There’s a 5-inch variance in elevation from one corner to the other. There was a dogleg of 2 3/4 inches along one long wall.”

Making it all fit together was time-consuming work.

“You couldn’t make a square or a 45-degree cut. Everything was custom-cut. Every piece of everything we cut was an oddball shape,” Roy said.

“Everything had to get scribed to the rocks. New windows had to be squared to rock. Trimming out windows had to fit the rocks. Aluminum panels on the exterior had to be scribed to fit.”

“All the framing is epoxy anchored, from the stone to the beam and roof bearings. Everything had to be plumbed to the end that stuck out the most,” Roy said.

“Jim did an awesome job making sure the wood was scribed to the stonework,” Frost said. “It was intricate work that really made it look nice.”

Historic renovation projects often require this level of careful field coordination, where existing conditions shape nearly every construction decision. Explore more perspectives on historic projects and iconic comebacks.

Finding Materials That Fit the Original Structure

Some materials had to be sourced creatively. Three 8-by-14-by-14-foot timber beams over the windows needed replacement, but those sizes are not standard today. Kraus-Anderson worked with Duluth Timber, which provided reclaimed and custom-sawn Douglas fir timbers that had previously been used in grain elevators.

Even some new materials required special handling.

“The new roof had 2-by-6 tongue-and-groove Douglas fir, which we couldn’t get wet or it would turn black, so it had to be covered,” Roy said.

A waterproof roof wrap was applied over the tongue-and-groove material, followed by a layer of 5-inch Atlas plywood insulated foam panel.

The project also included a new poured floor with epoxy coating and exterior floor drains to direct runoff away from the building. Even the ceramic tile in the new bathrooms required special attention. It took two days to install the tile around the edge of the floor because each piece had to be custom-cut to fit the rock wall.

Then there was the lion, keeping watch over the daily progress.

“That was my threat, that the lions were hungry,” Roy said with a grin.

Creating a New Purpose for a Historic Landmark

The completed structure provides an accessible, electrified, heated and enclosed multiuse venue for zoo environmental education, summer camps, Zoo Snooze overnight programs and rental to outside groups. The original bluestone walls and fireplace are now supported by a new timber roof and updated building amenities.

For all its unique challenges, the pavilion project also brought unique rewards to the team that restored it.

“There was hardly a soul that didn’t go there in school,” Roy said. “It’s a pretty popular place. Now people can appreciate it again.”

Plans called for the pavilion to open to the public in May.

In this article, Kraus-Anderson explored the Lake Superior Zoo Pavilion restoration, including historic renovation challenges, public safety in an active zoo setting, custom timber replacement, stonework coordination and the transformation of a longtime community landmark into a multiuse education space. Learn more about historic renovation and adaptive reuse, the Lake Superior Zoo Bear Country exhibit and Kraus-Anderson’s Duluth office.