Simplified: The Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium has been in expansion mode for some time now, and a $2 million donation from Midco announced this week will bring an updated education center with capacity to reach thousands more kids each year.

Why it matters

  • The donation will honor former Midco president and longtime zoo board member Joe H. Floyd. In his honor and in recognition of Midco's donation, the facility will be called the Joe H. Floyd Education Center.
    • It also marks the latest milestone in the overall "We Can't Wait" campaign to fund bringing the Butterfly House and Aquarium to the Great Plains Zoo campus.
  • The center is expected to be 15,000 square feet with space for classrooms and administration, as well as an "Animal Ambassador" wing that'll house mammals, parrots, raptors and reptiles.
  • The additional education space will mean the zoo can triple its early childhood programs and roll out its new literacy project partnerships across the entire Sioux Falls School District, ensuring that all kids K-2 get to experience educational visits to the zoo and aquarium, according to zoo CEO Becky Dewitz.
"This center will open the eyes of children to the wonder of the world around them," Midco CEO Pat McAdaragh said. "It will show them the beauty of nature, science and the environment. It will transport them to new places without having to leave Sioux Falls. It’s a fitting legacy for Joe H. Floyd, a man who saw limitless potential in every student he ever met.”

Tell me more about the facility

The education center will be in the same building as the new aquarium, as well as a new butterfly garden. It'll be on the portion of the zoo campus that formerly housed the Delbridge Museum – but with more space and more amenities.

It additional education space will mean the zoo can accommodate more than 1,500 kids in summer camp and 4,500 students through the Sioux Falls School District/Promising Futures literacy program each year.

“We are incredibly grateful for this wonderful opportunity to celebrate Joe’s legacy of caring for youth in the Sioux Falls community," Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium COO Audrey Otto-Pepper said in a statement.

Tell me more about Joe H. Floyd

Floyd, namesake of the new education facility, was born in 1936 as the son of Midco founder Joe L. Floyd and Donna Broach.

Joe H. Floyd. Submitted photo.
  • His long telecommunications career started as a teen wiring racks in the backroom of KELO TV. He was the first live cameraman on classic local TV show Captain 11.
  • His leadership at Midco started in 1971, and he also held several community leadership roles. He served on the board for the Great Plains Zoo for nearly 30 years and also served on the boards for the South Dakota Broadcasters Association, Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation and Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce.

Floyd died Jan. 14, 2025 with his family at his side.

What happens next?

Construction of the new education center will start next year with a target opening in 2028.