Indianapolis Zoological Society
Zoo entrance
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| Date opened | April 18, 1964 |
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| Location | Indianapolis, Indiana, USA |
| Coordinates | 39°46′1″N 86°10′37″W / 39.76694°N 86.17694°WCoordinates: 39°46′1″N 86°10′37″W / 39.76694°N 86.17694°W |
| Land area | 64 acres (26 ha) |
| No. of animals | 3,800 |
| No. of species | 320 |
| Memberships | AZA,AAM |
| Website | www |
The Indianapolis Zoo is located in White River State Park, in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States.
The Indianapolis Zoo is an institution accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the American Alliance of Museums as a zoo, an aquarium, and as a botanical garden. The zoo is a private non-profit organization, receiving no tax support and is supported entirely by membership fees, admissions, donations, sales, grants, and an annual fundraiser.
In 1944, thoughts of the Indianapolis Zoo first came to mind by a newspaper columnist named Lowell B. Nussbaum. He began to write his opinions of wanting a zoo through his column "Inside Indianapolis." It was his writing that inspired the Indianapolis people and in October 1944 the "Articles of Incorporation for the Indianapolis zoological society, INC" emerged. Soon the members of this group had outlined the future plans of their zoo, one thing that the group members were adamant about; "the zoo will rely on admissions, in-park sales, contributions and memberships to support the zoo." It first opened to the public in 1964.
The Indianapolis Zoo opened on April 18, 1964, at its original location on in George Washington Park on East 30th Street. The official opening was two decades after the Indianapolis Zoological Society Inc. had been formed and planning for the zoo started. In its first year, the new attraction drew more than 270,000 visitors. The zoo originally featured an Asian elephant, penguins, kangaroos, foxes, raccoons, camels, bison, deer, lambs, tortoises, llamas, prairie dogs, pygmy goats, and buffalo exhibits. In 1965, the zoo became one of few in the country to employ a full-time education staff. By the 20th anniversary of the zoo, its animal collection had doubled in size and it was determined that the zoo needed a new location where it could continue to expand.
In 1982, international zoo, aquarium, and wildlife authorities gathered to set goals for establishing the new zoo. It was determined that a zoo should not only be a place to see animals, but also an institution of conservation and education. That same year, White River State Park was announced as the new site of the zoo. The groundbreaking at the new downtown location was held in September 1985. The old zoo closed in 1987.
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Wikipedia