Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden facts for kids
Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden Logo (2002-present)
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| Date opened | 1902 (Wheeler Park Zoo) 1920 (as Lincoln Park Zoo) |
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| Location | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States |
| Land area | 119 acres (48 ha) |
| Coordinates | 35°31′16″N 97°28′21″W / 35.5212°N 97.4724°W |
| No. of animals | 1,900 |
| No. of species | 512 |
| Annual visitors | 1,046,000 |
| Memberships | AZA, AAM |
The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is an exciting zoo and amazing botanical garden. You can find it in the Adventure District of northeast Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
This huge zoo covers about 119 acres. It is home to more than 1,900 animals! The zoo is open every day except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. It is a trusted member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the American Alliance of Museums.
Contents
Explore the Zoo's Amazing Exhibits
Get ready to discover incredible animals and plants in the zoo's special areas!
- Sanctuary Asia: This 9.5-acre area feels like you're in Asia. It's where the zoo's herd of Asian elephants lives. Their home has three big outdoor yards, cool pools, and even a waterfall! You can watch them from a raised walkway.
- The Children's Zoo: This is a fun place just for kids! You can explore and play while getting close to nature and animals. Look for flamingos, friendly goats, playful monkeys, and colorful lorikeets. There's also a stream to play in!
- Great EscAPE: This 6-acre exhibit is like a tropical rainforest. It's home to two groups of gorillas, a family of orangutans, and a community of chimpanzees. They live among lots of tropical plants.
- Cat Forest/Lion Overlook: Step into this 4.2-acre area to see big and small cats. You can spot powerful African lions, majestic tigers, and stealthy snow leopards. More than 4,000 plants make this area feel like their natural homes.
- Oklahoma Trails: This 7.7-acre section shows off animals native to Oklahoma. You might see black bears, alligators, huge bison, and busy beavers. There are also over two dozen types of snakes! Don't miss the walk-in bird exhibit and a barn with bats, skunks, and owls.
- Aquaticus: Dive into a world of over 1,500 water creatures here. Watch the playful California sea lions and marvel at the colorful coral reefs.
- Butterfly Garden: This beautiful outdoor garden is 21,000 square feet. It's filled with many kinds of butterflies, like the amazing monarch butterfly and the colorful painted lady. Over 15,000 plants make this a perfect home for them.
- Island Life: This exhibit features animals from islands around the world. You can see giant Galápagos tortoises, bright Caribbean flamingos, and unique Abaco Island boas. There's also a special building called a herpetarium with over 80 exhibits of reptiles and amphibians.
More Fun Things to Do
Besides the animal exhibits, the zoo has many other exciting attractions:
- Take a ride on the Safari Voyage boats.
- Feed the giraffes at the giraffe feeding platform.
- Explore the zoo on the Safari Tram.
- Spin around on the Endangered Species Carousel.
- Enjoy the entertaining Sea Lion Show.
- Hop aboard the Centennial Choo Choo train.
- Play at the Jungle Gym Playground.
- Go for a ride on swan paddleboats.
Around the Zoo
The zoo is part of Oklahoma City's Adventure District. It's located near major highways, I-35 and I-44. Nearby, you can find the Zoo Amphitheater, Lincoln Park, Northeast Lake, and the Lincoln Park Golf Course. Other cool places in the Adventure District include the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Science Museum Oklahoma, the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame, and Remington Park Racing/Casino.
What Used to Be Here?
The zoo has changed over the years. Here are some past attractions:
- Dolphinarium: The zoo used to have bottlenose dolphins from 1986 to 2001. To keep them safe and healthy, the dolphins were moved to Mississippi. Now, this area is home to the sea lions.
- Monkey Island: This special island was at the zoo's entrance. Monkeys would play and sleep there. It opened in 1935 but was taken down in 1998. Sadly, visitors sometimes threw things onto the island that could harm the monkeys. The island was closed and filled in. Today, a plaza with a gift shop and restaurant stands where Monkey Island once was.
- Primate House: This building was built in the 1950s. Apes lived there until 1993. In 1993, the apes moved to a more natural habitat. The old building was torn down, and the Canopy Food Court was built in its place.
Special Animals We Remember
Some animals at the zoo become very famous and are remembered by many visitors.
- Malee the Elephant: Malee was an Asian elephant born on April 15, 2011. She weighed 300 pounds when she was born! Her mother was Asha, one of the zoo's elephants. The zoo celebrated her birthday every year with special parties. Sadly, Malee passed away on October 1, 2015, at 4 AM. She had a sickness called elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus. This virus can affect elephants, and some other elephants at the zoo also had it, but Malee's sister, Achara, did not.
Images for kids
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Abaco Island boa
