Customer story · zoos and museums

Metro Richmond Zoo: modernizing ticketing, memberships, and guest operations.

See how one connected cloud platform replaced disconnected systems, moved more sales online, shortened lines, and gave staff real-time operational visibility.

Customer Story
“High Trek POS provides phenomenal customer support. Their ongoing guidance, responsive feedback, and innovative solutions have been instrumental to our success.”
Justin Andelin, GM Metro Richmond Zoo
284%Increase in online ticket sales
90%Reduction in time on phone for group sales
80%Reduction in labor for membership management
53%Fewer gate staff required during peak hours

Metro Richmond Zoo set out to replace an outdated interface and unreliable on-premise infrastructure with a scalable cloud platform. The goal was larger than changing software: simplify staff training, improve the online shopping experience, reduce lines at the gate and around the zoo, and give managers more complete information.

A modernization project shaped by real guest bottlenecks.

Before High Trek POS, ticket and membership lines grew during peak periods, group reservations were managed offline, large-group waivers relied on paper, and online and on-premise data did not synchronize in real time. Attendance, ride, customer, and online conversion reporting were incomplete.

One platform went live across the operation.

Metro Richmond Zoo selected High Trek POS in January 2023 and went live on June 24. The launch connected online ticketing, point of sale, CRM, groups, waivers, memberships, and reporting while moving existing members into a self-service digital membership experience.

Before and after

What changed across the guest journey.

Each improvement addressed a specific line, handoff, or blind spot in the zoo’s day-to-day operation.

Entry
From crowded windows to mobile sales and scan-and-go entry.

Online ticket sales increased 284%. QR-based ticketing and clearer arrival lines helped reduce peak gate staffing from 13 people to 6 while maintaining service.

Memberships
From forms and physical cards to self-service digital membership.

Guests can purchase, add their own photos, and use a phone-based QR membership for gate and ride access. Family memberships can be checked in together with one scan, reducing membership labor by 80%.

Management
From local servers and separate programs to real-time cloud access.

Managers can use one application for POS, groups, reporting, and administration across phones, tablets, Chromebooks, and desktop devices without maintaining local servers.

Operational outcomes

The impact extended beyond the headline numbers.

A connected platform created new revenue opportunities while making the guest record and operating picture more useful.

Revenue

Mobile purchasing created more ways to buy.

Alongside the rise in online ticket sales, Metro Richmond Zoo expanded online upsells, improved visibility for animal experiences, and recorded a 300% increase in online donations.

Guest experience

Shorter lines gave guests more time inside the zoo.

Guests can buy ride tickets on their phones, scan tickets throughout the park, and move through simpler entry and membership flows.

Data and reporting

Managers gained a real-time operating record.

Customer data was cleaned and normalized, online conversion and marketing return became visible, and reporting no longer depended on delayed synchronization between systems.

Onboarding and support

The transition protected existing customer value.

Active memberships, customer records, gift cards, and vouchers were imported, supported by hands-on onboarding and ongoing product feedback with the High Trek POS team.

For Metro Richmond Zoo, modernization meant more than replacing a legacy system. It created a simpler guest path and one connected operating record—from the first online purchase to gate entry, group arrival, on-site spend, and final report.

Next step

See the connected zoo and museum workflow.

Explore admissions, membership, retail, guest data, and reporting in one High Trek POS platform.

View Demo Zoos and museums