Central Park Zoo facts for kids
Central Park Zoo logo
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Central area of the Central Park Zoo
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| Date opened | 1864 (menagerie); December 2, 1934 (zoo); August 8, 1988 (renovated) |
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| Location | Central Park, New York City, United States |
| Land area | 6.5 acres (2.6 ha) |
| Coordinates | 40°46′4″N 73°58′18″W / 40.76778°N 73.97167°W |
| Memberships | AZA |
The Central Park Zoo is a fun place to visit in Central Park, New York City. It covers about 6.5-acre (2.6 ha) and is part of a bigger group of four zoos and one aquarium. These are all managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). The WCS does a lot more than just run the zoo. They also have cool programs for kids, work to save animals that are in danger, and help the local community through volunteer programs.
The zoo started as a small collection of animals, called a menagerie, in 1864. This was the first public zoo in New York. The zoo you see today first opened on December 2, 1934. It was part of a big plan to make city parks better. Many people worked on building it during the Great Depression. A special Children's Zoo opened nearby in 1960.
After many years, the Central Park Zoo closed in 1983 for a big makeover. The old cages were replaced with natural-looking homes for the animals. It reopened on August 8, 1988. Now, it's a modern zoo that helps protect wildlife.
Contents
Exploring the Central Park Zoo
The Central Park Zoo is part of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). This group runs four zoos and an aquarium in New York City. The zoo is located at East 64th Street and Fifth Avenue. You can enter from Fifth Avenue or from inside Central Park.
Many people visit the Central Park Zoo every year. Over a million people come to see the animals! In 2016, the zoo had 1,487 animals from 163 different types of species.
Main Zoo Areas
The main zoo has three cool areas: the Tropic Zone, the Temperate Territory, and the Penguins and Sea Birds section. These areas are connected by pretty walkways with glass roofs. They are built around a central garden with a large sea lion pool. You can watch the sea lions swim and play, especially during their feeding times!
Animal Exhibits and Buildings
The "Tropic Zone" is like a two-story rain forest. Here, you can see amazing animals such as Rodrigues flying foxes, Seba's short-tailed bats, and colorful toucans. There are also cotton-top tamarins and black-and-white ruffed lemurs. Many different kinds of birds fly freely in a special area. You might also spot piranhas and red-footed tortoises.
To the west is the "Temperate Territory." This area has paths around a lake. It's home to animals like red pandas, white-naped cranes, and snow monkeys. A special exhibit for snow leopards opened here in 2009.
On the north side, you'll find the "Penguins and Sea Birds" section. This cool building has a chilly home for macaroni penguins, king penguins, and other penguins. Outside, there's a pool where you can see harbor seals. There's also an outdoor exhibit for grizzly bears.
The Arsenal building is next to the zoo on the east side. It was built in 1851 to store weapons. Now, it has offices for the NYC Parks Department. The zoo also has a 4D theater for fun shows.
The "Intelligence Garden" is on the south side of the central garden. It's named after an old animal collection from China. You can also grab a bite to eat at the Dancing Crane Cafe nearby.
Art and Conservation Efforts
You can find cool sculptures around the Central Park Zoo. Some buildings from the original 1934 zoo still have their animal-themed carvings. There are also bronze statues like Dancing Goat and Dancing Bear at the zoo's southern entrance. A very old statue called Tigress and Cubs is also here.
The zoo helps save endangered animals through special breeding programs. For example, they work with thick-billed parrots and red pandas. In 2011, the Central Park Zoo was the first zoo in North America to hatch rare scaly-sided merganser ducklings!
The zoo also has educational programs. Volunteers give tours to visitors and teach them about the animals. They also offer programs for students who want to learn more about wildlife.
Tisch Children's Zoo
The Children's Zoo is just north of the main zoo. It's named the Tisch Children's Zoo because of a generous donation from Laurence A. Tisch. This area is perfect for younger visitors! It has a petting zoo where you can meet mini nubian goats, sheep, pigs, alpacas, and even the only cow in Manhattan. There's also the Acorn Theatre, where you can watch performances. Your ticket to the main zoo includes entry to the Children's Zoo.
The beautiful Lehman Gates are a special part of the Children's Zoo. They were given by Herbert and Edith Lehman in 1960. The Delacorte Clock is another famous feature. It's on a tall tower between the main zoo and the Children's Zoo. Every half-hour, animal sculptures on the clock move and play music!
Zoo History
Early Days: The Menagerie
The idea for a zoo wasn't part of the first plans for Central Park. But people started leaving exotic pets and other animals in the park. The first animal, a bear cub, arrived in 1859. Soon, people donated monkeys, cranes, and peacocks. These animals became very popular with park visitors.
In 1864, the zoo officially became a public zoo. It was the second public zoo in the United States! By then, the park had over 400 animals. The animals were first kept in temporary spots. Later, they moved to buildings behind the Arsenal.
The menagerie became very popular because it was free to visit. By 1873, 2.5 million people came each year! A famous chimpanzee named "Mike Crowley" made the zoo even more popular in the 1880s. Even former president Ulysses S. Grant came to see him!
Over time, the zoo started to get old and run down. The city government didn't take good care of it. Animals were kept in small, old cages. By the 1930s, the zoo was in very bad shape. Some cages were even called "flimsy and rat-ridden."
Building the Current Zoo
In 1934, New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia and Parks Commissioner Robert Moses decided to rebuild the zoo. They got money and workers to create a brand new zoo. The old buildings were torn down, and the animals were moved temporarily.
The new zoo opened on December 2, 1934. It had nine new buildings made of brick and terracotta. A large sea lion pool was placed in the center. The new zoo was designed to be easy to keep clean and safe for the animals. It was a huge success, with six million visitors in its first year and a half!
Changes in the 1960s and 1970s
In 1960, the Children's Zoo was built. It had fun attractions like a petting area, a fiberglass whale, and a Noah's Ark feature.
In the late 1960s, the New York City Subway built new lines right under the zoo. This area became known as "Zoo York" by early subway artists.
By the 1970s, the main zoo was again showing its age. People protested the poor conditions. One official even called it a "Rikers Island for animals."
The Big Renovation of the 1980s
In 1980, the city decided to let the New York Zoological Society (now the WCS) manage the zoo. They planned a huge renovation. The old cages were removed, and the animals were moved to other zoos. Many large animals went to the bigger Bronx Zoo.
The main zoo closed in 1983 for the big project. The redesign created three natural-looking habitats. The sea lion pool, a central feature, was kept. The renovation cost $35 million and took several years. It finally reopened on August 8, 1988. For the first time, the zoo started charging admission to help pay for its upkeep.
1990s to Today
The Children's Zoo also needed a renovation in the 1990s. It closed in 1991 for repairs. With a big donation, it reopened in September 1997 as the Tisch Children's Zoo.
In 2009, a new exhibit for snow leopards opened. These beautiful animals were moved from the Bronx Zoo. This was the first new exhibit since the 1988 renovation!
A Famous Zoo Hoax
There's a famous story about a "Central Park Zoo escape" from 1874. It was a joke played by a newspaper called the New York Herald. The newspaper printed a front-page story saying that animals had escaped from the zoo! It claimed a rhinoceros started it, followed by a polar bear, a panther, a Numidian lion, and even a Bengal tiger.
At the very end of the long article, there was a small note saying: "... of course, the entire story given above is a pure fabrication. Not one word of it is true." But many people didn't see this note right away and were very worried! The newspaper later said they just wanted to show that the zoo's safety could be better.
Notable Animals
- In the early 1900s, an Asian elephant named Hattie lived at the zoo. She was very popular.
- Pattycake was a female western lowland gorilla born at the zoo in 1972. She was the first gorilla born in captivity in New York! She later moved to the Bronx Zoo.
- Flaco, a Eurasian eagle owl, lived at the zoo starting in 2010. He famously escaped in 2023 and lived freely in Central Park for a year before he passed away in 2024.
Images for kids
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1869, The Dovecote
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Sea lion pool, as seen looking south toward Midtown Manhattan
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Children's Zoo
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See also
In Spanish: Zoológico de Central Park para niños
