San Diego Zoo

About

San Diego Zoo is one of the most visited zoos in the world, occupying 100 acres in the heart of Balboa Park in San Diego. Founded in 1916, the zoo is operated by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to wildlife conservation and education. Its collection includes over 3,500 animals representing 650 species and subspecies, many of them threatened or endangered. The zoo pioneered cageless, naturalistic habitats beginning in the 1920s, and its immersive exhibit design—placing visitors among vegetation that mirrors the animals' native environments—has influenced zoo design globally. Signature exhibits include the Africa Rocks complex (featuring African penguins, leopards, and meerkats), Elephant Odyssey, the Giant Panda Research Station, and Tull Family Tiger Trail. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is one of the most active wildlife conservation organizations in the world, with projects in more than 40 countries. The organization's science programs have pioneered gene banking, cryopreservation of genetic material, and reproductive science for endangered species, and its California condor breeding program is widely credited with saving the species from extinction. The zoo offers extensive education programming, including school field trips, in-zoo education stations staffed by docents, youth volunteer programs, summer camps, and early childhood programs. Homeschool families can book special educational experiences and curriculum-aligned programming throughout the year.

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