Woodland Park Zoo

About

Woodland Park Zoo occupies 92 wooded acres in north Seattle's Phinney Ridge neighborhood, with roots going back to 1899 when Guy Phinney established a private animal collection on his estate. Today, the zoo is home to more than 1,000 animals representing over 300 species, and it has been a leader in naturalistic zoo design since the 1970s—its African Savanna and Asian elephant exhibits were pioneering models copied by zoos worldwide. The zoo is organized into a series of geographic and thematic biomes: the Tropical Rain Forest, the African Savanna, the Northern Trail (featuring grizzly bears, wolves, and bald eagles), the Australasia section, and the award-winning Jaguar Cove. The zoo is also home to a butterfly garden and an extensive collection of Northwest native animals and plants. Woodland Park Zoo operates one of the most active conservation programs among US zoos, participating in more than 30 Species Survival Plans and supporting field conservation work in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. The zoo's Quarters for Conservation program directs a portion of every admission dollar toward field conservation projects. Education programs include homeschool classes aligned to Next Generation Science Standards, overnight ZooSnooze events, preschool programs, summer day camps, and Zoo to You outreach programs that bring live animals into classrooms. The zoo also offers school field trip experiences and family programs throughout the year.

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