Montgomery Zoo - Montgomery, Alabama - Zoos on Waymarking.com

Montgomery, Alabama, has a population of just over 200,000, yet it is the home to an excellent zoo that works hard to maintain its popularity with the public. The zoo is located south of the Northern Boulevard. The address is 2301 Coliseum Parkway, Montgomery, Alabama 36110. Hours are 9:00am to 5:30pm daily, though there are special events through the year where the hours may vary. For example, during the Christmas Lights Festival, the zoo is open until 9:30pm. Private groups can arrange rental of the facilities for special occasions. The cost of admittance to the zoo itself ranges from $10.00 for adults to $7.00 for children 3 - 12 years of age.

The history of the zoo has two phases. The first was at Oak Park, which was closed during the 1960s civil rights era. The zoo reopened in its new location and has expanded from six acres to more than 40 over the decades. The following history comes from their web site listed below.

"What began in a small downtown park in Montgomery, Alabama has now grown, expanded and become a premiere American zoological facility. The Montgomery Zoo started with humble beginnings as a small children’s zoo as a part of a local community park in the 1920s. While at Oak Park, the zoo housed alligators, monkeys, bears and assorted other animals. There was a small train and carousel for the children.

As the years passed and dreams grew, in 1972 the Montgomery Zoo relocated to the quickly expanding north section of town, and still its current location. The Zoo began with six acres, a small petting zoo for the children, assorted monkeys, a flight cage designed after the 1906 St. Louis World’s Fair and chimpanzee named Benji.

In 1976, the Montgomery Zoo hosted its first fundraising event entitled Zoo Day. This initial event grew to become an annual event and even take on a new name: Zoo Weekend. Today, an average Zoo Weekend will play host to over 18,000 guests. In 1989, ground-breaking took place expanding the Zoo to 40 acres. After two years of hard labor, the community welcomed a new Zoo in 1991. Barrier-free and multi-species exhibits highlighted the expansion, as well as, the Zoo being divided into five continental realms: Africa, Australia, Asia, North America and South America.

Since then the Zoo has continued to grow and expand. In 1992, the cougar and lynx exhibit was opened in North American realm, the Reptile House, jaguar, and ocelot exhibit were completed in South America, as well as, the new chimpanzee and siamang exhibits opened in the Africa realm. In 1993, the bengal tiger exhibit opened in the Asian realm with one white and one orange tiger. In 1995, the bald eagle exhibit opened in North American realm and Monkey Island was completely renovated in South America.

In 1996 , the new American black bear exhibit opened and our first baby cheetah was born. A few years later in 1998, the maned wolf and Indian rhino exhibit opened. In 2003, the Mann Wildlife Learning Museum was completed and opened on Zoo property. In 2004, probably our largest undertaking began: the building of our African elephant exhibit. After a year of hard work and sweat, the exhibit opened housing three female elephants. And almost two years to the date of opening the exhibit, our first African elephant was born. This is the first African elephant born in the State of Alabama. In the same year (2007), we also experienced the first Indian rhino to be born at the Montgomery Zoo: a male calf. In March of 2008, the North American River Otter exhibit opened featuring two river otters and an addition habitat for a North American Alligator Snapping Turtle."

Zoo Website address: [Web Link] Admission Cost: 10.00 (listed in local currency)

Visit Instructions:
Please tell us a story about your visit to the zoo and the date of your visit. Additional photos, especially animals, are appreciated, but not required.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/12/2019 Blazer3T visited it