The second Eagle Canyon habitat was located beneath the Stairway to the Stars at the start of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery tour.
Fast Facts
Official Open Date: January 22, 1985
Location: Bird Gardens
History
Eagle Canyon (II) opened on January 22, 1985 outside the Anheuser-Busch Brewery below the Stairway to the Stars which took guests up to the roof to begin the tour of the brewery. It replaced the pool that had previously been home to seals and African penguins.
The new habitat featured bald and golden eagles. There were a total of four eagles on display at opening: two male bald eagles, and a pair of golden eagles. The exhibit featured a weathered woods look with rippling moat and southwestern style rock abutments.
As part of exhibit opening, special bird-of-prey presentation featuring raptor expert Walter C. Crawford was held in the nearby bird theater with raptor demonstrations on January 24 through 27, 1985.
This was the second habitat at the park to be named Eagle Canyon. The first Eagle Canyon was located south of the main gift shop (present day Xcursions) and closed sometime prior to this newer one opening.
Eagle Canyon (II) survived the demolition of the brewery, but did not appear on maps in the late 1990s. It reappeared again on maps in the early 2000s.
Additional details on Eagle Canyon (II) will be added in the future.
Sources:
The Ledger | Jan 18 1985 – accessed 2/13/2018
The Ledger | Feb 15 1985 – accessed 2/14/2018
Park Maps | 1985 – 2005 – Author’s Collection