How did the Philadelphia Zoo become the first zoo in the United States?

The Philadelphia Zoological Gardens became the first zoo in the United States through the efforts of the Zoological Society of Philadelphia, which was founded in 1859.

The process of establishing the institution involved several key steps:

• Planning: In 1868, three years after the American Civil War, the society selected a 42-acre site in Fairmount Park for the zoo.
• Modeling: To ensure the facility met international standards, an architect was sent to study the London Zoo, which served as a primary model for many scientific zoos of that era.
• Opening: Following these preparations, the zoo officially opened to the public in 1874, featuring an initial inventory of several hundred native and exotic animal specimens.

Since its inception, the Philadelphia Zoo has maintained a focus on scientific inquiry and animal welfare, later establishing the first zoo laboratory in the United States in 1901 and the first children’s zoo in 1938.1