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Journal / History

History, wildlife & heritage

A zoo in Hermann Park.
A century of care.

The story of the Houston Zoo, from its opening in 1922 to the habitats and conservation work of today.

The Houston Zoo main entrance, with its large sign above a covered gateway on a sunny day
The Houston Zoo in Hermann Park.

Opened in 1922

The Houston Zoo opened in Hermann Park in 1922. Its oldest exhibit building still in use, the Reptile and Amphibian House, dates from 1961.

A coloured postcard of the entrance gates to the zoological gardens in Hermann Park, from the 1930s or 1940s
The brick zoo entrance building with a conical roof and a Zoo Entrance sign beside large oak trees

A non-profit zoo

For decades the zoo was run by the city’s parks department. In 2002 the city transferred its operation to the non-profit Houston Zoo, Inc. under a 50-year lease.

New habitats

The McNair Asian Elephant Habitat opened in 2008 and the African Forest in 2010. The Texas Wetlands followed in 2019, South America’s Pantanal in 2020 and the Galápagos Islands in 2023.

A tiger wading in a pool in front of a rock wall

Continue exploring

A young Asian elephant with hay on its head, reaching its trunk towards a metal keg in a sandy yardA century in Hermann ParkThe zoo’s story.A tiger wading in a pool in front of a rock wallWhat to see at the zooThe habitats.Plan your visit

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