I've come up with a list of 13 Arizona zoos that are open to the public (although some only have pre-booked guided tours), but are there any that I'm missing? Has anyone visited all 13? Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (Tucson)* Bearizona (Williams) Grand Canyon Deer Farm (Williams) Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary (Prescott) Keepers of the Wild (Valentine) Navajo Nation Zoo (Window Rock) Oasis Sanctuary (Scottsdale) Out of Africa Wildlife Park (Camp Verde) Phoenix Zoo (Phoenix)* Reid Park Zoo (Tucson)* Sea Life Arizona (Tempe) Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center (Scottsdale) Wildlife World Zoo (Litchfield Park) * Arizona only has 3 zoos that are AZA-accredited.
Phoenix Herpetological Society (Scottsdale) Phoenix Herpetological Society The Camel Farm (Yuma) https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Camel-Farm/115204761838646 Butterfly Wonderland (Scottsdale) Welcome to Butterfly Wonderland - A Rainforest Experience. Sonoran Arthropod Studies Institute Pima County Attractions NOTE - their official website (not the one above) has been taken over by an unrelated site, so they may no longer be in existence? Also the OASIS sanctuary has a mailing address in Scottsdale but their actual location is Cascabel, which is southeast Arizona and nowhere near Scottsdale.
Also you ask if anyone has visited all of them? I seriously doubt it, but Ituri may have visited more than anyone. I am likely second (or maybe even tie him), so I will give my list (from north to south). Keepers Of The Wild Out Of Africa Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary Phoenix Herpetological Society Wildlife World Zoo Phoenix Zoo Arizona Sonora Desert Museum Reid Park Zoo Plus two that are very thankfully now closed: Payson Zoo Douglas Wildlife Zoo
This is a great list that you have given me! Just when I think that I've listed all of the "zoos" in a particular state I find another bunch to add to my collection. I have a total of 20+ for the state of Kansas, and around 20+ each in both Massachusetts and Michigan. Of course California and Florida lead the way with 60+ each but eventually I will have a complete list of every zoo in every American state. It is a project that I've been working on for a while now. Anyway, the Phoenix Herpetological Society seems difficult to visit without pre-booking anything (such a pain for road trips); the Camel Farm I knew about but I wasn't sure if it really counted or not; the Sonoran Arthropod facility also seems awkward to arrange a visit; and Butterfly Wonderland caught me off-guard so perhaps it is fairly new. I'm excited for the 2-million gallon aquarium OdySea opening in December 2015 in the Phoenix area.
Butterfly Wonderland is new - I have seen it since it is right off the 101 freeway (on the way to Phoenix Herp). The Odyssey appears to be a sister facility, but there has been no construction started that I know of so I would be very surprised if it opens in 2015. Honestly, I am surprised the Phoenix desert can support a third aquarium. Of course you would have this list already if you bought my southwest zoo book
I'm hoping to swing through Arizona in a few years and purchase a signed copy in person. Otherwise I'll drown in shipping fees.
Having moved out of the Grand Canyon State a decade ago, many of those institutions have come into being since my departure. Here's my list Grand Canyon Deer Farm Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary Payson Zoo (closed) Out of Africa (closed Fountain Hills location) Phoenix Zoo SeaLife Arizona Wildlife World Zoo Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Reid Park Zoo Additionally, though I haven't been, there's a reptile display out at the Goldfield Ghost Town known as the Superstition Serpentarium.
Updated List (posted December 2016): Open daily to public: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (Tucson) Bearizona (Williams) Butterly Wonderland (Scottsdale) Grand Canyon Deer Farm (Williams) Heritage Park Zoo (Prescott) Keepers of the Wild (Valentine) Navajo Nation Zoo (Window Rock) OdySea Aquarium (Scottsdale) Out of Africa (Camp Verde) Phoenix Zoo (Phoenix) Reid Park Zoo (Tucson) Sea Life Arizona (Tempe) Superstition Serpentarium (Superstition) Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium, Safari Park (Litchfield Park) Open only by appointment or occasional open house: Dolphinaris (Scottsdale) Oasis Sanctuary (Cascabel) Phoenix Herpetological Society (Scottsdale) Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center (Scottsdale) May or may not be considered a “zoo”: Camel Farm (Yuma) Tucson Botanical Gardens Butterfly Exhibit (Tucson)
After Snowleopard originally posted this, he made one of his famous (infamous?) whirlwind trips through the Southwest and hit most of the Arizona facilities, including the tiny and infrequently visited Superstition Serpentarium. To read the humorous account yourself, go to this thread and scroll to Day 20: Snowleopard's 2015 Road Trip
I have fond memories of ultra-tiny Superstition Serpentarium and I re-read my review with a chuckle or two escaping my lips. Thanks for posting an updated list of Arizona zoos and of the 14 that are open daily I've toured and reviewed 12 of them. I'm only missing OdySea Aquarium (which just opened) and Navajo Nation Zoo (which has a different time zone and has been awkward for me to squeeze into past road trips). I'll get there eventually!
