“America's first zoo!”
The Philadelphia Zoo’s 42-acre Victorian garden is home to more than 1,300 animals, many of them rare and endangered. By connecting people with wildlife, the Philadelphia Zoo creates joyful discovery and inspires action for animals and habitats. Cheetahs, hippos, giraffes and much more make the Zoo Philadelphia's leading family attraction with over 1.2 million visitors last year. Like many other Philadelphia landmarks and institutions, the Philadelphia Zoo is an American first. The charter establishing the Zoological Society of Philadelphia was approved and signed on March 21, 1859. Due to the Civil War, however, it was another 15 years before America's first zoo was ready to open. The Zoo opened its gates on July 1, 1874. The Frank Furness Victorian gates and gatehouses, and the Zoo's location, are the same today as they were on the day it opened. One of its assets, then and now, is John Penn's home, The Solitude, which sat on the land chosen for the Zoo. John Penn was the grandson of William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania. The Solitude is considered to be Philadelphia's most precise and elegant expression of neoclassical style. In its first year of operation, the Philadelphia Zoo had 813 animals and received well over 228,000 visitors. Today, the Zoo has more than 1,300 rare and endangered animals, and its attendance is approximately 1.2 million visitors a year.
This is the first zoo in our country. It's worth the trip for that alone, but the zoo itself is AMAZING!!!! Just about every animal that you can imagine can be found at this zoo. My particular favorite is the enormous Alligator Snapping turtle who is believed to be over 100 years old. I strongly suggest that you wear a good pair of walking shoes because this place is a lot bigger than it appears to be.
Very nice zoo with lots to see. Better spend an entire day to fully appreciate all the animals.
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Philadelphia Zoo
Hours
- Sun - Sat: 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
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Pets Allowed
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Wifi
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
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