But here in The Mitten State, Ball has an outsized legacy, making a deeper impact than many realize. Part 1 explored Ball’s early years. Part 2 shows how Ball found his way to West Michigan.

At John Ball Park Zoo School, 55% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 65% scored at or above that level for reading. The school’s minority student enrollment is 24%.

What happens as storms move in over John Ball Zoo? “I definitely didn’t plan on it happening so close to each other,” Sampson, a curator at the zoo said. “There’s a lot of planning involved.

The name John Ball is well known across Grand Rapids. Nearly 140 years after his death, his name is still here. John Ball Park was the city’s first large, multi-use park, and the nearby John ...

The family of Sgt. John Ordway lived near John Ball’s parents in Hebron, N.H. Ordway had crossed the country with Lewis and Clark, returning in 1806. Young Ball was an eager listener about the ...

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — When disaster strikes, John Ball Zoo is ready to put on its best superhero cape and jump into action. Last year, the Grand Rapids zoo joined the Zoological Disaster ...

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) —The Grand rapids Public Museum and the John Ball Zoo are happy to announce a member partnership for the month of September. Members from both organizations will get ...

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Colorful lights, foods and entertainment enter John Ball Zoo Wednesday as the Grand Rapids Lantern Festival begins. On Tuesday, media invited to preview the show. It ...

John Ball Zoo has champion. Philbert the penguin won the March of the Penguin Madness tournament hosted by Penguins International, the zoo in Grand Rapids announced in a social media post Friday.

The John Ball Zoo’s conservation team is celebrating after releasing more than 1,200 endangered butterflies back into their natural habitat. The Poweshiek skipperling is a species of tiny ...

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A former John Ball Zoo employee is accused of using a cellphone in a dust pan to take illicit videos of victims without their knowledge, court documents show.

John Ball Zoo veterinarian Dr. Alex McFarland holds up the dime retrieved from a penguin’s stomach on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. (Courtesy John Ball Zoo/Facebook) “This isn’t the first time.