Saint Louis Zoo withdraws offer to buy Grant’s Farm

The Saint Louis Zoo is withdrawing its offer to buy Grant’s Farm.

Zoo officials cited protracted litigation between the Busch family siblings. They noted, too, the zoo's need to add space is immediate.

“We feel that a significant percentage of the public prefers that the farm remains in the Busch family and we respect our community’s views,” zoo officials said in a memo. “We do not want to be a party to causing a split within the Busch family — we need consensus from that family to move forward with any plans for Grant’s Farm. It does not seem, at this point, that this will happen any time soon — if ever.”

Billy Busch and his five siblings, the surviving children of August “Gussie” Busch Jr. and his third wife, Gertrude “Trudy” Buholzer Busch, own the farm. Four of the siblings want to sell the farm to the zoo for $30 million, while brother Adolphus supported Billy Busch’s $24 million offer to buy the attraction.

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