| Milwaukee County Zoo | |
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.jpg) Main Entrance | |
 Interactive map of Milwaukee County Zoo | |
| 43°1′57.5724″N88°2′14.64″W / 43.032659000°N 88.0374000°W /43.032659000; -88.0374000 | |
| Date opened | January 16, 1892 (Washington Park site) May 13, 1961 (current site)[1] |
| Location | 10001 W. Bluemound Rd. Milwaukee,Wisconsin |
| Land area | 200 acres (81 ha)[1] |
| No. of animals | 3,100[2] |
| No. of species | 350[2] |
| Annual visitors | 1.3 million[2] |
| Memberships | Association of Zoos and Aquariums[3] |
| Major exhibits | Aviary Apes of Africa/Primates of the World Aquatic and Reptile Center Small Mammal Building Large Mammals Northwestern Mutual Family Farm |
| Public transit access |  MCTSWaukesha Metro |
| Website | www |
TheMilwaukee County Zoo is azoo inMilwaukee, Wisconsin, operated by theMilwaukee County Parks Commission and is accredited by theAssociation of Zoos and Aquariums.[3] The zoo averages about 1.3 million visitors a year.[2] The zoo houses 3,100 animals from 350 species[2] and covers an area of 190 acres (77 ha).[4] The zoo is noted for the second birth ofpolar bears[5] andsiamangs[6] in captivity and for their locally famous gorillaSamson, who lived from 1950 to 1981 and whose bones are now on display at theMilwaukee Public Museum. DuringWorld War II, a celebrity animal of the zoo wasGertie the Duck and her ducklings.[7] The zoo is also home to one of the largest group ofbonobos in one location outside their nativeDemocratic Republic of the Congo,[8] and has twocheetahs from theNational Zoo in Washington, DC.[9]
In 1892, theWest Park Zoo opened, displaying smallmammals and birds.[10]
The following year, in 1893, the zoo added twocinnamon bears and created an iron bear den.[11]
In 1899, the zoo constructed an herbivore building that housed a variety of animals, at a cost of US$2,137 (equivalent to $80,770 in 2024).[12]
In 1900, West Park Zoo becameWashington Park Zoo. Two years later, in 1902, the zoo was expanded to 23 acres (9.3 ha).[13][14]
Even with theGreat Depression of the 1930s, the zoo prospered, creating a bear den that resembled the natural habitat of bears.[15]
In 1931, the zoo's bear collection contained 37 specimens.[16]
By 1937, theWashington Park Zoo was beginning to show its age.[clarification needed][17]
In 1942, areptile exhibit was opened in the main zoo building.[18]
In 1947, zoo director George Speidel began planning a new zoo.[19]
In 1953, although still located inWashington Park, the zoo changed its name to the Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens.[20]
In 1956, fundraising took place to offset the estimated cost for building the new zoo of US$12.6 million (equivalent to $145.7 million in 2024). The Milwaukee County Zoo opened in 1958 with the primate building,monkey island, feline house, pachyderm mall, and grizzly bear den. The zoo also opened with a15 in (381 mm) gaugeminiature railway, theZoo Line, which carried visitors around the zoo to view the exhibits and construction.[21] The Zoo Line (now known as theSafari Train) has continued to run, operating with real steam locomotives.[citation needed]
In 1959, construction started on thedall sheep mountain and theAlaskan bear exhibit.[22]
On May 13, 1961 (64 years ago) (1961-05-13), the Milwaukee County Zoo officially opened to the public.[23]
Later additions included theaviary (1962),[24] the Australian building (1963), the original animal hospital (1963),[25] the small mammal building (1965), theaquarium (1968), and thereptile building (1968).[26]
In 1965, four Zoomobile tour trains were donated byAllis-Chalmers.[27]
This was followed by the children's zoo (1971),[28] and thepolar bear underwater viewing exhibit (1986).[29]
In 1986, the children's zoo was renamed the Stackner Heritage Farm, and a dairy complex was constructed as part of it, to celebrateWisconsin as America's Dairyland. The complex included a cow barn, education center, and dairy store.[30]
In 1988, the Taylor FamilyHumboldt penguin exhibit, the education center, and the Peck Welcome Center opened.[31]
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In the following years, the renovatedsea lion exhibit, featuring underwater viewing, opened,[32] and the aviary was renovated.[33] More recent changes include the addition of the Sterns FamilyApes of Africa exhibit (1992),[34] the renovation of the aquarium and reptile building (now known as the Aquatic and Reptile Center),[35] the renovation of the small mammal building (1998), and the addition of the Wong Family Pheasantry (1998).[36]
In 2002, Monkey Island was renovated to include a large deck for viewing, and was renamed Macaque Island.[37] 2003 featured a newly remodeled animal health center;[38] 2004, a new education center;[39] and 2005 and 2006, the remodeling of the Heritage Farm, feline building, and giraffe exhibit.[40][41]
In 2014, the zoo put forth a new construction plan that was to include: a new West Entrance with a gift shop; a newNorth American river otter exhibit, due to the small size of the existing tank in the Small Mammal House building; and a new parking lot to mitigate problems arising from the rebuilding of theZoo Interchange to the southeast of the zoo property by theWisconsin Department of Transportation.[42]
This is an exhibit near the zoo's Main Entrance that features a group ofHumboldt penguins. This 15,000-U.S.-gallon (57,000-liter; 12,000-imperial-gallon) tank is surrounded with underwater viewing glass.[43]
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Theaviary contains over 60 species[44] in a walk-through building. One section is a cageless room where birds fly free.[45] Species at the Zoo includeCaribbean flamingo,scarlet ibis,rhinoceros hornbill,Bali mynah,Egyptian plover,rockhopper penguin,gentoo penguin,red-billed hornbill, thewhooping crane,Inca tern andsunbittern, as well as variouspigeons andherons.[46]
Opened in 1992 at the cost of $10.7 million, this indoor building features a large troop ofbonobos andgorillas.[44] The zoo maintains a bonobo breeding program with one of the largest collections of bonobos in professional care in the world.[47] Both species have access to indoor and outdoor exhibits.
As of 2018, the zoo will have a total of four Western lowland gorillas, after the death of 31-year-old dominant male Cassius and 17-year-old Naku in April.[48]
Adjacent to Apes of Africa, this exhibit showcasesprimates from the around the world, includingBornean orangutans, asiamang,eastern black-and-white colobus, andblack-handed spider monkeys in a gallery-style exhibit.[44][46] For many years, Samson, the largest gorilla in professional care, was showcased in the Primates of the World building.[49] The zoo featured one of the first births of a Siamang in professional care.
Macaque Island features a troop ofJapanese macaques. It is a large mountain surrounded by water. It was remodeled in 2002 to include a large viewing deck for zoo guests and an expanded shelter for the resident macaques, with waterfalls and a larger mountain.[37]
This building holdsinvertebrates,fish,reptiles, andamphibians[44] includingChinese alligators,green anacondas,Gila monsters,red-tailed boas,panther chameleons, severalpoison dart frogs,tomato frogs,king cobras, several other species of reptiles, amphibians, freshwater and saltwater fish.[46]
This building, located near the Aquatic and Reptile Center, features a special room for nocturnal species that is darkened in the day and brightened at night so the animals live on a schedule friendly to zoo visitors. Residents includefennec fox,prehensile-tailed porcupine,Prevost's squirrel,Pygmy slow loris,ring-tailed lemur,straw-coloured fruit bat,Mohol bushbaby,Southern three-banded armadillo,cotton-top tamarins, and a larger exhibit forHoffmann's two-toed sloths.[46] Other species are sometimes rotated in and out, such as the zoo'sred pandas during construction of the Florence Mila Borchert Big Cat Country building in 2004. The Small Mammal Building is set to close sometime in 2025[50]
A series of outdoor exhibits themed around the megafauna of the North American continent featuringgrizzly bear,Alaskan brown bear,American elk,trumpeter swan,harbor seal,prairie dog,American badger, andreindeer.[46] Many of these species like the reindeer and the grizzlys are displayed in predator-prey "panorama" exhibits, which make them appear to share the space via a hidden moat.
The newly renovated children's zoo with a focus on native midwestern United States wildlife and educational presentations, featuring species such ashedgehogs,domestic ducks,North American porcupine,red-tailed hawk andbarred owl.[46] It replaced the zoo's Stackner Heritage Farm in 2005.[40] Northwestern Mutual Family Farm also features a two breeds of pig,Guinea Hog andKunekune, along with many breed of cattle such as theAyrshire cattle,Belted Galloways,Holstein Friesian cattle,Milking Shorthorns,Scottish highland cattle and other farm animals such asSicilian donkey,chickens,goats,rabbits andhorses.
A series out of outdoor exhibits featuring animals fromSouth America,Asia, andAfrica, along with 2 new rescuedAmerican white pelicans. Some of the animals are in "panorama"-style displays in which thepredator and theprey appear in the same exhibit due to hidden moats. Much of the space is currently being transformed into a multi phase project known as Adventure Africa, so the majority of the exhibits are dedicated to animals from the African savannah, including an African waterhole exhibit forplains zebra,waterbuck,greater kudu, and an outdoor predator/prey setup yard for rotatingspotted hyenas andAfrican lions, an African savannah exhibit for the pelicans,cinereous vultures,Thomson's gazelles,southern ground hornbills and an outdoor predator/prey setup yard forcheetahs, an exhibit forred river hogs, an indoor exhibit forservals, and an exhibit forreticulated giraffes.
South American species includegreater rheas,Baird's tapirs,alpacas,red-footed tortoises,yellow-footed tortoises and an outdoor predator/prey setup yard forjaguars. Asian species include an exhibit forBactrian camels,free-roaming Indian peafowl, and an outdoor predator/prey setup yard forAmur tigers, an exhibit forred pandas, an exhibit forsnow leopards and the old black rhino exhibit now contains twoDomestic yaks.[46] The Giraffe House, part of the same exhibit area, was renovated in 2006, allowing visitors to climb a deck and come face-to-face with the zoo'sreticulated giraffe herd and even feed them.[41] The giraffe exhibit is also an exhibit that remains the same at the Adventure Africa exhibit, and in the middle of the enclosures is a building called the Florence Mila Borchert Big Cat country which has indoor and outdoor areas for the African lions, cheetahs, servals, hyenas, tigers, snow leopards, red pandas, and jaguars.[46]
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In the spring of 2019 and the summer of 2020, respectively, Adventure Africa phases 1 and 2 opened.[51]
The first phase was a new home forAfrican bush elephants and seven other animal species, four of which were transferred from their old exhibits. The new Elephant Care Center acts as both an indoor shelter and a recreation and training facility for the elephants, as well as a space for zoo classes and events. The elephants also have access to a 1.6-acre (0.65 ha; 6,500 m2) outdoor habitat with various enrichment opportunities, including a large watering hole and enrichment feeding walls. Heaters placed throughout the yard allow the elephants to utilize the space during colder weather.[52] Impala Plains is one of two mixed exhibits in Adventure Africa; it containsimpalas,ostriches, andgrey crowned cranes. Another exhibit, the African forest, is home toeastern bongos andcrested guineafowl.[51]
The second phase was a new hippo enclosure called the hippo haven, which has education boards around the exhibit, and an underwater viewing for theirHippopotamuses.[51]
Adventure Africa phase 3 is to be the final phase to the adventure Africa master plan, and it is to include a new exhibit that will have a conversion to the old elephant and current rhino habitats, and turn them it into a new space for the zoo'sblack rhinoceroses and the newScimitar horned oryx.[51]
In Spring 2018, the otter passage opened alongside the new West Entrance. It is home to a group ofriver otters in a large exhibit with two pools for underwater viewing. It operates much like the Taylor Family Humboldt Penguin Pool in that visitors can choose one of multiple entrances to optionally experience an introduction to the exhibit.[clarification needed][citation needed]
This building is dedicated to special or traveling exhibits.[53][54]
The15 in (381 mm) gaugerideable miniature railway, first opened in 1958, continues to transport guests around the zoo when weather allows.
The railroad began operations usinglive steam locomotive #82, a4-4-0 locomotive built in 1957 by the Sandley Light Railway Works of Wisconsin Dells, on commission of theMilwaukee Journal for the zoo. The #82 was later joined by #1958,[55] a diesel locomotive built in 1959, followed by two additional steam locomotives: #1916, a4-4-2 locomotive built in 1961, and #1924, a4-6-2 locomotive built for the zoo in 1977.
The #82 was eventually withdrawn, due to being too small to pull the longer trains the zoo needed to handle the crowds, and was placed on display. In 1989, the zoo loaned #82 to the recently rebuiltRiverside and Great Northern Railway, and later traded the engine to the R&GN for a second diesel, #1992.[56]
In March 2024, it was announced that the two steam locomotives would be retired and replaced by two new diesel locomotives. The steam locomotives were sold to the Riverside and Great Northern Railway.[57] The first new diesel locomotive, #2025, entered service in September 2025.[58]
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