Organization: Indianapolis Zoo
Role: Writer & Producer
Completed: 2005
Status: Implemented / Retired
Key Contributions: Experience Enhancement | Story Development | Script Writing | Audio Production | Scenic Design | Show Production
The Opportunity
The White River Junction Train Ride took guests on a ten minute trip around part of the Indianapolis Zoo, but changes to the original plans had left nearly two thirds of the ride overlooking backstage areas, maintenance buildings, and animal support facilities. Ideas for larger physical improvements had been considered over the years, but funding was not available to make significant changes to the ride.
As Attractions Manager, I was responsible for producing the onboard audio, which changed periodically to support different zoo messages. While I could not change much of what guests saw along the route, I began exploring how the audio and a few simple scenic additions could be used to create a more entertaining experience with the resources we had available.
My Role & Approach
I developed a new concept built around Gene Giraffe and Ellie Elephant, two fictional characters who lived at the zoo and hosted their own radio talk show. Guests would tune into “The Gene and Ellie Show” as they traveled around the train route, combining humor and storytelling with information about the animals they could see and conservation messages from the zoo.
I wrote the script, recruited zoo employees to provide the voices, managed the recording sessions, and edited the final show. I also worked with other zoo employees to create simple scenic moments along the route using inexpensive and repurposed materials that helped connect the physical ride to the story being told through the audio.
The Experience
As the train left the station, guests joined a broadcast of “The Gene and Ellie Show.” The first part of the program connected the story to animals visible from the train, while the second half shifted to calls from fictional listeners, conservation messages, and jokes as the train traveled through the less scenic portion of the route.
Simple scenes placed along the tracks gave guests additional things to discover, with portions of the audio timed to specific locations along the ride. One fictional commercial, for example, played just as the train passed the zoo’s Polly Horton Hix Animal Care Complex.
The Gene and Ellie Show – Full Ride Audio
The Result
The new experience was recognized in an organization-wide email from the division vice president, who noted that the train ride had a cohesive storyline for the first time in its history.
Later that year, the concept was adapted for ZooBoo as “Gene and Ellie’s Spooktacular Halloween Haunted Train Ride.” The seasonal version introduced a new character, Gary Gorilla, and built the ride around a mystery that guests followed along the route, ending with the reveal that Gary was behind the scares they had encountered.