Audubon Zoo defends plan to raise family membership cost. How does it compare to other zoos?

Audubon Nature Institute CEO Michael Sawaya defended the steep price increases for zoo and aquarium memberships that sparked criticism last week, arguing that nearly doubling the annual cost for families puts the zoo in line with attractions in other cities.

In a prepared statement late Monday, Sawaya, who took over from longtime CEO Ron Forman last year and has begun putting his stamp on Audubon, noted that several attractions are covered by the family memberships and that it is still a good value that quickly pays for itself with repeat trips.

“Audubon Nature Institute isn’t just one attraction, it’s a family of 10 world-class parks and attractions,” Sawaya said.

“After much research and consideration, we modified our pricing to allow membership to pay for itself in just two visits.