Updated for September 2026
The Best Zoos in United States
How this list is ordered: by how complete our listing is — how much we hold on opening hours, ticket prices, accreditation, photographs, animals and facilities. It is a measure of our own coverage, not a judgement of the venue. We hold no visitor scores or conservation assessments, so “best” here means every zoo in United States that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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Rides and attractions
Abilene Zoological Gardens
Zoo in Abilene
The collection runs to over 800 animals of more than 175 species, and 255,000 visitors were recorded in 2021. Members receive free or reduced entry at other collections through the AZA reciprocity scheme.
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Night and evening opening
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Zoo in Tucson
It presents the Sonoran Desert and neighbouring ecosystems, showing regional plants and animals together, with over 230 animal species and 1,200 plant varieties. Two miles of paths cross 21 acres of desert ground. It opens daily throughout the year and receives close to 400,000 visitors annually, some of them from abroad.
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Birmingham Zoo
Zoo in Birmingham
This is the only AZA-accredited zoo in the state. It holds more than 550 animals of 180 species drawn from six continents.
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Keeper talk or showOn-site diningParking
Brandywine Zoo
Zoo in Wilmington
The zoo is run by Delaware's Division of Parks and Recreation, with backing from the Delaware Zoological Society.
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Keeper talk or showParking
Brevard Zoo
Zoo in Melbourne
More than 900 animals of over 170 species, drawn from five continents, are held. Feedings, kayak trips, backstage tours and the TreeTop Trek ropes course are among the activities offered.
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Keeper talk or showParking
Brookfield Zoo Chicago
Zoo in Brookfield
The zoo covers 216 acres and holds about 511 species, making it the largest in its metropolitan area. It opened on 1 July 1934 and became known for using moats and ditches in place of cages.
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Buffalo Zoo
Zoo in Buffalo
The zoo sits on 23.5 acres of Delaware Park, where over 320 plant species are grown, and it operates all year. It draws about 400,000 people annually, making it the region's second biggest draw after Niagara Falls.
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Indoor spacesWheelchair accessible routesParking
Butterfly Pavilion
Zoo in Westminster
The building runs to 30,000 square feet on 11 acres and holds five principal exhibit zones. Because insects are imported from abroad, the operation falls under USDA regulation.
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Keeper talk or showRides and attractions
Buttonwood Park Zoo
Zoo in New Bedford
The zoo dates from 1894, ranking third-oldest in New England and twelfth-oldest nationally, and it sits within the Buttonwood Park Historic District, which is listed on the National Register. More than 250 animals of over 80 species are kept, some of them rare or endangered.
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Animal feeding experienceOn-site diningKeeper talk or show
Caldwell Zoo
Zoo in Tyler
Caldwell Zoo, opened in 1953, is a zoo in Tyler, Texas, United States. Animals on show include Capybara, jaguar, Giant River Otter, Giraffe and Goat.
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Animal encounterBehind-the-scenes tourEducation program
Cameron Park Zoo
Zoo in Waco
More than 1,731 animals of 300 species are kept. They include one female African savanna elephant, Tembo, born in the wild in 1977 and on site since 15 January 1979.
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Keeper talk or showParkingMobility equipment loan
Central Park Zoo
Zoo in New York
The zoo is one of five facilities run by the Wildlife Conservation Society, four zoos and an aquarium, and the society runs children's teaching programmes and endangered-species restoration alongside it. Its forerunner menagerie dates to 1864 and was the city's first public zoo.
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Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Zoo in Cleveland
The zoo belongs to the Cleveland Metroparks system. It holds one of the largest primate collections in North America, including golden-bellied mangabeys, which are shown at only twelve zoos.
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Picnic area
Clyde Peeling's Reptiland
Zoo in Allenwood
Clyde Peeling's Reptiland, opened in 1964, is a zoo in Allenwood, United States. Animals on show include Komodo dragon, Aldabra tortoise, American Alligator and budgie.
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Rides and attractionsOn-site diningNight and evening opening
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Powell
It stands on the Scioto River, along the east bank of the O'Shaughnessy Reservoir. Its public profile owes much to promotion by the director emeritus, Jack Hanna, and in 2009 the USA Travel Guide ranked it the top zoo in the United States.
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Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo
Zoo in Bridgeport
Around 500 animals from more than 100 species are kept, and about 280,000 visitors come each year. There is also a carousel, one of few in the state.
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Animal feeding experienceOn-site diningSensory and cognitive support
Cosley Zoo
Zoo in Wheaton
Operated by the Wheaton Park District and open all year, it occupies five acres on the footprint of an old railway station. The collection mixes farm animals with North American native wildlife. Offerings for younger visitors include Junior Zookeepers, birthday hires and seasonal events.
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Keeper talk or showPlaygroundNight and evening opening
CuriOdyssey
Zoo in San Mateo
It sits within the Coyote Point Recreation Area, overlooking the bay. Close to 100 rescued animals are kept, mostly state natives that cannot be released. It takes part in Museums for All, which gives qualifying families free entry and cheaper membership.
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Rides and attractions
Dakota Zoo
Zoo in Bismarck
Dakota Zoo, opened in 1961, is a zoo in Bismarck, United States.
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Keeper talk or showParking
Denver Zoo
Zoo in Denver
Dating from 1896, the zoo traces its start to a gift of an orphaned American black bear. It is run by the Denver Zoological Foundation, with part funding from the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District and the remaining income from tickets and private gifts. It is the city's best-attended ticketed attraction.
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Animal feeding experiencePlaygroundPetting zoo
Dickerson Park Zoo
Zoo in Springfield
Dickerson Park Zoo, opened in 1922, is a zoo in Springfield, United States. Animals on show include Maned Wolf, Flamingo, Macaw, Red Kangaroo and Emu.
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Disney's Animal Kingdom
Zoo in Orlando
The Experiences division of the Walt Disney Company owns and operates the park. Its 580 acres made it the largest such park anywhere at the time of opening. What sets it apart from the neighbouring Disney parks is the pairing of rides with hundreds of live animal exhibits.
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Animal feeding experienceOvernight stayParking
Elmwood Park Zoo
Zoo in Norristown
Elmwood Park Zoo, opened in 1924, is a zoo in Norristown, United States.
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Fort Worth Zoo
Zoo in Fort Worth
Fort Worth Zoo, opened in 1909, is a zoo in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. Animals on show include Elephant, Gharial, Giraffe, Lion and Longhorn.
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Keeper talk or showAccessible toiletsSensory and cognitive support
Franklin Park Zoo
Zoo in Boston
More than 220 species are kept in the northeast corner of the city's largest park, the closing link of the Emerald Necklace. Zoo New England runs the site, along with Stone Zoo at Stoneham.
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Keeper talk or showOvernight stayBehind-the-scenes tour
Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Zoo in Fresno
Fresno Chaffee Zoo, opened in 1929, is a zoo in Fresno, California, United States. Animals on show include Masai giraffe, Red Wolf, Sulawesi Babirusa, Orangutan and Lion.
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Behind-the-scenes tourOn-site diningParking
Greensboro Science Center
Zoo in Greensboro
Greensboro Science Center, opened in 1957, is a zoo in Greensboro, United States.
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Happy Hollow Park & Zoo
Zoo in San Jose
Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, opened in 1961, is a zoo in San Jose, United States.
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Animal encounterBehind-the-scenes tourNight and evening opening
Henry Vilas Zoo
Zoo in Madison
Henry Vilas Zoo, opened in 1911, is a zoo in Madison, Wisconsin, United States.
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Keeper talk or showGuided tourParking
Honolulu Zoo
Zoo in Honolulu
Set within the 300-acre royal Queen Kapiʻolani Park, it is the only American zoo founded on grants from a reigning monarch. More than 1,230 animals are held in purpose-built habitats, and annual visitors exceed 750,000. The Department of Enterprise Services runs it for the combined city and county government.
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Animal feeding experienceRides and attractionsEducation program
Houston Zoo
Zoo in Houston
Forty animals made up the collection in 1922, when it began as an attraction within a park. Some 4,300 animals were held in 2026, and the species count stood at 575 in 2024. Two million people came through the gates in 2024.
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Guided tourParking
International Crane Foundation
Zoo in Baraboo
The 250-acre site carries crane exhibits covering 15 species, a visitor centre, breeding pens, a research library and trails. Offices are maintained in China, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, South Africa and Texas, and the work runs through partnerships with local groups, governments, universities and businesses.
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Keeper talk or showRides and attractionsImmersive media attraction
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
Zoo in Jacksonville
The grounds cover about 122 acres and hold more than 2,000 animals alongside 1,000 plant species. Attendance runs to more than a million visits a year. A jaguar called Zorro is named its most significant animal.
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Rides and attractionsBehind-the-scenes tour
John Ball Zoo
Zoo in Grand Rapids
More than 2,000 animals of over 200 species are kept, laid out across the ravines and bluffs at the western edge of the property. A Zoo School and a Wildlife Conservation Fund are also run.
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On-site diningNight and evening opening
Lehigh Valley Zoo
Zoo in Schnecksville
The zoo sits within an 1,100-acre nature preserve and stays open all year round. Animals on show include African Penguin, giraffes, sloths, common ostrich and plains zebra.
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On-site diningNight and evening openingSensory and cognitive support
Lincoln Children's Zoo
Zoo in Lincoln
Close to 200,000 people come each year, making it Nebraska's third best-attended arts and science venue. Privately funded and 10 acres in size, it records the highest attendance per acre of any zoo in the United States. As of March 2019 it opens all year.
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Guided tourAssistance animal policy
Lion Country Safari
Zoo in Loxahatchee
More than 1,000 animals are kept across seven sections of a 4-mile preserve, alongside a 33-acre amusement park. USA Travel Guide placed it third among the nation's zoos in 2009.
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Animal encounterRides and attractionsOn-site dining
Little Rock Zoological Gardens
Zoo in Little Rock
Over 400 animals of more than 200 species are kept on 33 acres. The zoo operates as a department of city government, and development money is raised by the Arkansas Zoological Foundation, a 501(c)(3).
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Keeper talk or showGuided tourWheelchair accessible routes
Los Angeles Zoo
Zoo in Los Angeles
The grounds, the buildings and the animals are owned by the municipality. Certification as a botanical garden followed in 2002, which prompted a change to the official name.
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Rides and attractions
Minnesota Zoo
Zoo in Apple Valley
It is one of two zoos in the country funded by a state, alongside the North Carolina Zoo. It opened on 22 May 1978, with exhibit design considered unusual at the time. Built on rural land that was turning suburban, it had room for larger exhibits and was among the earliest zoos to group animals by habitat rather than by taxonomy.
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Animal feeding experienceGuided tour
Naples Zoo
Zoo in Naples
The layout is a single mile-long loop threading through the botanical gardens. Animals on show include Lion, Giraffe, Cheetah, Malayan Tiger and Bornean Orangutan.
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Animal encounterParkingSensory and cognitive support
National Aviary
Zoo in Pittsburgh
It is the largest indoor aviary in the country and the only one given honorary National standing by Congress. More than 500 birds are kept, along with other animals and reptiles, amounting to over 150 species in all.
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Touch poolParkingDisability admission concession
New England Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Boston
Before the pandemic more than 1.3 million people visited each year. California sea lions, harbor and northern fur seals, penguins, giant Pacific octopuses and loggerhead and green sea turtles are among the species on show. The Simons Theatre and a whale watch operation share Central Wharf with it.
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Keeper talk or showOn-site dining
Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden
Zoo in Oklahoma City
The zoo spans 130 acres and holds over 2,000 animals from more than 500 species. It draws upwards of a million people a year and closes only on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
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Touch poolPlaygroundBehind-the-scenes tour
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Omaha
It traces back to the Riverview Park Zoo, founded in 1894, and took its current name in 1963 after a $750,000 gift from Margaret Hitchcock Doorly given in memory of her husband, Henry. The grounds include the Desert Dome, a 137-foot-high, 230-foot-wide glazed geodesic dome built in 2002 and described as the largest of its type, the Lied Jungle, an indoor rainforest opened in 1992 covering 123,000 square feet, and the Scott Aquarium, opened in 1995 with 1.2 million gallons of water and a shark tank crossed by a 70-foot viewing tunnel. Later additions include the 28-acre African Grasslands exhibit, opened in 2016 at a cost of $73 million, alongside a free-flight aviary for around 500 birds and an amphibian programme that has released more than 121,000 animals to date.
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Keeper talk or showRides and attractions
Oregon Zoo
Zoo in Portland
Washington Park, some two miles south-west of the city centre, is the setting for a collection dating from 1888; no zoo further west of the Mississippi is older. More than 1,800 animals are kept, representing over 230 species, nineteen of them endangered and nine threatened. A substantial plant collection is maintained across the gardens and exhibits.
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Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo
Zoo in Palo Alto
It was started in 1934 by Josephine O'Hara in a primary school basement. Roughly 200 species are kept, largely local fauna such as bobcat, raccoon, hedgehog, duck, bat and snake, and the interactive science display is swapped out every few years. Science classes are taught to over 14,000 local pupils a year.
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Peoria Zoo
Zoo in Peoria
The zoo is run by the Peoria Park District and opens every day of the year bar five holidays.
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On-site dining
Phoenix Zoo
Zoo in Phoenix
More than 1,400 animals are kept along 2.5 miles of paths. The zoo carries the Phoenix Point of Pride designation.
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Keeper talk or show
Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Pittsburgh
The site occupies 77 acres of parkland and holds over 4,000 animals of 475 species, twenty of them threatened or endangered. It began in 1898 under the name Highland Park Zoo and shifted over time from a menagerie towards a conservation body. Growth in the late 1930s came from Works Progress Administration labour and foundation gifts, and produced what was then the second largest aquarium in the country.
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Animal feeding experienceOvernight stayOn-site dining
Potawatomi Zoo
Zoo in South Bend
The grounds occupy the River Park neighbourhood, bounded by the Grand Trunk railroad on one side and by the St. Joseph River on the other, and annual attendance passes 300,000. Established in 1921 in Potawatomi Park, it claims to be the oldest zoo in Indiana. Its participation extends to more than 56 Species Survival Plans.
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Animal encounterBehind-the-scenes tourOn-site dining
Potter Park Zoological Gardens
Zoo in Lansing
Described as Michigan's oldest public zoo, it holds over 160 species. Its mission is framed around prompting people to conserve wildlife, and it joins AZA Species Survival Plan work for threatened and endangered animals.
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Keeper talk or showOn-site diningParking
Prospect Park Zoo
Zoo in Brooklyn
The zoo held 864 animals of about 176 species in 2016 and averaged 300,000 visitors as of 2007. It is run by the Wildlife Conservation Society, whose work there includes species restoration and a wildlife theatre.
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Keeper talk or showRides and attractionsBehind-the-scenes tour
Pueblo Zoo
Zoo in Pueblo
Open all year, the zoo holds over 500 animals from upwards of 125 species. Animals on show include Otter, Lions, African Penguins, Red Panda and American Bison.
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Keeper talk or showEducation programOn-site dining
Queens Zoo
Zoo in Queens
The zoo sits within Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. As of 2013 it held up to 112 species, all of them from the Americas.
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Overnight stayBehind-the-scenes tourParking
Racine Zoological Gardens
Zoo in Racine
The collection covers over 100 species, weighted towards Wisconsin natives, and includes a building for the state's reptiles and amphibians. Some reptiles and amphibians are held off display for teaching use.
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Keeper talk or showRides and attractionsBehind-the-scenes tour
Riverbanks Zoo & Garden
Zoo in Columbia
Over 2,000 animals are held, spanning mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. Part of the site reaches into West Columbia. It is overseen by a commission made up of two members from each of the three governments involved, plus one at large.
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Keeper talk or showRides and attractionsOn-site dining
Roger Williams Park Zoo
Zoo in Providence
Over 100 animals from around the world are kept. It is described as the third oldest zoo in the country. Together with the nearby Carousel Village it anchors visits to the surrounding park.
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Rolling Hills Zoo
Zoo in Salina
The site sits 6 miles west of the I-70/I-135 junction and 2.5 miles south of Exit 244, past the settlement of Hedville. Over 100 animal species are held across its exhibits, and a wildlife museum of 64,000 square feet forms part of it.
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Keeper talk or showWheelchair accessible routes
Roosevelt Park Zoo
Zoo in Minot
It is the oldest zoo in the state. As of 2024 it held 135 animals across 68 species, and 115,805 people visited in 2021.
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Keeper talk or showEducation programParking
Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park
Zoo in Syracuse
The zoo covers 43 acres and is owned and run by Onondaga County Parks, backed by a Friends group.
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San Antonio Zoological Gardens & Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Leon Valley
Annual attendance tops a million. The on-site Richard Friedrich Aquarium dates from 1948 and was the city's only aquarium until SeaWorld arrived in 1988, while a miniature train ride has operated since 1956.
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Guided tourParking
San Diego Zoo
Zoo in San Diego
The zoo occupies 100 acres leased from the city and was an early adopter of cageless, open-air habitat displays. Animals on show include Giant Pandas, Koala, Red Panda and Baboon.
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Overnight stayBehind-the-scenes tourFree benefits
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Zoo in Escondido
Over 3,000 animals of more than 400 species are kept. The park is the site of what is billed as the largest veterinary hospital anywhere, and it serves as Southern California's quarantine point for zoo animals entering through San Diego.
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PlaygroundParkingAssistance animal policy
San Francisco Zoological Gardens
Zoo in San Francisco
Under a public-private arrangement in place since 1993, it receives $4.2 million a year from the city. As of 2016 it held over a thousand animals of more than 250 species. A commission judged many of the enclosures to fall below basic welfare standards and urged a strategic redesign.
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On-site diningParking
Santa Ana Zoo
Zoo in Santa Ana
Annual attendance tops 270,000. A breeding pair of Brazilian ocelots occupies two connected habitats.
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Animal feeding experienceRides and attractionsGuided tour
Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens
Zoo in Santa Barbara
It occupies the former Child Estate and holds more than 500 animals, capybara and California condors among them; one of its giraffes had a bent neck. A 2 ft narrow gauge train runs on the grounds.
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Behind-the-scenes tourEducation programParking
Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo
Zoo in Gainesville
It occupies ten wooded acres on the western side of the college's main campus. Tours are led by students in the programme and must be booked in advance, though self-guided visits are also possible.
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Sedgwick County Zoo
Zoo in Wichita
The collection numbers over 3,000 animals from close to 400 species, placing it seventh among American zoos by area and thirteenth by counts of species and animals. Opening came on 25 August 1971 through a partnership between the county and a zoological society, replacing an outdated display in Central Riverside Park that dated to around 1900. Exhibits range from the African Veldt of 1973 to Downing Gorilla Forest, Pride of the Plains and Cessna Penguin Cove.
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Animal feeding experienceGuided tourOn-site dining
Seneca Park Zoo
Zoo in Rochester
The zoo lies in a park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, straddling the boundary between the city and Irondequoit beside the Genesee River. It holds over 90 species spanning mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, fish and arachnids. It is run by Monroe County with backing from a zoo society.
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On-site diningParking
Sequoia Park Zoo
Zoo in Eureka
It forms part of a wider park with 60 acres of second-growth coast redwoods, Eureka's biggest playground and a duck pond. Formal and natural gardens on the site hold many varieties of rhododendron.
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St. Augustine Alligator Farm
Zoo in St. Augustine
It opened on 20 May 1893 and counts among the state's longest continuously operating attractions.
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Rides and attractionsOn-site diningParking
Staten Island Zoo
Zoo in Staten Island
The zoo is open all year apart from Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
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Guided tourOn-site dining
Sunset Zoological Park
Zoo in Manhattan
Sunset Zoological Park, opened in 1933, is a zoo in Manhattan, United States. Animals on show include prairie dogs, tigers, maned wolves, leopards and otters.
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Animal encounterPlaygroundParking
The Living Desert
Zoo in Palm Desert
The holding runs to 1,200 acres, of which 80 are built out, and annual attendance is above half a million.
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Keeper talk or showNight and evening openingParking
Toledo Zoo
Zoo & Aquarium in Toledo
The zoo keeps over 10,000 animals from 720 species. Its holdings have been described as one of the most varied zoo and aquarium collections in the country.
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Night and evening opening
Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center
Zoo in Topeka
Despite its modest size the zoo holds over 300 animals, and it draws more than 250,000 visitors a year. Animals on show include orangutans, Giraffe, Hippo and Tiger.
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Keeper talk or showPlaygroundBehind-the-scenes tour
Tulsa Zoo
Zoo in Tulsa
The zoo sits within Mohawk Park, among the largest city-owned parks in the country. Animals on show include White Rhinoceros, Giraffe, African Penguin, Aldabra Tortoise and Chimpanzee.
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Rides and attractions
Utah’s Hogle Zoo
Zoo in Salt Lake City
Utah’s Hogle Zoo, opened in 1931, is a zoo in United States.
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Keeper talk or showPlaygroundOn-site dining
Utica Zoo
Zoo in Utica
The city owns the 80-acre property, 40 acres of it developed. Over 200 animals of 99 species are kept across six exhibit areas. Money comes chiefly from the county, a state natural heritage programme and private donors, the city contributing no funding now although it retains the land.
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Keeper talk or showBehind-the-scenes tourSensory and cognitive support
Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center
Zoo & Aquarium in Virginia Beach
The tanks hold more than 800,000 US gallons of fresh and salt water.
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Virginia Living Museum
Zoo in Newport News
The museum combines elements of an aquarium, a science centre, an aviary, a botanical preserve and a planetarium.
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Keeper talk or showParkingSensory and cognitive support
Walter D. Stone Memorial Zoo
Zoo in Stoneham
Zoo New England, the trading name of the Commonwealth Zoological Corporation, runs the site along with the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston. Smaller displays occupy the low ground, while the rocky wooded slopes above carry larger habitats given over to Species Survival Plan animals. These include a North American Wetlands area with tundra swans and whooping cranes, an Animal Discovery Center of reptiles and amphibians, and a Barnyard of goats, Southdown sheep and chickens.
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Parking
Western North Carolina Nature Center
Zoo in Asheville
The site goes back to 1925 and has been known variously as the Asheville City Zoo, Craig Park Zoo and Recreation Park Zoo, holding native and foreign animals alike. From the mid-1970s, under the name Children's Zoo and Nature Center, it narrowed its collection to native species only. In 2013 over 107,000 people visited, upwards of 13,000 of them schoolchildren on organised trips.
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Keeper talk or showOn-site diningAssistance animal policy
Wildlife Safari
Zoo in Winston
The main attraction is 615 acres of pasture and field enclosures driven through by visitors. At least one animal rights body endorses its conditions and care.
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Keeper talk or showOvernight stayRides and attractions
Zoo Atlanta
Zoo in Atlanta
Zoo Atlanta, opened in 1889, is a zoo in Atlanta, United States. Animals on show include elephant, vulture, gorilla and Orangutans.
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Animal encounterOn-site diningKeeper talk or show
Zoo Knoxville
Zoo in Knoxville
The animal population runs between 800 and 1,500 individuals of 200 species. Animals on show include River Otters, chimpanzees, gorillas, African lions and Hamadryas baboons.
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Parking
Zoo Miami
Zoo in Miami
The zoo is divided into five exhibit sections, covering Florida, Asia, Africa, the Amazon and Australia.
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Animal encounterBehind-the-scenes tourKeeper talk or show
ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park
Zoo in Hershey
Milton S. Hershey started it in 1910 with bears, birds and deer. It now covers 11 acres and holds over 75 species and 200 animals, some of them rare or endangered. It remains under the private control of the Hershey Trust Company and is joined to Hersheypark.
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ParkingAssistance animal policy
ZooMontana
Zoo in Billings
It is the state's sole zoo and botanical park, concentrating on wildlife found year-round in Montana, the Rockies and other cold zones at or north of the 45th parallel. The grounds are laid out in two main regions, the Asia route being a paved path that runs from the wolves through cottonwood forest.
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ZooTampa at Lowry Park
Zoo
ZooTampa at Lowry Park, opened in 1930, is a zoo in United States. Animals on show include Florida panther, Gharials and Hamadryas Baboons.
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On-site diningParking
ABQ BioPark Zoo
Zoo in Albuquerque
Dating from 1927 and covering 64 acres, it began life under the name Rio Grande Zoo. A narrow-gauge rail line links it with the rest of the Albuquerque Biological Park.
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Parking
Akron Zoological Park
Zoo in Akron
Of a 77-acre holding, 35 acres carry the habitats, facilities and support buildings. More than 1,000 animals of over 100 species are kept, and roughly 400,000 people visit each year. It is the busiest attraction in its county.
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Keeper talk or showPetting zoo
Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo
Zoo in Gulf Shores
The site covers about 25 acres some two miles north of the Intracoastal Waterway, where over 300 animals are kept. Gate takings, memberships and donations supply its income. An Animal Planet series, The Little Zoo That Could, was made about it.
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Alameda Park Zoo
Zoo in Alamogordo
Alameda Park Zoo, opened in 1898, is a zoo in Alamogordo, United States.
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Animal feeding experienceRides and attractionsEducation program
Alexandria Zoological Park
Zoo in Alexandria
Alexandria Zoological Park, opened in 1926, is a zoo in Alexandria, United States.
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Audubon Zoo
Zoo in New Orleans
Covering 58 acres with more than 2,000 animals, the zoo sits within Audubon Park on the river side of Magazine Street. It is run by the Audubon Nature Institute, whose other sites take in the aquarium, the Louisiana Nature Center, the Freeport-McMoran Species Survival Center, the park and a coastal wildlife network.
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Keeper talk or show
Baton Rouge Zoo
Zoo in Baton Rouge
The parish recreation and park commission, BREC, owns and runs the zoo, which holds over 800 animals.
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ParkingAssistance animal policy
Big Bear Alpine Zoo
Zoo in Big Bear Lake
Injured wildlife is rehabilitated for release here, and animals judged unable to return to the wild remain permanently; the collection stands at around 160 animals of 80 species, among them wolves, cougars, eagles, and grizzly and black bears. The country holds only two alpine zoos, of which this is one, and it describes itself as the sole zoological facility set in alpine forest and devoted to alpine species. Ownership and management rest with a San Bernardino County special district, the Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District, and the grounds face Bear Mountain Ski Resort.
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Binder Park Zoo
Zoo in Battle Creek
It ranks among the largest zoos in the state, and its attractions include a tram, a train, a carousel and a ropes course called Skylark Ridge.
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Animal encounterBehind-the-scenes tourAnimal feeding experience
Blank Park Zoo
Zoo in Des Moines
Blank Park Zoo, opened in 1966, is a zoo in Des Moines, United States.
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Sensory and cognitive support
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
Zoo in Dayton
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery is a zoo in Dayton, United States.
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Night and evening openingMobility equipment loanParking
Bronx Zoo
Zoo in New York City
The zoo covers 265 acres of parkland and habitats, divided by the Bronx River. As of 2010 it held over 4,000 animals of 650 species. Attendance averaged 2.1 million visitors a year as of 2009.
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Animal encounterMobility equipment loanWheelchair accessible routes
Butterfly World
Zoo in Coconut Creek
It opened in 1988 and has been described as the biggest butterfly park worldwide and the first of its type in the Western Hemisphere. Roughly 20,000 live butterflies are kept on site.
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Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in San Pedro
The programmes and displays cover the oceanography and marine biology of Southern California.
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California Science Center
Zoo in Los Angeles
California Science Center is a zoo in Los Angeles, United States.
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Rides and attractionsOn-site diningParking
Cape May County Park Zoo
Zoo in Cape May Court House
The address is 707 U.S. Route 9 North, inside the county's Central Park, and zoo and park together take in roughly 220 acres. The chief areas are a 57-acre African Savanna, a walk-through aviary and reptiles.
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Animal encounterPlaygroundParking
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
Zoo in Sanford
About 400 animals of close to 100 species are kept, and the zoo runs as a not-for-profit body.
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Keeper talk or showPlaygroundOn-site dining
Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park
Zoo in Chattanooga
The city founded it in 1937 with two small cages, 4 by 6 feet, for rhesus monkeys. A predecessor, Oxley Zoo, dated to 1900, after Colonel F. Oxley of Bridgeport, Alabama gave $500.
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Animal feeding experienceRides and attractionsAssistance animal policy
Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Park
Zoo in Colorado Springs
The zoo sits 6,714 ft up, the highest-altitude zoo in the country, and covers 140 acres of which 40 are developed. It holds over 750 animals of nearly 170 species, more than 30 of them endangered.
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Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Zoo in Cincinnati
The zoo began on 64.5 acres in the middle of the city and later spread into neighbouring blocks and into reserves in the outer suburbs. Several of its historic buildings became a National Historic Landmark in 1987. It holds over 500 animal species, 1,800 animals and 3,000 plant species.
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Animal encounterGuided tourPicnic area
Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center
Zoo in Divide
Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center, opened in 1993, is a zoo in Divide, United States. Things to do include Standard Tour, Feeding Tour, Full Moon Tour, Kids Tour and Educational Tours.
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Rides and attractionsParking
Columbian Park Zoo
Zoo in Lafayette
Over 190 animals of more than 90 species are kept, and the surrounding park also holds a baseball stadium, a walking trail, picnic spots and playgrounds. Education runs from preschool to college level, and a monthly 45-minute Zoo Pajama Party for ages one to five mixes bedtime stories with an animal encounter.
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Keeper talk or showMobility equipment loanSensory and cognitive support
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory
Zoo in St Paul
The attractions span a zoo and conservatory along with amusement rides, a carousel, a lake, a golf course and a pool, drawing over 1.9 million visitors a year. There is no admission charge, though donations of $4 per adult and $2 per child are suggested.
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Keeper talk or show
Dallas World Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Dallas
Under a joint scheme linking local businesses with the Dallas public school district, many of the staff are full-time pupils at the business school within Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet High School.
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Keeper talk or showOn-site diningNight and evening opening
Dallas Zoo
Zoo in Dallas
More than 2,000 animals of 406 species are kept. Annual attendance passed a million for the first time in 2015, and as of 2026 the zoo supports close to 1,800 jobs.
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Rides and attractions
Detroit Zoo
Zoo in Royal Oak
The zoo covers 125 acres and holds over 2,000 animals in more than 200 species. It was the first zoo in the country to use bar-less habitats.
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Downtown Aquarium, Houston
Zoo & Aquarium in Houston
The aquarium occupies 6 acres at 410 Bagby Street, reusing two landmark buildings. More than 200 aquatic species are held in 500,000 US gallons of tanks, and the site also holds banquet space, a bar and two eateries.
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Animal encounter
Duke University Lemur Center
Zoo in Durham
Duke University Lemur Center is a zoo in Durham, United States.
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PlaygroundOn-site diningParking
El Paso Zoo
Zoo in El Paso
The zoo covers 35 acres and holds more than 200 species, including critically endangered ones.
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Behind-the-scenes tourNight and evening openingGuided tour
Endangered Wolf Center
Zoo in Eureka
The centre works on breeding critically endangered wolves and returning them to the wild, and holds AZA accreditation. It was set up in 1971 by the naturalist Marlin Perkins with his wife Carol, prompted by worldwide threats to wolves. Visits are by advance booking only.
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Frank Buck Zoo
Zoo in Gainesville
The zoo takes its name from Frank Buck, a screen actor and director born locally, and keeps more than 130 animals.
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On-site dining
Garlyn Zoo
Zoo in Naubinway
Garlyn Zoo, opened in 1994, is a zoo in Naubinway, United States. Animals on show include Sika Deer, Whitetail Deer, Goats, Grizzly Bear and black bears.
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Immersive media attraction
Georgia Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Atlanta
Its seven principal galleries contain upwards of 11 million US gallons of water. Nothing larger existed between its opening in 2005 and 2012, the year S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore and China's Chimelong Ocean Kingdom surpassed it. It remains sixth in the world by size and the biggest anywhere in the United States.
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Rides and attractions
Gladys Porter Zoo
Zoo in Brownsville
The zoo covers 31 acres and holds roughly 400 animal species, 47 of them endangered, with attendance averaging more than 424,000 a year. It was the first anywhere to breed Jentink's duiker, a species no longer held in the United States.
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Keeper talk or showPlaygroundBehind-the-scenes tour
Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center
Zoo in West Yellowstone
It opens every day of the year, and tickets cover two days running. Animals on show include grizzly bears, gray wolves, North American river otters, Yellowstone cutthroat trout and Arctic grayling.
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Gulf Breeze Zoo
Zoo in Gulf Breeze
The site divides into 20 acres of walkable exhibits and a 30-acre free-roaming area toured by guided train. More than 900 exotic animals are kept, orangutans, gorillas, hippos and rhinos among them. The zoo backs breeding in captivity as well as wildlife and habitat conservation schemes.
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Playground
Hattiesburg Zoo
Zoo in Hattiesburg
The zoo takes up about 12 acres of a 40-acre park and is run by the Hattiesburg Convention Commission, whose executive director in 2019 was Rick Taylor.
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Hutchinson Zoo
Zoo in Hutchinson
Hutchinson Zoo, opened in 1986, is a zoo in Hutchinson, United States.
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Animal encounterParking
Indianapolis Zoo
Zoo in Indianapolis
Indianapolis Zoo, opened in 1964, is a zoo in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States.
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Keeper talk or showBehind-the-scenes tourOn-site dining
Johnny Morris' Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Springfield
Adjoining the flagship Bass Pro Shops store, to which it is joined, the complex carries the name of that company's founder, Johnny Morris. It now runs to 350,000 square feet in two principal halves, one of them a museum where taxidermy gathered from many countries is set into detailed habitat dioramas alongside artefacts, artworks and films. Big game mounts making up the North American Heads and Horns Collection, owned by the Boone and Crockett Club, are held here.
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Jungle Island
Zoo in Miami
The attraction reopened after major renovations following damage from Hurricane Irma. Current draws include pop-up waterslides, an outdoor wind tunnel, zip lines, escape rooms and a Nerf battle stadium.
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Overnight stayBehind-the-scenes tourParking
Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park
Zoo in Ashland
The park covers 440 acres and is driven through. Prairie and wetland habitats hold North American natives such as bison, elk and cranes, with a new Wolf Canyon overlook, trams and a visitor centre. It is tied to Henry Doorly Zoo and lies 22 miles west, at exit 426 on Interstate 80.
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Animal encounterPlaygroundParking
Long Island Game Farm
Zoo in Manorville
Built on 29 acres by Stanley Novak with his wife Diane and their daughters Melinda and Susan, it is billed as Long Island's biggest children's zoo and wildlife park. Residents include bison, camels, zebras, deer, lemurs, wallabies, foxes, capybaras, emus and cockatoos.
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PlaygroundGuided tour
Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo
Zoo in Monroe
Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo is a zoo in Monroe, United States.
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Assistance animal policySensory and cognitive support
Lupa Zoo
Zoo in Ludlow
Lupa Zoo is a zoo in Ludlow, United States. Animals on show include Aldabra giant tortoise, binturong, serval, zedonk, tapir, Bactrian camel and Himalayan black bear.
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Rides and attractionsOn-site diningMobility equipment loan
Memphis Zoo and Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Memphis
Over 3,500 animals from more than 500 species are kept on 76 acres, about 55 of them built on. Set up in April 1906, it has been a principal occupant of Overton Park for a century and more.
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Menominee Park Zoo
Zoo in Oshkosh
The zoo dates from 1945 and stands in the city's largest park, on the north side by Lake Winnebago, wrapping around the lagoon at the park's centre. It usually keeps between 30 and 50 animals, among them otters, elk, wolves, tortoises and birds. A gift from a married couple made admission free from 2006.
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Animal feeding experienceRides and attractionsGuided tour
Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden
Zoo in Evansville
Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden, opened in 1928, is a zoo in Evansville, United States. Animals on show include jaguar, budgerigars, penguins and Giraffe.
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ParkingAssistance animal policyMobility equipment loan
Metro Richmond Zoo
Zoo in Moseley
The zoo covers about 70 acres and holds roughly 2,000 animals of over 190 species. It is reached off U.S. Route 360, some 20 miles southwest of Richmond.
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Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Sarasota
The laboratory has been based in Sarasota since 1960 and on City Island since 1978. The aquarium acts as its public face, showing over 100 marine species tied to staff research; a second site, the Mote Science Education Aquarium, operates at 225 University Town Center.
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Keeper talk or showBehind-the-scenes tourGuided tour
Nashville Zoo
Zoo in Nashville
As of 2014 it held 3,736 animals of 352 species and was the region's top paid attraction. It draws roughly 1.2 million visitors a year.
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Animal encounterOvernight stayOn-site dining
Niabi Zoo
Zoo in Coal Valley
The name comes from Osage and has been rendered as the fawn that the hunter spared. Its 40 acres lie inside a forest preserve of 287 acres and hold upwards of 600 animals of close to 200 species. The Rock Island County Forest Preserve District runs it as one of six such properties, with general admission open from April to October and education and outreach work continuing all year.
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Keeper talk or showOvernight stayAssistance animal policy
North Carolina Zoo
Zoo in Asheboro
The zoo covers 500 developed acres, is billed as the biggest natural habitat zoo anywhere, and sits under the state department of natural and cultural resources. It is laid out in three sections, covering Africa, North America and a desert region, and is one of only two state-funded zoos in the country, alongside the Minnesota Zoo. It also holds a substantial art collection, mostly sculpture but including murals, mosaics and paintings.
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Petting zooRides and attractionsParking
Oakland Zoo
Zoo in Oakland
Oakland Zoo, opened in 1922, is a zoo in Oakland, United States.
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Wheelchair accessible routes
Oklahoma Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Jenks
Oklahoma Aquarium, opened in 2003, is a zoo in Jenks, United States.
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Oregon Coast Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Newport
It opened in 1992 on 23 acres beside the bay, close to the ocean. The main building carries five standing displays along with a changing gallery.
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Night and evening openingAssistance animal policyParking
Palm Beach Zoo
Zoo in West Palm Beach
Hundreds of animals, many of them endangered, are kept across 23 acres of tropical planting. Amenities include a play fountain, a carousel, a cafe, gift shops and a bronze by Geoffrey C Smith, and more than 35 keeper talks are given each week.
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Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma
The site occupies 29 acres and holds over 9,000 specimens of 367 species. It draws upwards of 600,000 visits a year.
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Animal encounterRides and attractions
Red River Zoo
Zoo in Fargo
The collection runs to over 600 animals from 89 species, red pandas among them. The zoo has held AZA accreditation since 2006.
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Reid Park Zoo
Zoo in Tucson
Over 500 animals are held, and roughly half a million visits are made each year. The zoo was begun informally in 1965 by the parks and recreation director Gene Reid. It holds AZA accreditation and certification.
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Animal encounterRides and attractionsBehind-the-scenes tour
Sacramento Zoo
Zoo in Sacramento
The site grew to 14.3 acres in the early 1960s, and slightly more than 500 animals were held as of December 2012. Animals on show include giraffes, desert tortoise, meerkats, African lions and jaguar.
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Animal feeding experienceOn-site diningParking
South Carolina Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Charleston
Over 5,000 animals are shown in exhibits spread over two floors. The building sits on Charleston Harbor, with views taking in the USS Yorktown and the Ravenel Bridge.
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Keeper talk or showRides and attractionsOn-site dining
Southwick's Zoo
Zoo in Mendon
The collection runs to over 850 animals and more than 165 exotic species. It claims the largest primate troupe in New England and the region's only chimpanzee exhibit.
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Keeper talk or showPlayground
Tanganyika Wildlife Park
Zoo in Goddard
Tanganyika Wildlife Park is a zoo in Goddard, United States. Animals on show include Pygmy Hippo, Indian Rhinos, white tiger, Bengal tiger and penguins.
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Tennessee Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Chattanooga
It opened in 1992 beside the river in the downtown area, with a large expansion following in 2005. Cumulative attendance has passed 20 million, the 20-millionth visitor arriving in March 2013. Two further public sites are run away from the main halls.
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PlaygroundAssistance animal policy
Texas State Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Corpus Christi
It is the biggest aquarium in the state and among the biggest in the country. Animals on show include Dolphin, Sharks, Stingray, Otters and Turtle.
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Animal encounterOvernight stayGuided tour
The Florida Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Tampa
The aquarium stands in the Channel District downtown and holds upwards of 7,000 aquatic animals and plants, both local and foreign.
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Behind-the-scenes tourParkingAssistance animal policy
Virginia Zoological Park
Zoo in Norfolk
Virginia Zoological Park, opened in 1900, is a zoo in Norfolk, United States.
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Guided tour
Waikiki Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Honolulu
Dating from 1904, it has belonged to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa for over a century, that link having been formed in 1919. Only the New York Aquarium is older among American public aquariums still operating. It stands on the shore next to a living coral reef, with more than 3,500 organisms representing 490 species of marine plant and animal.
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West Virginia State Wildlife Center
Zoo in French Creek
Run by the state Division of Natural Resources, the centre shows native and introduced wildlife. It covers 338 acres and displays 29 species of mammal, bird and reptile, the enclosures following a 1.25-mile path through mature hardwood forest.
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Rides and attractionsParkingDisability admission concession
Woodland Park Zoo
Zoo in Seattle
Around 900 animals of 250 species are kept, and the zoo receives over a million visitors yearly. It has taken more than 65 awards in various categories.
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Keeper talk or showGuided tourPetting zoo
Zoo Boise
Zoo in Boise
Zoo Boise, opened in 1916, is a zoo in Boise, United States. Animals on show include African lion, Amur tiger, Giraffe, Chinese red panda and Sloth Bear.
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Keeper talk or showEducation program
Zoo Idaho
Zoo in Pocatello
Upwards of 100 animals are held across roughly 40 species, on 25 acres of unaltered ground inside Ross Park. It is one of only two American zoos specialising in wildlife of the Intermountain West. Uniquely among zoos, Shoshone-Bannock culture is built into its design and programming.
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Behind-the-scenes tour
Aikman Wildlife Adventure
Zoo in Arcola
Aikman Wildlife Adventure is a zoo in Arcola, United States. Animals on show include Sloth, Spotted Hyenas and Kangaroos.
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Alaska Zoo
Zoo in Anchorage
Over 100 birds and mammals of around 50 species are kept, and close to 200,000 people visit each year.
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Indoor spaces
Aquarium of the Americas
Zoo & Aquarium in New Orleans
The aquarium specialises in the aquatic life of the Americas, with exhibits covering North and South American regions, and holds 10,000 animals of 530 species. It reopened on 8 June 2023 after a $41 million rebuild that merged the Audubon Insectarium into the building. It is run by the Audubon Nature Institute, which also oversees the Audubon Zoo, a nature centre, species survival and research centres, a coastal wildlife network and parks.
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Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
Zoo in Hot Springs
Alligators have been kept here, without being bred, from the start in 1902. Beyond roughly 200 alligators, the collection includes cougars, wild boars, bobcats, turtles, ring-tailed lemurs and poultry.
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Austin Zoo
Zoo in Austin
It states a mission of rescue, conservation and education for animals in need. More than 300 animals of over 100 species are kept, among them African lions, Bengal tigers, cougars, black bears, three monkey species and ring-tailed lemurs.
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Bramble Park Zoo
Zoo in Watertown
Fifteen acres hold roughly 500 animals from 130 species, making this the second-largest zoo in the state. It stays open through the year, with added measures for animal welfare in winter. Reaccreditation was refused in September 2024.
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Capron Park Zoo
Zoo in Attleboro
Around 100 animals of 44 species are kept. The species span the Americas, Asia, Africa and Australia, and include white lion, Amur leopard, sloth bear and kangaroo.
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PlaygroundRides and attractions
Charles Paddock Zoo
Zoo in Atascadero
Over 100 animals covering 45 species are kept. An endangered male Malayan tiger, Menderu, was held until its death in 2025.
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Overnight stayPlaygroundRides and attractions
Chehaw Park
Zoo in Albany
Two sides are bounded by a clearwater bayou at the junction of the Kinchafoonee and Muckalee Creeks. Ground cover ranges from cypress swamp to climax hardwood forest and burn-managed pine and wiregrass.
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Coral World Ocean Park
Zoo in East End
Coral World Ocean Park, opened in 1970, is a zoo in East End, United States.
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Ellen Trout Zoo
Zoo in Lufkin
Around 700 animals are kept, and roughly 150,000 people visit each year. School programmes began in 1977, and the zoo runs Wildlife on Wheels classroom sessions, teacher workshops and university internships. Summer options include a Junior Zookeeper scheme in which pupils in grades seven to nine work alongside keepers.
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Erie Zoo
Zoo in Erie
The zoo sits on 15 acres in Glenwood Park, off West 38th Street, and holds over 400 animals, with more than 600 plant species in its gardens and greenhouse. It trades from March to November and draws over 400,000 visitors yearly.
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Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary
Zoo in Folsom
The zoo operates on sanctuary lines in how its animals arrive and are kept: they are never bred, sold or traded, though visitors are admitted.
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Fossil Rim Wildlife Center
Zoo in Glen Rose
The centre covers 1,800 acres of Texas Hill Country, with guided and self-drive tours, lodging, dining and education facilities.
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Great Plains Zoo
Zoo in Sioux Falls
The city and a zoological society run it jointly, with the city holding the land, buildings and assets and keeping up the grounds.
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ParkingMobility equipment loanImmersive media attraction
Heal the Bay Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Santa Monica
It was previously called the Ocean Discovery Center and was run by UCLA up to 2003. It now serves as Heal the Bay's site for marine education, advocacy and community science, with programming centred on marine conservation, pollution prevention and environmental education. Over 100,000 visitors come each year, about 15,000 of them students.
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Animal feeding experienceGuided tourEducation program
Hemker Park & Zoo
Zoo in Freeport
Hemker Park & Zoo is a zoo in Freeport, United States. Animals on show include Otters, Rhino, Bighorn sheep, giraffes and koi.
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Keeper talk or show
Henson Robinson Zoo
Zoo in Springfield
By 2018 the collection held over 300 specimens across more than 80 species. Admission is charged.
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Jackson Zoo
Zoo in Jackson
The zoo sits within a 110-acre park and draws about 85,000 visitors a year, from the state and those neighbouring it, along with some 20,000 pupils across the school year. It has had trouble with both visitor numbers and money.
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Parking
Kansas City Zoo
Zoo in Kansas City
Close to 1,700 animals are kept at the zoo, with roughly 8,000 more in the aquarium. A Friends of the Zoo scheme is run, and attendance passes a million visitors a year.
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Lake Superior Zoo
Zoo in Duluth
The zoo covers about 19 acres in the Fairmount neighbourhood below Spirit Mountain and is the sole zoo across northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. Kingsbury Creek, designated a trout stream by the state DNR, crosses grounds carrying over a mile of paved paths.
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Rides and attractions
Lincoln Park Zoo
Zoo in Chicago
Lincoln Park Zoo, opened in 1868, is a zoo in Chicago, United States.
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Animal encounterRides and attractionsBehind-the-scenes tour
Louisville Zoological Garden
Zoo in Louisville
Styled the State Zoo of Kentucky, it shows over 1,200 animals grouped by region and habitat. Attendance through the 2010s ranged from 760,000 to 945,000 a year.
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Maria Mitchell Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Nantucket
Maria Mitchell Aquarium, opened in 1997, is a zoo in Nantucket, United States. Animals on show include American Lobster, jellyfish, shrimp, tropical fish and crabs.
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Animal encounter
Marineland
Zoo in St. Augustine
Marineland is a zoo in St. Augustine, United States.
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Animal encounterRides and attractionsOn-site dining
Mill Mountain Zoo
Zoo in Roanoke
Its red wolves fall under the SAFE programme, which maintains a managed population and funds research.
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Miller Park Zoo
Zoo in Bloomington
Run by the city's parks and recreation department, it ranks as the 13th oldest zoo in the country.
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Guided tourParking
Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens
Zoo in Milwaukee
The zoo holds 3,100 animals of 350 species and draws about 1.3 million visitors a year. In 2017 it was one of the first seven zoos certified for humane animal treatment by the American Humane Society. By 2025 that certification covered 42 zoos and aquariums in the United States.
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Moody Gardens Rainforest and Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Galveston
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Navajo Nation Zoological and Botanical Park
Zoo in Window Rock
This is the sole tribally owned zoo in the United States, and its signs are written in Navajo. The collection has grown to roughly 50 species, nearly all of them local.
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Northwest Trek Wildlife Park
Zoo in Eatonville
A tram carries visitors through a 435-acre area where animals range freely, and this is the park's main draw; the separate Wild Drive route is taken by private car, passing mountain goats, bison, swans, caribou, deer and Roosevelt elk. Also kept here are cougars, wolverines, bobcats, bald eagles, grey wolves and bears of both the black and the grizzly kind.
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Guided tour
Orange County Zoo
Zoo in Orange
The zoo is owned, staffed and run by the county. Its residents generally arrive injured, orphaned or abandoned and in need of emergency care, and the plants shown are likewise native to the Southwest.
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Animal feeding experienceParking
OstrichLand USA
Zoo in Solvang
More than 100 ostriches and emus are kept and can be fed by the public, with the owner Trudy Brown putting the figures at around 80 ostriches and 20 emus. The location was chosen because the landscape resembles African and Australian habitat. Visitors are told to grip the bowl of alfalfa pellets firmly, keep their fingers clear and not touch the birds.
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Plumpton Park Zoo
Zoo in Rising Sun
Edward Plumstead began it on family land in 1985 with deer and a handful of domestic animals. It now holds more than 180 exotic animals across 60 species, looked after by trained keeping staff.
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Roscommon Zoo
Zoo in Roscommon
The zoo lies on the M-18 a little to the east of the village. It covers 20 acres and holds over 120 tame and exotic animals. It is family-run and includes a petting section.
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Saint Louis Zoo
Zoo in Saint Louis
Entry costs nothing, being paid for by the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District tax, though certain attractions carry a charge. Among them is the Emerson Zooline Railroad, which runs on 2 ft gauge track behind Chance Rides locomotives.
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On-site diningWheelchair accessible routes
Salisbury Zoo
Zoo in Salisbury
Rather more than 100 animals are kept, the emphasis falling on species from Australia and from North and South America: sloths, alpacas, bison, flamingos, wallabies, an ocelot, a red wolf and raptors taken in as rescues. Nothing is charged for admission.
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Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
Zoo in Washington
Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is a zoo in Washington, United States.
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Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
Zoo in Holderness
It is the sole AZA-accredited body in the northern part of New England, reaccredited for a second five-year run in September 2011 and again in September 2016. Its mission is to further understanding of ecology through New Hampshire's own environment. Teaching is done through live animal displays, science programmes and lake cruises, with native animals used as ambassadors.
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Animal encounterOn-site dining
The Living Planet Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Draper
The aquarium holds 4,500 animals of 550 species, arranged across five principal galleries.
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Overnight stayGuided tour
The Wilds
Zoo in Cumberland
The land is reclaimed strip-mine ground of 37.04 sq km, taking in 8.1 sq km of pasture and a 27-acre carnivore centre. Over 15 miles of bike and walking trails run across it, along with around 150 lakes. Visitor activities include ziplines, horse riding and fishing.
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Animal feeding experiencePetting zoo
Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo
Zoo in Tupelo
At 210 acres it is the biggest zoo in the state, and its buffalo herd grew into one of the largest in the region.
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Turtle Back Zoo
Zoo in West Orange
Twenty acres of South Mountain Reservation are given over to the zoo, which the Essex County Park System administers; no county park system in the country is older. Named after a rock formation nearby, it opened in 1963 with 140 animals across 40 species, a figure that had reached 850 animals of 275 species by 1973. Confined at first to wildlife native to the New York metropolitan region, the collection now draws on every continent except Antarctica.
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Petting zooParking
Wild Animal Safari, Pine Mountain
Zoo in Pine Mountain
Wild Animal Safari, Pine Mountain is a safari park in Pine Mountain, United States. Animals on show include zebras, llamas, bison, tigers and giraffes.
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Petting zooRides and attractions
York's Wild Kingdom
Zoo in York
York's Wild Kingdom is a zoo in York, United States. Its exhibits include Butterfly Kingdom and Parakeet Encounter.
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Adventure Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Camden
A for-profit aquarium run by Herschend beside the Delaware River, it first opened in 1992 and reopened in its present form on 25 May 2005 with roughly 8,000 animals. The tanks hold more than two million US gallons of water, and the public floor space covers 200,000 square feet. Recyclable cutlery and plant-based straws are served under a scheme called Fins for the Future.
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Alaska SeaLife Center
Zoo & Aquarium in Seward
Alaska SeaLife Center is an aquarium in Seward, United States.
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Audubon Aquarium & Insectarium
Zoo & Aquarium in New Orleans
Part of the Audubon Nature Institute group, the combined attraction dates in its present form from 8 June 2023, when it reopened after moving out of the U.S. Custom House Federal Building and onto the aquarium site. The insect museum had first opened on 13 June 2008, and it took a Thea Award in the science centre category the following year.
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Playground
Bluebird Gap Farm
Zoo in Hampton
The farm holds livestock, poultry and wildlife native to Virginia. The municipal master gardeners' demonstration garden also stands on the grounds.
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Gift shop
Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo
Zoo in Thurmont
The site has stayed in the ownership of the Hahns, who have enlarged it over time.
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Chahinkapa Zoo
Zoo in Wahpeton
More than 200 animals of roughly 100 species are held at what was the first zoo established in North Dakota. It opens from May to October, with winter visits by appointment.
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Cougar Mountain Zoo
Zoo in Issaquah
The site sits close to the edge of Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park. Animals kept include wolves, reindeer, cranes, wallabies, macaws and cougars. Running and fundraising passed in 1990 to the Zoological Society of Washington.
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Parking
Greenville Zoo
Zoo in Greenville
Greenville Zoo, opened in 1960, is a zoo in Greenville, United States. The first giraffe calf here, Kiko, was born in October 2012 to Autumn, a Masai giraffe on breeding loan from Franklin Park Zoo.
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Kentucky Down Under
Zoo in Horse Cave
Kentucky Down Under, opened in 1990, is a zoo in Horse Cave, United States.
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Touch poolGuided tourParking
Key West Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Key West
Standing at 1 Whitehead Street, where it carries Historic Marker 52, it ranks among the earliest aquariums in Florida and was billed at the time as the country's first open-air aquarium.
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Keeper talk or showEducation program
Lee Richardson Zoo
Zoo in Garden City
Over 80 species are kept on 47 acres within the park, many of them not native to the region. Entry on foot is free, while cars pay $20.
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Guided tourParking
Philadelphia Zoo
Zoo in Philadelphia
No earlier institution in the United States counts as a true zoo. It opened on 1 July 1874 with a thousand animals in the collection and admission set at 25 cents.
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Guided tour
Phillips Park Zoo
Zoo in Aurora
Dating from 1915, it charges nothing for entry and is open all year. Displays include river otters, great horned owls, llamas, pygmy goats and grey wolves.
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Keeper talk or show
Reptile World Serpentarium
Zoo in Saint Cloud
Run by the herpetologist George Van Horn, it shows over 75 snake species along with lizards, crocodiles, alligators and turtles, and puts on venom extraction demonstrations alongside the displays.
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Riverside Park and Zoo
Zoo in Scottsbluff
The city park holds the only zoo in the western part of the state, with over 125 animals from more than 50 species. It lies half a mile west of Nebraska Highway 71. The wider grounds hold three lakes with camping and a recreation ground, a trail beside the North Platte and over 30 garden plots.
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Rides and attractions
Scovill Zoo
Zoo in Decatur
The zoo has its own chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers. Illinois weather forces special arrangements for some of the animals.
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Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay
Zoo & Aquarium in Las Vegas
The 105,000 sq ft building is styled as a sunken ancient temple. It holds the largest aquarium tank on the Strip, at 1.3 million US gallons. Eighty people were employed in 2017, 35 of them aquarists.
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The Reptile Zoo
Zoo in Fountain Valley
Fish, amphibians and arachnids are shown alongside the reptiles, and the site includes the Prehistoric Pets shop, which sells goods for reptile keepers. Attendance has passed a million since it started.
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Tregembo Animal Park
Zoo in Wilmington
George and June Tregembo started it in 1952 under the Tote-Em-In name, mixing animals with curiosities, and it took its present name in 2004. On the owner's retirement the site went on lease to Jerry Brewer, and the family resumed running it in 2003, wanting to reorient the place toward education. PETA in 1998 listed it among the country's worst roadside zoos, and although the family aimed to expand enclosures after 2004, concrete pads and cages remain and draw criticism as poor housing.
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UnderWater World Guam
Zoo & Aquarium in Tamuning
It is the only oceanarium in the US territory and claims one of the longest aquarium tunnels anywhere. Much of the stock comes from the seas around the 200-square-mile island.
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Bear Hollow Zoo
Zoo in Athens
Bear Hollow Zoo is a zoo in Athens, United States. Animals on show include American Black Bear, North American River Otter, Beaver, Red Fox and American Alligator.
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ParkingWheelchair accessible routes
Belle Isle Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Detroit
The building covers 10,000 square feet, with a single long gallery under an arched ceiling of green glass tiles. At the opening ceremony it was said to be the third largest aquarium in the world, holding 65,007 US gallons. In 2005 it ran 60 exhibits totalling 32,000 US gallons, with 146 species and more than 1,500 fish.
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Cohanzick Zoo
Zoo in Bridgeton
Open since 1934 and claiming the title of the earliest zoo in New Jersey, it holds more than 100 animals across 45 species. The city's Department of Recreation and Public Affairs runs it, with county money and donations, and an animal-sponsorship scheme is also offered.
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Education program
David Traylor Zoo of Emporia
Zoo in Emporia
The collection spans reptiles, arthropods, mammals and birds, numbering in the hundreds. Entry costs nothing. It stands in Soden's Grove Park, alongside a summer train, the Marsh Arch Bridge and a veterans memorial.
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Lubee Bat Conservancy
Zoo in Gainesville
Lubee Bat Conservancy is a zoo in Gainesville, United States.
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Micke Grove Zoo
Zoo in Lodi
The regional park around it also holds a Japanese garden, the county historical museum and an amusement park. An expansion begun in 2010 was to add Oriental small-clawed otters and a larger snow leopard habitat, but the building work stopped part-way and awaits further funding. Education work is paid for with help from the Micke Grove Zoological Society; six weeks of private zoo camp are run for county pupils, along with five weeks of public camp and Zoo Mobile outreach.
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Animal feeding experienceBehind-the-scenes tour
NOVA Wild
Zoo in Vienna
More than 50 species are held. A safari section is driven through in visitors' own vehicles, with zebras, bison and llamas. A walking route adds cheetahs, capybaras, kangaroos, sloths, camel rides and an aviary.
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San Antonio Zoological Society
Zoo in San Antonio
San Antonio Zoological Society is a zoo in San Antonio, United States.
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Animal feeding experienceTouch pool
Seaside Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Seaside
Seaside Aquarium, opened in 1937, is a zoo in Seaside, United States. Animals on show include Harbor Seals, Anemones, sea stars, rockfish and Sea Turtles.
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Shambala Preserve
Zoo in Acton
It is run by the Roar Foundation and was started in 1983 by the actress Tippi Hedren. Most of the residents were captive-bred, orphaned, surplus to circuses or zoos, or surrendered by private keepers.
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Petting zoo
Zootah at Willow Park
Zoo in Logan
Zootah at Willow Park is a zoo in Logan, United States. Animals on show include blue-throated macaw, lemurs, porcupine, Tortoise and Fox.
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DeYoung Family Zoo
Zoo in Wallace
The site lies roughly 15 miles north of Menominee, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and keeps many exotic cats, with young animals that visitors may pet and bottle-feed. Animal care there has been queried in recent years.
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Kentucky Reptile Zoo
Zoo in Bowen
Venom taken here goes to medical research and to the manufacture of antivenom. The zoo has appeared on PBS, Animal Planet and the National Geographic Channel.
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Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee
Zoo in Hohenwald
Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee is a zoo in Hohenwald, United States.
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Griffith Park Zoo
Zoo in Los Angeles
Now closed, the ground retains ruined enclosures along with a picnic area and hiking trails. Well-known residents included a camel called Topsy, an elephant called Gita, and Ivan the Terrible.
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Petting zoo
High Delta Safari Park
Zoo in Delhi
The park lay off Louisiana Highway 17, 9 miles north of exit 153 on I-20, midway between Vicksburg and Monroe. It was sold at a bankruptcy auction on 21 November 2009.
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Lemur Conservation Foundation
Zoo in Myakka City
Lemur Conservation Foundation is a zoo in Myakka City, United States.
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Turtle Survival Center
Zoo in Charleston
Turtle Survival Center is a zoo in Charleston, United States.
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Wilderness Wildlife Center
Zoo in Pittsburgh
Wilderness Wildlife Center is a zoo in Pittsburgh, United States.
Zoos nearby
Our ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 267 venues above are listed alphabetically by name, the same order used throughout this site. We do not collect visitor reviews, star ratings, ticket-sales figures or a conservation-impact score, so none of those exist here to rank by — “best” in this page’s title means every venue that qualifies for this list, not first-to-last by quality. If we ever add a data source robust enough to support an honest ranking, this note and the order above will change together.