Bookable
An Apollonaut travel guide
The place behind the visit.
An 1884 exposition, a Depression-era hill and a rebuilt zoo offer several ways into the story of the Audubon Zoo.
On this page
A zoo in Audubon Park
The zoo occupies part of Audubon Park in Uptown New Orleans, on the river side of Magazine Street. Park and zoo are named after John James Audubon, who lived in the city from 1821.
Animal exhibits first appeared here during the World Cotton Centennial of 1884, and the zoo dates from 1914.
Monkey Hill
During the Great Depression the Works Progress Administration expanded the zoo with new animal houses and an artificial hill, Monkey Hill, which is still part of the zoo today.
After a decline by the early 1970s, the zoo was rebuilt from 1975 and its grounds grew from 14 to 50 acres.
A zoo today
Today the zoo covers 58 acres and is home to about 2,000 animals. It is run by Audubon Nature Institute and is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
This history belongs to the place and the people who shaped it. The History page offers a longer introduction, and the timeline gives a short route through selected milestones.
Read at the source
Sources & further reading
Links lead to the original publishers.
