This thread by @pachyderm pro got me thinking, wouldn't it be cool if we keep track of which ZooChatter has visited the most zoos in each state? Sort of like a competition? For example, I have visited 19 zoos in the state of Wisconsin. Unless any has visited more in Wisconsin, that would make me the winner for Wisconsin. I know that @snowleopard would probably win most states, but I still think this would be interesting. Closed zoos count.
Here is how many zoos/aquariums I've visited in each U.S. state: Alabama = 2 Alaska = 0 Arizona = 12 Arkansas = 4 California = 62 Colorado = 5 Connecticut = 3 Delaware = 0 Florida = 12 Georgia = 2 Hawaii = 0 Idaho = 6 Illinois = 13 (including this summer's zoo trip) Indiana = 4 Iowa = 2 Kansas = 10 Kentucky = 2 Louisiana = 7 Maine = 0 Maryland = 3 Massachusetts = 2 Michigan = 20 (including this summer's zoo trip) Minnesota = 10 (including this summer's zoo trip) Mississippi = 2 Missouri = 8 Montana = 4 Nebraska = 5 Nevada = 5 New Hampshire = 0 New Jersey = 2 New Mexico = 8 New York = 6 North Carolina = 4 North Dakota = 5 Ohio = 6 Oklahoma = 6 Oregon = 10 Pennsylvania = 3 Rhode Island = 1 South Carolina = 3 South Dakota = 4 Tennessee = 5 Texas = 45 Utah = 4 Vermont = 0 Virginia = 2 Washington = 13 West Virginia = 0 Wisconsin = 28 (including this summer's zoo trip) Wyoming = 0
Sorry, but future plans to visit zoos don't count until they happen. Does anyone else have higher totals for any of these states? Or a tie? Does @geomorph have any high state zoo counts? I am assuming @Pleistohorse has at least one Alaska...
There are nine collections in Alaska that are open for public viewing, plus one seasonal that varies in quality and focus each year. I’ve been to four of the permanent collections: The Alaska Zoo, The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, The Imaginarium (small collection of turtles and alligators) and The Alaska SeaLife Center. The seasonal collection would be the Alaska State Fair which mostly exhibits domestics...although Llamas, Alpacas, Yaks, Reindeer, Fjord Horses, and Highland Cattle are reasonably exotic and a good representation of cold weather domestic animals. The fair usually has one or two traveling exhibitions of wildly varying quality from year to year. Brad’s World of Reptiles is extremely popular and the animals appear well cared for. Nearby are The Musk Ox Farm (exhibits Musk Ox) and The Reindeer Farm (exhibits Elk, Bison, Reindeer, Hogs, and Horses). I’ll try to visit the “Farms” this summer.
I do not come close to having high zoo visitation totals by state. Sad fact: I still haven't visited the Orange County Zoo, which is in my own county!
I am higher in the following states: Delaware: 1 Florida: 21 Hawaii: 3 Kentucky: 3 Maryland: 5 North Carolina: 5 Pennsylvania: 6 Tennessee: 7 Virginia: 10 West Virginia: 1 Snowleopard and I are tied for New York.
Apparently I would have the lead in: (the totals include both zoos and aquariums) Maine 1 Massachusetts 7 ( 9 if the Boston Museum of Science and Magic Wings count) New York 8
I have Ohio beat by a lot. Of currently operating facilities, I've been to 9 zoos and 1 aquarium. In addition to those, I have been to 3 closed zoos and 1 aquarium (this is counting the former Sea World of Ohio and its SIx Flags successor as one zoo, though the change in ownership did cause a huge change in the species composition of the establishment). So that's 14. EDIT : I can't count today - somehow managed to count Sea World Ohio and Six Flags as separate institutions.
Alabama = 0 Alaska = 0 Arizona = 0 Arkansas = 0 California = 0 Colorado = 0 Connecticut = 0 Delaware = 0 Florida = 2 (if you included Disney's Animal Kingdom) Georgia = 0 Hawaii = 0 Idaho = 0 Illinois = 3 Indiana = 0 Iowa = 0 Kansas = 0 Kentucky = 1 Louisiana = 0 Maine = 0 Maryland = 3 (including D.C.) Massachusetts = 2 Michigan = 0 Minnesota = 0 Mississippi = 0 Missouri = 0 Montana = 0 Nebraska = 0 Nevada = 0 New Hampshire = 0 New Jersey = 0 New Mexico = 0 New York = 4 North Carolina = 2 North Dakota = 0 Ohio = 4 Oklahoma = 0 Oregon = 0 Pennsylvania = 5 Rhode Island = 1 South Carolina = 0 South Dakota = 0 Tennessee = 3 (by next week) Texas = 0 Utah = 0 Vermont = 0 Virginia = 2 Washington = 0 West Virginia = 0 Wisconsin = 0 Wyoming = 0
California is the only state I’ve been to zoos. I’ve been to the following facilities Oakland zoo San Francisco zoo Sacramento zoo Safari west Aquarium of the bay Monterey bay aquarium Steinhart aquarium (California Academy of Sciences) Los Angeles zoo San Diego zoo and the safari park Fresno Chaffee zoo Seaworld San Diego Six flags discovery kingdom
Tennessee (Most recent visit) - 9 Memphis Zoo (2011) Nashville Zoo (2013) Chattanooga Zoo (2015) Knoxville Zoo (2009) Tennessee Aquarium (2015) - Chattanooga Tennessee Safari Park (2016) - Alamo Bright's Zoo (2017) - Limestone Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies (2005) - Gatlinburg Smoky Mountain Deer Farm (Probably 2002) - Seiverville Alabama (Most recent visit) - 5 Birmingham Zoo (2018) Montgomery Zoo (2012) Tigers For Tomorrow (2015) - Crossville Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo (2007) - Foley Ohatchee Creek Ranch (1993) My farm (work in progress haha) - Geraldine Georgia (Most recent visit) - 5 Zoo Atlanta (2017) Georgia Aquarium - Atlanta (2015) The Parks at Chehaw - Albany (2007) UGA's MEC and Aquarium - Savannah (2016) Wild Animal Safari - Pine Mountain (2006) Florida (Most recent visit) - 7 Jacksonville Zoo (2013) Lowry Park Zoo (2013) - Tampa White Oak Conservation (2018)* - Yulee Disney's Animal Kingdom (2013) - Kissimmee Silver Springs (2013) - Ocala Santa Fe Community College Teaching Zoo (2013) - Gainesville Gulf Breeze Zoo (2008) - Gulf Breeze
Until @Pleistohorse drops by, I think I’m winning in Alaska Alaska: 1 Wisconsin: 3 Illinois: 4 Ohio: 1 Florida: 2 Clearly need to up my game but I’m a bit land locked at the moment.
My list might be similar to many other ones. Alabama = 0 Alaska = 0 Arizona = 0 Arkansas = 0 California = 0 Colorado = 0 Connecticut = 0 Delaware = 0 Florida = 0 Georgia = 0 Hawaii = 0 Idaho = 0 Illinois = 0 Indiana = 0 Iowa = 0 Kansas = 0 Kentucky = 0 Louisiana = 0 Maine = 0 Maryland = 0 Massachusetts = 0 Michigan = 0 Minnesota = 0 Mississippi = 0 Missouri = 0 Montana = 0 Nebraska = 0 Nevada = 0 New Hampshire = 0 New Jersey = 0 New Mexico = 0 New York = 0 North Carolina = 0 North Dakota = 0 Ohio = 0 Oklahoma = 0 Oregon = 0 Pennsylvania = 0 Rhode Island = 0 South Carolina = 0 South Dakota = 0 Tennessee = 0 Texas = 0 Utah = 0 Vermont = 0 Virginia = 0 Washington = 0 West Virginia = 0 Wisconsin = 0 Wyoming = 0