A zoo in the park
The Houston Zoo opened in 1922 in Hermann Park and now covers 55 acres. In 2024 it welcomed about 2 million visitors.
More than 4,300 animals
Today the zoo cares for more than 4,300 animals of around 575 species. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and has been run by the non-profit Houston Zoo, Inc. since 2002.
Beyond the gates
The zoo has bred Attwater’s prairie chickens since 1994, releasing more than 1,400 birds, and has worked on Houston toad recovery since 2007. With Baylor College of Medicine it helped develop a vaccine against a virus that threatens young elephants, first given to a zoo elephant in 2024.



