National Zoological Park (United States)

National Zoological Park
Front entrance
38°55′52″N 77°02′59″W / 38.93111°N 77.04972°W / 38.93111; -77.04972
Date opened	May 6, 1889; 135 years ago (1889-05-06)[1]
Location	3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Rock Creek Park, Washington, D.C., U.S.
Land area	Zoo: 163 acres (66 ha)[2] SCBI: 3,200-acre (1,300 ha)[3]
No. of animals	Zoo: 2,000[2] SCBI: 30–40 endangered species[3]
No. of species	400[2]
Annual visitors	1.8 million (2019)[5]
Memberships	AZA[4]
Major exhibits	Amazonia, American Trail, Asia Trail, Bird House, Giant Panda Habitat, Great Ape House, Kids' Farm, Reptile Discovery Center, Small Mammal House, Think Tank
Public transit access	Washington Metro at Cleveland Park or Woodley Park
Website	nationalzoo.si.edu

The National Zoological Park, commonly known as the National Zoo, is one of the oldest zoos in the United States. The zoo is part of the Smithsonian Institution and does not charge admission. Founded in 1889, its mission is to "provide engaging experiences with animals and create and share knowledge to save wildlife and habitats".^[6]

The National Zoo has two campuses. The first is a 163-acre (66 ha) urban park located at Rock Creek Park in the Woodley Park neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C., 20 minutes from the National Mall by MetroRail.^[7] The other campus is the 3,200-acre (1,300 ha) Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI; formerly known as the Conservation and Research Center) in Front Royal, Virginia. On this land, there are 180 species of trees, 850 species of woody shrubs and herbaceous plants, 40 species of grasses, and 36 different species of bamboo.^[8] The SCBI is a non-public facility devoted to training wildlife professionals in conservation biology and to propagating rare species through natural means and assisted reproduction. The National Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

The two facilities host about 2,700 animals of 390 different species.^[9] About one-fifth of them are endangered or threatened. Most species are on exhibit at the Rock Creek Park campus.^[10] The zoo is home to birds, great apes, big cats, Asian elephants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, aquatic animals, small mammals and many more, but the best-known residents were giant pandas. The SCBI facility houses between 30 and 40 endangered species at any given time depending on research needs and recommendations from the zoo and the conservation community.^[3] The zoo was one of the first to establish a scientific research program.^[8] Because it is a part of the Smithsonian Institution, the National Zoo receives federal appropriations for operating expenses. A new master plan for the park was introduced in 2008 to upgrade the park's exhibits and layout.

The National Zoo is open every day of the year except for December 25 (Christmas Day), though it was closed for a long period during the COVID-19 pandemic.^[11] The zoo reopened following this on May 21, 2021.