Philadelphia Zoo Key - Blue Bear - 1990's

Description

Philadelphia Zoo Key - Blue Bear - 1990's
Fairly rare version at that time
"Don't Pay Over 0" from Robber Baron's"
Very good condition. We got these when the kids were growing up so I would say 1995 - 2000.
Please review photos
History
A zoo key is a large novelty key used to activate talking storybooks at the Philadelphia Zoo. These were used, largely in the latter half of the 20th century, as part of a system which played audio recordings describing exhibits. The keys were typically made from brightly colored plastic in the shape of animals, although some zoos issued the keys in non-animal shapes. The first generation of keys were in the shape of an elephant, with the trunk being the blade of the key. This was commonly known as Trunkey the Elephant (sometimes spelled Trunky). The system was installed at the Philadelphia Zoo circa 1959 and was prominently featured in a TV commercial of the era. This original installation was removed in 2007; it was brought back by popular demand in 2020 as part of the Creatures of Habitat exhibit which features life-size lego animal sculptures and 20 newly installed storyboxes, which offer audio in both English and Spanish. Keys are available for sale, but heirloom keys from the original system will also work. The new system encompasses some environment-friendly features; the storybooks are solar powered, and the new keys are made from recycled plastic. The new keys are available in lion, bear, and gorilla shapes.