Philadelphia Zoo

Philadelphia Zoo
The gate above the zoo's entrance
39°58′21″N 75°11′48″W / 39.97250°N 75.19667°W / 39.97250; -75.19667
Slogan	America's First Zoo
Date opened	July 1, 1874 (1874-07-01)
Location	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Land area	42 acres (17 ha)[1]
No. of animals	~1,700[1]
No. of species	340+[citation needed]
Annual visitors	1.2 million[1]
Memberships	Association of Zoos and Aquariums[2]
Owner	The Zoological Society of Philadelphia
Public transit access	34th Street:   Route 15 SEPTA bus: 38 Philly PHLASH
Website	Official website

The Philadelphia Zoo, located in the Centennial District of Philadelphia on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, is 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 paddleboat lake, a rainforest themed carousel, a ropes course, and many interactive and educational exhibits.