The Saint Louis Zoo has educated, entertained and earned a place in the hearts of St. Louisans for generations. We invite you to help us celebrate our rich history with a year of special activities, events and a new Zootennial exhibit in 2010.
Zootennial Exhibit Now Open
Our new exhibit, developed in partnership with the Missouri History Museum, is a walk through time. The exhibit is located in Peabody Hall, a newly renovated exhibit gallery which was once the historic 1917 Elephant House next to the Bird House. Here you'll learn about a history you never knew and reconnect with a history you lived.
Admission is free.
With archived video, old photos, artifacts and fun interactive elements, the stunning Zootennial exhibit will reveal how the Zoo has changed in the past 100 years while its mission has remained the same.
Exhibit Highlights
Take your photo as an early visitor.
Watch film footage from the elephant, lion, and chimp shows.
Sit in the Wild Kingdom living room, and enjoy TV clips from Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.
Get sprayed by Siegfried the walrus.
See Phil the gorilla again.
Hear Zoo staff share behind the scenes stories.
Learn how the Saint Louis Zoo is having an impact around the world.
View hundreds of Zoo snapshots shared by visitors
Meet historic characters from the early days of the Zoo. They will be strolling the historic areas all summer, in celebration of Zootennial. Stop by to chat with them, and learn what life was like in St. Louis in 1910.
A Zoo is Born
There's more to the Zoo's beginning than the 1904 World's Fair Flight Cage. The Zoo's beginning was made official with the formation of the Zoological Society of St. Louis in 1910. See more.
Putting on a Show
George Vierheller, the Zoo's first director, set out to attract international attention to the Saint Louis Zoo through the animal shows, newsreels and more. That tradition has continued throughout the Zoo's history, with animal stars and Zoo staff alike garnering worldwide acclaim. See more.
Going Wild
The 1970s to the present represents a great time of change for the Zoo, maybe the greatest in our history. This era gave us a campaign to gain tax support from the city and county residents, award-winning exhibit renovations and unprecedented growth in the Zoo's education and conservation efforts. See more.
Thank you to our Zootennial sponsors: First Bank, Missouri History Museum, KSDK NewsChannel 5, Macy's, Moneta Group, Maritz, and Novus International, Inc.
Historical Photographs
Step back in time with these historical photographs. (To see captions while watching the slideshows, click the four arrows button on the bottom right for a full screen view and then click the "Show info" button on the top right. To change speed of slideshow, click "Options.")
