Philadelphia Zoo

Philadelphia Zoo
The gate above the zoo's entrance
Map
39°58′21″N 75°11′48″W / 39.97250°N 75.19667°W / 39.97250; -75.19667
SloganAmerica's First Zoo
Date openedJuly 1, 1874; 150 years ago (1874-07-01)
LocationPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Land area42 acres (17 ha)[1]
No. of animals~1,700[1]
No. of species340+[citation needed]
Annual visitors1.2 million[1]
MembershipsAssociation of Zoos and Aquariums[2]
OwnerThe Zoological Society of Philadelphia
Public transit access 34th Street: Bus transport SEPTA bus: 38
Bus transport Philly PHLASH
WebsiteOfficial website

The Philadelphia Zoo is a zoo located in the Centennial District of Philadelphia on the west bank of the Schuylkill River. It was the first true zoo in the United States; it was chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, but its opening was delayed by the Civil War until July 1, 1874. The zoo opened with 1,000 animals and an admission price of 25 cents.[3] For a brief time, the zoo also housed animals brought to U.S. from safaris by the Smithsonian Institution, which had not yet built its National Zoo.[4]

The Philadelphia Zoo is one of the premier zoos in the world for breeding animals that are difficult to breed in captivity.[5] The zoo also works with many groups around the world to protect the natural habitats of the animals in their care.

The zoo is 42 acres (17 ha) and the home of nearly 1,300 animals,[1] many of which are rare and endangered. Special features include a children's petting zoo, a rainforest themed carousel, a climbing structure, chats with keepers, behind the scenes tours available for purchase, and many interactive and educational exhibits.

  1. ^ a b c d "About the Zoo" Archived 2015-03-30 at the Wayback Machine. philadelphiazoo.org. Philadelphia Zoo. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference aza_list was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Ashbrook Apartments newsletter, July 2009, Carrboro, North Carolina
  4. ^ "National Zoological Park, Records". Record Unit 74. Smithsonian Institution Archives. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  5. ^ "Philadelphia Tours & Attractions". Archived from the original on 2008-12-05. Retrieved 2008-09-29.