Kansas City Zoo

Kansas City Zoo and its collection

Kansas City Zoo, opened in 1909, is a zoo in Kansas City, United States.

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.

History

Plans were laid in 1907 and the gates opened on 13 December 1909. Expansion was slow for the first four decades, the Bear Grotto of 1912 being one of the few additions, until a monkey island and a children's zoo appeared in the 1940s. Flamingos, a giraffe house, the African Veldt and a sea lion pool followed in the 1950s, and the 1960s brought an otter pool, an elephant house and the Great Ape House.

Exhibits

The Africa area divides into Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, Congolese Rainforest and Uganda, while red kangaroos roam loose in a large field in the Australia section at the northern end. The Valley dates from 1912 and long formed a core part of the grounds; Tiger Trail was rebuilt to mark the return of tigers alongside other Asian species. In KidZone, the rainbow lorikeet enclosure runs three feedings a day that guests can join.

What the venue says

• Several spots are available throughout the grounds
• Parking is always FREE and convenient. A drop-off zone is available directly in front of the Zoo’s admission area. Parking is available in the Green parking lot or adjacent Yellow and Red parking lots. Handicapped parking is available in all lots.
• Standard wheelchairs and motorized ECV scooters are available to rent on a first-come, first-served basis at the front entrance.
• The zoo features paved pathways winding through extensive hills and exhibits, with transport options like the train or tram to help navigate between the upper and lower areas.