Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Kansas City Zoo

Date opened	December 13, 1909; 115 years ago (1909-12-13)
Location	Swope Park Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Land area	202 acres (82 ha)
Coordinates	39°0′25″N 94°31′45″W / 39.00694°N 94.52917°W / 39.00694; -94.52917
No. of animals	1,700+ (Zoo) and 8,000+ (Aquarium)
Annual visitors	1+ million
Memberships	AZA
Website	https://kansascityzoo.org

The Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium is a huge zoo covering 202 acres (82 ha). It first opened its doors in 1909. You can find it in Swope Park in Kansas City, Missouri, United States.

This amazing zoo welcomes over one million visitors every year! It's home to almost 1,700 animals on land and about 8,000 animals in its new aquarium. The zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which means it meets high standards for animal care.

Discover the Zoo's History

Planning for the Kansas City Zoo began in 1907, and it officially opened on December 13, 1909. For its first 40 years, the zoo grew slowly. It added cool exhibits like the Bear Grotto in 1912.

Things really picked up in the 1940s with a fun monkey island and a special children's zoo. The 1950s brought even more additions, including a sea lion pool, the African Veldt, and a giraffe house. In the 1960s, an otter pool, elephant house, and the Great Ape House were built.

The early 1970s saw a dairy barn and gibbon islands added. Then, in 1991, the zoo expanded a lot, growing to its current size of 202 acres (82 ha). This big expansion led to new areas like Australia in 1993 and Africa in 1995. The Africa section was so popular that about 40,000 people visited in just its first two days!

The zoo also built the Sprint IMAX Theater, which was the first IMAX cinema at a zoo. These improvements helped the zoo reach record attendance in 1998. In 2002, the Orangutan Primadome opened. This was part of a big change where the zoo became a partnership between the city and a group called Friends of the Zoo (FOTZ).

The zoo keeps planning for the future with new improvements. The Discovery Barn opened in 2006, along with a faster path to the Africa section. In 2007, a carousel with endangered species was added to KidZone.

Many parts of the zoo have been updated since 2005. The Discovery Barn, which used to be the Red Barn, now has exhibits and slides for kids. Outside, there's a fun Peek-a-Boo Tree with a slide. A wide path called the Promenade was added in 2006, making it quicker to reach the African elephants.

New entrance gates opened in 2008, featuring an education center and exhibits for North American river otters and trumpeter swans. In 2009, the Tropics House opened, and in 2010, the exciting polar bear exhibit arrived. The Helzberg Penguin Plaza, a home for many penguins, opened in 2013. Most recently, the amazing $77 million Sobela Ocean Aquarium opened in 2023 after over 10 years of planning!

Explore the Zoo's Exhibits

The Kansas City Zoo is 202 acres (82 ha) and home to over 1,300 animals. It's divided into five main areas: Africa, Australia, Tiger Trail, KidZone, and The Valley.

Front Entry Plaza: Your Zoo Adventure Begins

When you arrive, you'll find the admission gates, restrooms, gift shop, and food options right at the entrance. In 2010, polar bears returned to the zoo near the North American river otter and trumpeter swan pool. The entry plaza also has an education center and stops for both the zebra tram and the train.

Polar Bear Passage: Meet the Arctic Giants

Nikita the polar bear enjoying his habitat.

This cool exhibit opened on August 8, 2010, with a polar bear named Nikita. The $11 million exhibit has a huge 140,000 US gallons (530,000 L) pool with a waterfall. You can view the bears from many angles through thick glass windows. In 2013, a female polar bear named Berlin joined Nikita. Later, Nikita moved to another zoo for breeding, and in 2020, a new male polar bear named Nuniq arrived.

Africa: A Safari Adventure

The Africa section is split into five parts: Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, the Congolese Rainforest, and Uganda. You'll find snack bars, the Rafiki Restaurant, and the Equator gift shop here. The Nanyuki Market also has a small aviary with masked lovebirds and white-cheeked turacos. You can catch a zebra tram or a boat ride from here.

Botswana: Home of the Elephants

Botswana is where you'll find nine African bush elephants (eight females, one male). Their exhibit is 4.5 acres (1.8 ha) long with a water pool. Sometimes, the elephants even do paintings and demos! The elephant walk also features a flamingo pool with Chilean flamingos, black-necked swans, and a Pink-backed Pelican. The Promenade path leads you right into Botswana.

Kenya: Plains and Aviaries

Kenya features cheetahs, warthogs, and a viewing deck where you can see springbok, lesser kudu, common eland, scimitar-horned oryx, and gray crowned cranes roaming the plains. You'll also spot Saddle-billed storks and Southern ground hornbills. The boma area looks like a Kenyan village with replica huts. Here, you can see lappet-faced vultures, white-necked ravens, Aldabra tortoises, bateleur eagles, red-flanked duikers, and blue duikers. The walk-through Scrubland Aviary is filled with many bird species, including white-cheeked turacos and lilac-breasted rollers. There are also exhibits for red ruffed lemurs and silvery-cheeked hornbills.

Tanzania: Lions, Chimps, and Giraffes

Giraffe, zebras, and scimitar oryx on the African plains.

Tanzania is home to African lions, which you can see from a climate-controlled building or a covered deck. Smaller exhibits that look like natural rock formations house animals like servals, bushbabys, caracals, black-footed cats, rock hyraxes, and bat-eared foxes. A log bridge leads to the eastern black rhinoceros exhibit and a large 3 acres (1.2 ha) home for chimpanzees. The chimpanzee building lets you watch a group of 12 chimps play and learn about them. On the other side of the African plains, you'll see Masai giraffes, Grant's zebras, gray crowned cranes, and ostriches. Nearby are kori bustards, secretary birds, leopard tortoises, West African dwarf crocodiles, and a hippo pool.

Uganda: Wild Dogs and Baboons

The Uganda section has an outdoor theater stage. It's home to spacious areas for African wild dogs and a group of Guinea baboons, which are right next to each other.

The Congolese Rainforest: Gorillas and Leopards

The Congolese Rainforest is across a swinging bridge from Kenya. Here you'll find red-capped mangabey and black mangabey exhibits. Amur leopards are featured in an exhibit with an overhead area that visitors walk under. A raised path goes through exhibits with bongo, gray crowned crane, red river hog, and yellow-backed duikers. You can see a bachelor western lowland gorilla and a separate breeding group of gorillas from a lookout building.

Australia: Kangaroos and Koalas

A White cockatoo in the Woodland Aviary.

Australia is in the northern part of the zoo. Here, you'll find a large field where red kangaroos roam freely. There's a walk-through Woodland Aviary with many birds like black swans, tawny frogmouths, and different types of cockatiels. Near the aviary exit is an emu exhibit. You can also see parma wallabys, Bennett's wallabys, dingos, and Matschie's tree kangaroos. A replica Australian sheep farm has a farmer's home, a building with animal hides, and a hands-on sheep pen. You'll also find dromedary camels and an indoor exhibit for Australian snakes. In 2016, a pair of koalas joined the zoo as a special attraction!

Tiger Trail: Asian Wonders

The Tiger Trail has been updated to focus on tigers and other animals from Asia. This area features oriental plants, lanterns, and statues. You'll see Francois langurs in the first enclosure. The path leads to a tunnel with Bali mynahs and red pandas. The main attraction here is the critically endangered Sumatran tiger exhibit, home to two male tigers. Other animals include wreathed hornbills and lion-tailed macaques. Near the former ape house, you can view Asian waterfowl like red-crowned cranes and Mandarin ducks.

Orangutan Canopy: A New Home for Apes

After living in an older building, the Bornean orangutans moved to a new exhibit in Tiger Trail in 2002. Then, in 2014, work began on a brand new $6 million exhibit called Orangutan Canopy. This 3,400 square foot space gives six Bornean orangutans a more natural outdoor environment. It opened to the public in May 2015.

KidZone: Fun for All Ages

A sea lion show at the zoo.

The KidZone area has a large cage for rainbow lorikeets, where you can even participate in daily feedings! There's also a big sea lion pool with several shows each day. The zoo's original 1909 building is behind the sea lions. It has been renovated many times and reopened in 2009 as the Tropics House.

Discovery Barn: Hands-On Fun

In the Discovery Barn, you'll find scarlet macaws, green-winged macaws, different types of frogs, squirrel monkeys, radiated tortoises, Prevost's squirrels, Linne's two-toed sloths, ring-tailed lemurs, and poison dart frogs. This barn also has fun slides and educational features for children.

Tropics: A Lush Indoor World

The entrance to the Tropics exhibit.

The Tropics exhibit is located in the zoo's very first building, which opened in 1909. It cost $32,000 to build and originally housed all of the zoo's animals. After many changes and renovations, it reopened as Tropics in May 2009.

Inside the Tropics House, you'll see saki monkeys, golden lion tamarins, white-cheeked gibbons, blue monkeys, small-clawed otters, capybaras, prehensile-tailed porcupines, mona monkeys, and freshwater stingrays. The 13,000 square feet (1,200 m²) building is filled with exotic plants and has a glass roof for natural light.

Helzberg Penguin Plaza: A Waddle of Fun

The entrance of the Helzberg Penguin Plaza.

The Helzberg Penguin Plaza opened on October 25, 2013. This 19,000 square feet (1,800 m²) building has a huge 100,000 US gallons (379,000 L) cold water tank for cold-weather penguins and a 25,000 US gallons (95,000 L) pool for warm-weather penguins. You can see four types of penguins here: king, gentoo, rockhopper, and Humboldt. The plaza also has smaller aquariums with fish, jellyfish, and a coral reef display.

The Valley: A Historic Area

The Valley area of the zoo opened in 1912. It used to be a main part of the zoo for many years. One famous story from here involves a grizzly bear named Nemo, who escaped in 1914 by bending the bars of his exhibit! He was found 18 days later in a local cemetery pool.

Monkey Island was once the center of The Valley. It opened in 1946 with rhesus monkeys. In 1961, 30 mangabeys escaped from the island! Most were lured back with food, but eleven stayed loose all summer. Monkey Island was taken down in 1992.

Most of The Valley closed in 2002 and completely by 2005. Today, a flamingo pond borders the outside edge. The old aviary row is now called Beaks and Feet Boulevard. Here, you can see Indian peafowls, green iguanas, military and green-winged macaws, spectacled owls, Swainson's toucans, black-billed magpies, golden lion tamarins, red-handed tamarins, and bobcats.

Great Ape House: A Landmark's Legacy

The former Great Ape House at the Kansas City Zoo in 2012.

The zoo's former Great Ape House was a very unique building in Kansas City, finished in 1966. It was seen as a modern wonder at the time. This circular building was once home to gibbons, chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas.

Over time, the apes moved to different parts of the zoo. The building was closed in 2003. After sitting empty for over ten years, the building was taken down in September 2015. This made space for a new area called Predator Canyon. As of 2023, the site is now the Outback Campground, which can be reserved for overnight events.

Getting Around the Zoo: Transportation Options

The African Sky Safari, a modified ski lift, offers great views.

Zebra Trams: A tram with zebra stripes takes you from the main entrance (World Gate) to the African section, passing by the African elephants and flamingos.
Kansas City Zoo Railroad: A mini train takes visitors around the main part of the zoo. It stops at the World Gate and Australia. You can see Dromedary camels and kangaroos from the ride.
Kenyan Cruise Boat Ride: From Memorial Day to Labor Day, you can take a boat ride for a close-up view of African savannah animals like Masai giraffes, lesser kudus, and scimitar-horned oryxes.
African Sky Safari: This is like a modified ski lift that goes over the middle of the Africa section. You can ride it round-trip or get off on the other side to explore. It opened in 2011.

Zoo Escapes: Animals on the Loose!

Sometimes, animals at the zoo have gotten out of their enclosures, but don't worry, they are always quickly and safely returned!

On February 19, 2012, two adult gorillas briefly escaped their enclosure when a door was accidentally left open. They were quickly captured within minutes, and no one was injured or in danger.
On April 10, 2014, seven chimpanzees got out of their enclosure when one used a log to climb over a wall. The zoo was put on lockdown, and visitors were kept safe inside buildings until all seven chimpanzees were back in their home.
On May 29, 2019, an elephant briefly escaped its enclosure after climbing a wall. It was safely returned within an hour.