I've seen a lot of savanna exhibits, and Dallas is the main one that wowed me. The design is fantastic, with plenty of ways to shift animals around, multiple heights of viewing, etc. The exhibit that held warthog on my visit felt like a real ravine among the rocks. There are multiple deep pools for the elephants, as well; I got to watch one completely underwater, just her trunk sticking out, playing with a log. I'm mostly staying out of this thread, but wanted to say I would have been disappointed if this exhibit hadn't been mentioned.
I don't see Wilds of Africa as a proper exhibit, more so a collection of different African exhibit complexes including Giants of the Savanna, Gorilla Trail, Hippo Outpost, many other miscellaneous exhibits and the currently closed former monorail enclosures. These areas were all built at completely different times and don't flow together as a single cohesive complex. It's the same reason why I can't just put the entirety of San Diego's 'Lost Forest' region on the list - it's composed of seven completely different exhibits from different eras. I definitely don't think any part of this exhibit is "plain ugly". My comments were referring to how green the yards are even after 13 years of use. Beyond the protected trees, the grass is frequently replanted and the forest backdrop works really well with the rest of the environment. Not very many elephant exhibits are kept from becoming dust bowls and with the amount of activity from all of the different inhabitants, it's extremely impressive they have been able to avoid that outcome. I maintain the riverbanks look great and the shift gates don't detract anything for me. By the way, for anyone interested in seeing how the exhibit looks when all of the species are together, here is a short clip from the zoo's YouTube channel.
Bonus Post #1. Remembering the Past: Former Exhibits that were 'must-see' We've already arrived at the 1/5th point of this thread, so it's time for a brief intermission with the first in a series of bonus posts I will be doing periodically. I'd like to begin by covering a topic that was discussed on the Europe thread; must-see exhibits that are unfortunately no more. There aren't very many which is definitely a good thing, but a few standout exhibits have been relegated to history. Here are three that standout as notable losses and likely would have made this list if they were still around. 1. African Wetlands Aviary Zoo Tampa, FL Existed: 2009-2017 Size: 13,000 Square Feet (1,200 Square Meters) Inhabitants: Shoebill Stork, Yellow–billed Stork, Greater Flamingo, Great White Pelican, White-breasted Cormorant, Ring-tailed Lemur Tampa’s biggest claim to fame is being the first and only American collection to breed shoebill storks. That achievement is in big part thanks to this once stunning aviary, where the storks had a vast space to freely fly. Shoebills were obviously the stars of the show, but the groups of other large water birds were very impressive as well. Ring-tailed lemurs were also featured on a small island within the aviary, although they were long gone by the time of the exhibit's untimely demise. Many were surprised and saddened to find that the aviary was suddenly demolished at the end of 2017. Unfortunately, it was structurally unsound and with no available funds for repairs, the zoo’s hands were tied. Thankfully, a new shoebill enclosure was built across the path a few years after its closure, but it doesn’t hold a candle to this formerly brilliant display. The site where the aviary stood still sits empty and will be redeveloped as part of an extensive revamp to the zoo's African area, although that is in the very far off future. @snowleopard @snowleopard 2. World of Darkness Bronx Zoo, NY Existed: 1969-2009 Size: 8,700 Square Feet (800 Square Meters) Inhabitants: A large variety of nocturnal species including bats, prosimians, small carnivores and herps. This unusually shaped building was one of the first ever proper nocturnal houses and once held an incredible collection of odd small mammals and reptiles. Some exhibits were a touch small on space, but were well done overall and the diversity of the house was extraordinarily impressive. Budget cuts forced the zoo to close several exhibits and this building was one of the unfortunate casualties due to the high operating costs associated with nocturnal houses. Today the building still stands abandoned and void of animals, however there is still a glimmer of hope that one day this house can be reopened and brought back to its former glory. The zoo has expressed interest in doing so in the past, but only time will tell. Because this was a nocturnal exhibit that closed many years ago, there are very few photos of the exhibit online. If anyone has some they would be able to share, that would be highly appreciated. @Newzooboy 3. Horn and Hoof Mesa San Diego Zoo, CA Existed: c.1960-2007 Size: 7 Acres (2.8 Hectares) Inhabitants: A wide variety of hoofstock. While there's no denying that the loss of this exhibit was saddening, it's a bit more understandable why this one is no longer around. The appeal of hoofstock to the general public is rather limited and many of these enclosures were visually quite dated. That doesn't make the loss of this area any less unfortunate for ungulate enthusiasts, as the collection here was truly unparalleled. This was essentially a long winding trail through 20+ hoofstock paddocks that contained a cornucopia of rare and unusual ungulates. It doesn't help that the exhibits replacement isn't regarded very well by zoo nerds, as has already been discussed earlier in this thread. However, unlike the others mentioned above, this exhibit is not wholly dead. Remnants of the mesa still exist through a half dozen hoofstock paddocks that were left over after most of the area was demolished, so you can still get a small sample of what this exhibit was like. @Baldur @Baldur @Baldur While those are some that would have been heavily considered for this list, there are other now-closed exhibits that come to mind: North Carolina Zoo's African Pavilion, Brookfield Zoo's Aardvark House, Houston Zoo's Bird Gardens, etc. While not proper exhibits per say, the monorail rides at San Diego Zoo Safari Park and Dallas Zoo are also looked back on fondly. With that said, I'd be highly interested in hearing of any other former exhibits that could have been considered must-see that I didn't mention here.
Claws! at Sea Life Minnesota was one of my all-time favorite zoo exhibits before it close. A fascinating collection of various crab species in beautiful exhibits.
Great Idea for a bonus post. I think a lot of former exhibits are significant due to their historical value and exhibits they later inspired- even if the exhibits wouldn't hold up today, along with significance due to certain important people who worked on the exhibits. For example, while Buffalo Zoo does still have a reptile house, I'd imagine that the original reptile house at Buffalo Zoo, if it still existed, would be a candidate for a must-see exhibit due to being the Reptile House that Marlin Perkins built, even if better reptile houses were designed since. Another exhibit that I've heard a lot of praise for on here, albeit likely due to certain residents and not the exhibit itself was Cincinnati's Wildlife Canyon. This exhibit, however, was already past its heyday when the exhibit was already closed, and I'd imagine there are many other exhibits still in use that have been neglected over the years, and would no longer be must-see even if they once would've been considered as such. The main candidate, however, I'd like to nominate for a former must-see exhibit are the 1980 renovations of the Roger Williams Park Zoo. When the RWPZ closed in 1978 for major renovations, a man named John Gwynne was hired to lead the design for the renovations. John Gwynne was later hired by legendary Zoo Director William Conway of the Bronx Zoo, and was the brains behind two incredible tropical themed exhibits there: Jungle World and Congo Gorilla Forest. While at RWPZ, one of the major projects completed by Gwynne was the Tropical America exhibit- which repurposed a former Elephant House into an exhibit for Saki Monkeys, free-ranging tamarins, fruit bats, flamingos, various free-flight birds, giant anteaters, and more. Gwynne later used his time at RWPZ, and specifically this project, as inspiration for designing Jungle World at the Bronx Zoo (which obviously was on a much larger scale- both in terms of space and money). Jungle World, however, likely wouldn't exist, at least in the form it does today, without the now-defunct Tropical America exhibit at Roger Williams. While the building is still standing, there currently aren't any animal exhibits inside, something that seems unlikely to change in the near future (even if I personally would love to see it house animals once again). Other former exhibits from the 1980 renovation were the Children's Nature Center, later transformed into Australasia (and now World of Adaptations), and the zoo's once extremely popular polar bear exhibit, since renovated for bald eagles. While this polar bear exhibit did not hold the test of time, it was highly praised by both experts and the public alike in the 1980's and considered to be one of the best polar bear exhibits in the country. Roger Williams Park Zoo overall may be one of the best examples for a zoo that has stagnated while others have grown, as only forty years ago was considered one of the top zoos in the country, while today it didn't even make the list of fifty must-see zoos. While some current and upcoming projects do make me hopeful for the zoo's future, standing in the country's top zoos likely won't be achieved in the forseeable future.
Before San Diego Zoo’s Tiger River opened in 1988, the site it occupies had been perhaps the most beautiful exhibit in the zoo: Cascade Canyon. Featuring a mix of hoofstock (sitatunga and bushbuck) and large waterbirds (storks, pelicans, ibis), it was a lushly planted and picturesque habitat of streams and waterfalls viewed in part from a winding boardwalk. It’s ironic that the first major attempt by SDZ to create an immersion exhibit required the demolition of the one existing exhibit at the zoo that already embodied many of the characteristics of the style. Some of the original rockwork creating the “canyon” is still present as a retaining wall near the crocodilian pool at the upper reach of the “Tiger River” portion of the “Lost Forest.”
Not most zoochatters' cup of tea, but here are a couple demolished exhibits that illustrate some historic themes: -The ape house at Kansas City. Obviously a poor exhibit space for the apes, but the building itself was a real architectural statement of a type that American zoos rarely attempt now. -The cat complex at Omaha. One of the biggest of the 60s/70s animal houses of the generation before the pavillion-style buildings became common. Unlike the older era animal houses there isn't much nostalgia for these so who knows how long "peer" buildings like Cleveland's Primate/Cat/Aquatics will stick around.
This is a great choice. I saw the building when I visited Kansas City Zoo in 2010 as it was still standing, even though it had sat empty for years. Here are a couple of photos I took of the Great Ape House in 2010: The structure opened in 1966 but sat empty of animals from 2003 until it was demolished in 2015. I will quote from the zoo's highly informative 2009 history book: "The design was a unique modern concept. The 55-foot-tall circular building was divided into four sections for the apes: gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans and gibbons. In the center was a small tropical aviary and a glass-enclosed tower. Hailed as the 'Monkey Hilton', it cost about $327,000 to build. Seven gibbons, five chimpanzees, two orangutans and two gorillas were in residence for the grand opening July 7, 1966." "With about five times as much space inside and 25 times as much space outside, the primates' new quarters were an improvement. However, they were just as empty of environmental stimulation as the little cages had been. The outside exhibit was a large, plain concrete slab and a 13-foot deep moat. The space inside was equally sterile and encased in 1-inch safety glass." "Many people were not impressed by this new exhibit, despite its architectural flair. Director Ernest Hagler even suggested moving out the animals and turning the building into a gift shop or restaurant." An interesting (and amusing!) observation is that one year later, this Roman Catholic Cathedral opened in Liverpool in 1967:
Jacksonville’s African aviary is set to be closed to make a new lion exhibit(ugh). While it’s not must see, it’s quite a diverse aviary.
Oh man, that loss still hurts. The African area in general at ZooTampa is a shadow of when it opened. ZooTampa also had a large Australian Outback area roughly where parts of Safari Africa and the overflow parking lot are now. While not revolutionary, it is not common to demolish an entire area of a zoo for parking and extra off show space. Not to mention the very recent loss of the RJ Reynolds free flight aviary, large aviaries like that are not so common, and demolishing it is another blow to NC.
I'd seen pictures of Cascade Canyon in old guidebooks. It looked great. IIRC it had pygmy hippos as well?
21. Gelada Reserve Bronx Zoo, NY Opened: 1990 Size: 2 Acres (0.8 Hectares) Inhabitants: Gelada, Nubian Ibex, Rock Hyrax It really is a bit surprising geladas are so uncommon in North American collections - even if they are slowly becoming more prevalent. They are excellent display animals who are constantly doing something interesting and the sheer vastness of an enclosure like this one means they can be kept in a large group. This is the largest baboon enclosure in America and one of the nicest recreations of the Ethiopian Highlands in a zoo. The exhibit is so vast that it can occasionally appear a bit understocked at times when only a few animals are in view, but alongside the geladas are groups of Nubian ibex and rock hyrax. One may think it would be difficult to locate the hyrax in such a large space, but they can reliably be found near rock outcroppings by the viewing pavilions. Seeing the ibex and baboons interact is always interesting and there are numerous well done interpretive displays on primate social hierarchy and evolution. The exhibit is essentially just a spacious grassy hillside, but it is as simple as it is brilliant. @Milwaukee Man @TinoPup @TinoPup @Gomphothere Similar Exhibits: There aren't very many baboon exhibits in the US that are this impressive and none that mix them with other species. Beyond a particularly notable one, part of a larger complex which will be discussed later, North Carolina Zoo's Hamadryas baboon enclosure is probably the next best thing, although it's currently undergoing some renovations which will include the addition of a large indoor dayroom themed around Ethiopian ruins. @Milwaukee Man
They did for a few years, but after some confrontations between the two species, the zoo sent most of their ibex herd to Bronx. There may still be an individual or two held behind-the-scenes, but the mix has definitely been discontinued.
Having visited both SD and Bronx this past year I agree that Bronx has the better of the two. Not just species but the exhibit itself
As a European that have visited only a handful of zoos in USA, it is a fantastic read, so thank you for all the work and time dedicated ! You did start your thread in the United States forum but did name it "America's...". Shall we expect any entry from Canada or Mexico ? Or even Brazil or Chile ? I am a bit cheeky on this as I know that other Americans (at least my Brazilian friends) dislike the habit USA have to monopolize the continent's name for themselves. On a more serious matter, I am surprised by the fascination geladas is playing compared to other baboons species or even macaques, hamadryas baboon in particular. I find the last at least as entertaining as geladas, and I would say far more active. With the space issues AZA is facing for smaller monkeys and the numerous phase-out that had to be decided I wonder why Bronx and SD did dedicate such space and investments to a non-priority specie from conservation and ex-situ breeding point of view. Once this is said, geladas are certainly lucky in USA, probably the privilege of being a rare and new specie for the region.
I've met Mexicans who dislike the use of "America" to refer to the US as well. As a whole I would agree it isn't the best usage as it really does refer to two whole continents, however I still use the term occasionally as it usually seems to be what Europeans refer to the country as (and "America's" is easier to say or type than "The United States's).
Like @birdsandbats insinuated, “The United State’s 100 must-see exhibits” doesn't roll off the tongue very well. With that said, I will touch on a few must-see exhibits not in the US at a certain point, so stay tuned.
Your damn straight it will. San Diego hasn’t completely disassembled the Ibex heard. The group was relocated to the Safari Park where they recently had quite a few births (I think I put the number in the 22 Safari news thread). I don’t know if the mix will be continued but I’m sure the species will be stick around the San Diego parks.
I have heard before that nocturnal houses are expensive to maintain. Does anybody know why this is compared to other indoor exhibits? All I can think of at the moment is that leaving the lights on a night must cost a large sum of electricity.
