America’s First Zoo - the Philadelphia Zoo - turned 150 on
March 21, 2009!
The year was 1859, a truly historic year.
Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species.
Charles Dickens published A Tale of Two Cities.
The American oil industry was born in Titusville, Pennsylvania, when the first oil well was drilled.
London’s Big Ben rang for the first time.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania signed the charter establishing the Zoological Society of Philadelphia--the very first of its kind in this country.
Major Events in Zoo History
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Zoological Society of Philadelphia established
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March 21, 1859
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Philadelphia Zoo grand opening
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July 1, 1874
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First-of-its-kind animal health laboratory established at Zoo
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1901
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Bird House opens
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1916
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First successful birth of an orangutan in a U.S. zoo
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1928
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Zoo wired for electricity
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1928
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First successful birth of a chimpanzee in U.S. zoo
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1928
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Leo, the MGM lion, retires to the Zoo after a 15-year movie career
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March 1931
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Zoo develops first scientifically controlled diets, “zoocake”
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1935
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First Children's Zoo in the western hemisphere opens
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1938
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New Elephant House opens
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1941
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Zoo discovered carrot juice diet helped flamingos retain pink color
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1948
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Carnivora House opens
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1951
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Bird Valley opens
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1954
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First cheetahs born in a zoo
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1956
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New Children's Zoo opens
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1957
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Centennial of the Zoological Society of Philadelphia
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1959
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Rare Mammal House opens (now Rare Animal Conservation Center)
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1965
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Small Mammal House opens
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1967
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Reptile House opens
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1972
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Docent Council established
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1972
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Centennial of Zoo Opening
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July 1, 1974
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Zoo becomes one of the first officially accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)
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1974
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African Plains completed
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1975
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Zoo education department established
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1976
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“Rocky proposes to Adrian” in front of the Carnivora House
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1979
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Bear Country opens
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April 1980
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First successful birth of an echidna in North America
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April 1983
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Treehouse opens
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April 1985
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Naked mole-rat exhibit opens
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January 1992
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Carnivore Kingdom opens
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April 25, 1992
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Newly renovated Amphibian and Reptile House opens
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June 1998
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PECO Primate Reserve opens
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July 1999
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Channel 6 Zooballoon® launched
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June 2002
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First successful birth of a giant river otter in North America
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March 2004
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Newly renovated Children’s Zoo opens
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May 2004
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Sesquicentennial Weekend
The Zoo’s 150th anniversary started with Sesquicentennial Weekend March 21 and 22, 2009.
The weekend began with a special program led off by the US 3rd Colored Troop color guard. CEO Vik Dewan, Mayor Michael Nutter and many other elected officials addressed the audience, accompanied by songs from the Keystone Boychoir. Throughout the day, entertainment from Beck’s Brass Band, costumed storytellers and old-fashioned bicycles kept everyone in a Victorian mood.
Nearly 20,000 guests were treated to a Victorian Festival featuring storytellers in Victorian garb and entertainment from the Victorian Era including puppet shows, barbershop quartets, brass bands and more.
Our friends the Philadelphia Phillies brought the 2008 World Series Trophy to bring the party back to the present! Guests were lined up to see a new kind of history.
One of the highlights was a Birthday Cake Competition. Guests had a chance to eat the cakes cake and bring our animals presents. We tried to capture the excitement in photographs.
The Solitude: A Celebration 225 Years in the Making
A fundraiser for the restoration of The Solitude, the home of John Penn, grandson of Philadelphia’s founder, William Penn.
Philadelphia Zoo’s Newest Attraction!
On May 30, the Zoo’s new $17.5 million McNeil Avian Center opened to great reviews. The beautiful renovation of our 1916 birdhouse (pictured above) is an engaging blend of old and new, which ties in perfectly with our historic celebration.
Gifts of Gratitude
As you age, in some world cultures, you give presents on your birthday rather than receive them. To celebrate that tradition, the Zoo created a program called Gifts of Gratitude. The goal of the program is to celebrate our anniversary with some of our most important stakeholders: our members and our community.
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150 educational experiences for students in Camden, Chester-Upland and Philadelphia schools
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Day at the Zoo for 60 community organizations
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150 family memberships for 15 Community organizations
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15 grants of $1,500 for local projects based on conservation and sustainability
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150 Zoo-on-Wheels visits to community events and schools
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Commemorative poster designed by a student from the Academy of the Fine Arts for our members