Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden — Zoo in Cincinnati

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and its collection

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens, opened in 1875, is a zoo in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States.

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.

History

In 1872 Andrew Erkenbrecher and other residents formed a bird acclimatization society to fight a severe caterpillar outbreak. About 1,000 birds imported from Europe that year were kept at Burnet Woods before being released. Erkenbrecher also owned mammals, among them monkeys and an elephant bought from a circus.

Exhibits

The reptile house of 1875 is the oldest surviving zoo building in America, and the Herbivora building, put up in 1906 at a cost of $50,000, housed elephants, giraffes, hippos and rhinos until the late 1990s. Gorilla World opened in 1978 as a naturalistic rainforest habitat for western lowland gorillas, following the Eagle Eyrie flight cage of 1970, which was among the largest of its era. The Carnivora building dates from 1952, with a discovery classroom renovated in 1989 for live animal demonstrations.

Conservation and approach

A trumpeter swan bred there in 1880 was the first hatched in a zoo, and four passenger pigeons were bred in the same year; the first American bison born in captivity was recorded in 1882. A named research centre was founded in 1986.

What the venue says

• A wide array of dining options is available on-site, ranging from full-service spots and sit-down pizza at LaRosa's to casual eateries like Hops (craft beer and flatbreads), Wild Burger, Taco Caja, and sweet treats like Graeter's ice cream.
• Parking lots are located directly across the street from the zoo on Vine Street, Erkenbrecher Avenue, and Dury Avenue (parking fees apply unless covered by a zoo membership).
• The zoo offers comprehensive "Access for All" resources, including sensory maps, check-out sensory bags (with noise-canceling headphones and fidget toys), ride access passes for guests unable to wait in traditional lines, quiet calming rooms, and adult-changing tables in the family restrooms.