What began in a small downtown park in Montgomery, Alabama has now grown, expanded and become a premiere American zoological facility.  The Montgomery Zoo started with humble beginnings as a small children’s zoo as a part of a local community park in the 1920s.  While at Oak Park, the zoo housed alligators, monkeys, bears and assorted other animals.  There was a small train and carousel for the children.  

As the years passed and dreams grew, in 1972 the Montgomery Zoo relocated to the quickly expanding north section of town, and still its current location.  The Zoo began with six acres, a small petting zoo, assorted monkeys, a flight cage designed after the 1906 St. Louis World’s Fair and chimpanzee named Benji.  

In 1976, the Montgomery Zoo hosted its first fundraising event entitled Zoo Day.  This initial event grew to become an annual event and even take on a new name: Zoo Weekend.  Today, an average Zoo Weekend will play host to over 18,000 guests.  In 1989, ground-breaking took place expanding the Zoo to 40 acres.  After two years of hard labor, the community welcomed a new Zoo in 1991.  Barrier-free and multi-species exhibits highlighted the expansion, as well as, the Zoo being divided into five continental realms: Africa, Australia, Asia, North America and South America.  

Since then the Zoo has continued to grow and expand.   In 1992, the cougar and lynx exhibit was opened in North American realm, the Reptile House, jaguar, and ocelot exhibit were completed in South America, as well as, the new chimpanzee and siamang exhibits opened in the Africa realm.  In 1993, the Bengal tiger exhibit opened in the Asian realm with one white and one orange tiger.  In 1995, the bald eagle exhibit opened in North American realm and Monkey Island was completely renovated in South America.

In 1996 , the new American black bear exhibit opened and our first baby cheetah was born.  A few years later in 1998, the maned wolf and Indian rhino exhibit opened.  In 1999, the new front gate entrance and gift shop opened.  In 2003, the Mann Wildlife Learning Museum was completed and opened on Zoo property.  In 2004, probably our largest undertaking began:  the building of our African elephant exhibit.  After a year of hard work and sweat, the exhibit opened housing three female elephants.  And almost two years to the date of opening the exhibit, our first African elephant was born.  This is the first African elephant born in the State of Alabama.  In the same year (2007), we also experienced the first Indian rhino to be born at the Montgomery Zoo: a male calf.  In March of 2008, the North American River Otter exhibit opened featuring two river otters and an addition habitat for a North American Alligator Snapping Turtle.  In June 2010, the Zoo opened the Giraffe Encounter and feeding stations at the river otters and koi fish ponds.  The following year, the both Parakeet Cove and Horse Trail Rides were added to our list of animal encounters.

In August 2012, the Zoofari Skylift Ride set sail atop the Zoo providing guests with spectacular views of the many exhibits and animals below.  In August 2014, the new North American Alligator habitat on the lake front opened featuring four alligators.  In April 2016, a male African pygmy hippo named Monty was born at the Zoo.  The name Monty was selected by a public election, in reference to the City of Montgomery.  December 2018, the Zoo celebrates the birth of a male giraffe named Alvin, named after one of our Giraffe Encounter staff members, Alvin Williams. In August 2019, the Zoo announces the birth a female pygmy hippo named Blanche. She was born as part of a rare twin birth; however, much effort, the sibling did not survive.

To start off the new year, Mayor Todd Strange was announced as the recipient of the Golden Egg Award in January 2020. This award is given to persons that have displayed outstanding and continued support of the Montgomery Zoo and the community.  Also in January, the Montgomery Zoo received the Max Credit Union Community Achievement Award as a recognized regional attraction.  In the Spring of the year, celebrations were cut short with the global outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, which in turn forced many businesses and organizations to temporarily close doors. The Montgomery Zoo closed to the public for a period of 100 days, March - June. Reopening in mid-June, the Zoo opened to limited guests and following safety guidelines set forth by City, County, and State Health Departments; as well as, the CDC. Fast forward to December, Christmas Lights Festival hosted its first Christmas Tree Village at the Mann Museum. The Christmas Tree Village displayed 25 trees decorated by various local and regional organizations and businesses; bringing an additional attraction to a River Region tradition and favorite.  

In August of 2021, a new aquatic learning center, Waters of the Worlds, opened its doors to rave reviews. This new exhibit features a variety of aquatic wildlife and plant life, and is located adjacent to the Mann Museum. In September, our two bald eagles were provided a new and safer exhibit in our North America realm. Both eagles suffered wing injuries prior to arriving at the Zoo; therefore, the new and improved exhibit space provides them safer height limitations.  To coincide with the eagles’ move, our two Andean Condors found a new home (the previous bald eagle exhibit) providing them larger branches to perch and greater heights for additional movement.  December marked the 30th anniversary for Christmas Lights Festival at the Zoo.  

Spring 2022, the Zoo welcomes a new Snow Leopard, Sierra, exhibit located near the South America Flight Aviary. The exhibit became an instant success mimicking the natural mountainous terrain. In an effort to diversify our African Hoofstock collection, in July 2022, the Zoo divided the herd into two categories: African savanna and African forest. Adding to the African forest collection is a small herd of Nile Lechwe -- a first for the Montgomery Zoo.  In August 2022, in our South American realm, a new exhibit opened housing a very publicly popular animal, two, a male and female, Ody and Maple, Linnaeus’s Two-Toed Sloths.  September was a very joyous month at the Zoo. The month and year marked the 50th Anniversary of the Montgomery Zoo at its Northern Blvd location, and also marked the return of Zoobilation after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 virus restrictions. After several months of renovations, our new Ring-tailed Lemur exhibit opened. It took the place of what once was called Spider Monkey Island. 

The Spring of 2023 trumpeted to a new tune with the introduction of three Trumpeter Swans in our North American hoofstock exhibit. The three swans enjoy the exhibit’s water feature located near the Overlook Cafe.  2023 also welcome the birth of two Eastern African Bongo calves, arriving in early Spring and late Fall.  The Giraffe Encounter added a new host with the arrival of JJ, a male Reticulated Giraffe. JJ can be shy at times, but also is very curious to his human visitors. July 2023, the Zoo welcomed our latest Pygmy Hippo calf birth with the arrival of Meela adding to a very impressive Pygmy Hippo breeding program established at the Zoo.  In the Summer of 2023, our new Clouded Leopard exhibit opened featuring Raya and Matahari. The exhibit is located near our two Jaguars. In the same summer, our flamboyance of Caribbean / American Flamingos, grew to 35 birds and also moved into our South America Flight Aviary.  

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Zoo Timeline

1920    41 acres was set aside in Oak Park for the citizens of Montgomery

1935     Oak Park received the first animals

1960      Oak Park closed for the next 11 years due to racial violence

1967      New zoo location, 6 acres set aside for new zoo (current land)

1971      Jim Amon appointed 1st Zoo Director
                 Paul Foster hired as 1st Zookeeper
                 Changed name of facility to “Montgomery Children’s Zoo”
                 Zoo Office / Concessions building, flight cage , and monkey island completed

1972      John Heidger appointed Zoo Director 
                Zoo officially opened on May 6
                1st Zoo Education Officer hired
                Bengi (6 month old chimp) came to the Zoo

1973       Education / Administration building on Vandiver Blvd completed 

1974        Name changed to “Montgomery Zoo”
                 C.B. Rogers appointed Zoo Director

1975        Alligator Exhibit, Chimp House, Safari shelter constructed

1976         1st Zoo Day fund raiser
                 Dixieland Zoological Society incorporated
                 Robert Cooper appointed Zoo Director

1979        Chuck Clift appointed Zoo Director

1983        Mark Sabel appointed to work on Master Plan for New Montgomery Zoo

1988        Zoo Society name changed to Montgomery Area Zoological Society 

1989         Official ground breaking for The New Montgomery Zoo 

1990        Bill Fiore appointed Zoo Director & Construction on new 40 acre zoo begins

1991        Grand opening of The New Montgomery Zoo on September 21 with 5 realms &
                 multi-species  exhibits Montgomery Area Zoological Society adopts nickname “Zoo
                 Friends”

1992        Cougar / Lynx exhibit in North American Realm completed 
                 Reptile House, Jaguar, & Ocelot exhibit completed
                 Chimpanzee & Colobus Monkey exhibit opens in African Realm

1993         Bengal Tiger exhibit opens in Asia Realm with 1 white and 1 gold tiger

1995        Bald Eagle exhibit opens in North America & Monkey Island renovated in
                 South America

1996        New American Black Bear exhibit completed
                 Spectacled Bears arrived 
                 First baby cheetah born

1998        Maned wolf  and Indian rhino exhibit opens
                 Paul Foster appointed Zoo Director

1999        New Front Entrance Complex and Gift Shop opens
                 Spectacled Bear exhibit opens

2001        Doug Goode appointed Zoo Director
                 First Annual Earth Day Safari
                 Old World Aviary opens

2003        Mann Wildlife Learning Museum was completed and opened

2004        Construction began on the African Elephant Habitat 

2005        African Elephant Habitat opened with three female elephants

2007        Broke ground for North American River Otter Habitat
                 First rhino born at the Montgmery Zoo born October 1, male calf
                 First African elephant born in the State of Alabama at the Montgomery Zoo, 
                 born November 9, female calf

2008        North American River Otter exhibit opens

2009         New playground equipment is added
                 New Toucan and Emperor Tamarins exhibit opens
                 Sloth bear exhibit opens

2010        Birth of male giraffe and opening of Giraffe Encounter Post, June 6
                 Birth of two white Bengal tiger cubs, male and female, June 9
                 Three record breaking fundraisers, Zoobilation, ZooBoo and
                 Christmas Lights Festival
                 New attraction approved: Zoofari Skylift ride, construction begins in late 2011

2011        Special needs playground, Spring 2011
                 Zoofari Skylift ride, construction begins in late 2011
                 Horse Trail Rides, opens Zoo Weekend 2011
                 Parakeet Cove, construction begins in Fall 2011

2012        Parakeet Cove, Winter 2012
                 Inaugural Zoo Brew, May 4
                 40th Anniversary of Zoo (Northern Blvd location), May 6
                 Opening of Zoofari Skylift Ride, August 31

2013        Petting Zoo opened, Summer 2013
Construction begins on new American Alligator exhibit, late Fall 2013

2014        New American Alligator exhibit, August 2014

2015        Birth of Connye, female Reticulated giraffe, March 2015

2016        Birth of one African pygmy hippo, Monty, April 2016 
                 Birth of two jaguar cubs, Todd and Scott, May 2016

2017        New display in South American realm, capybaras, January 2017
                 New display in South American realm, ring-tailed lemurs, January 2017
                 Construction began on state-of-the-art Stingray exhibit
                 Zoo hosted first Winter Holiday Camp, December 2017

2018        Birth of African Pygmy Hippo male, Levi, January 2018
                 Stingray Bay exhibit opens, March 2018
                 Zoo Director Doug Goode retires, March 2018
                 Marcia Woodard named new Zoo Director, March 2018
                 Zoo equipped with Sensory bags for guests with sensory disorders, June 2018
                 provided in a partnership with KultureCity
                 Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum merge admission,
                 October 2018
                 Birth of male Reticulated Giraffe, Alvin, December 2018

2019        Announcement of Conservation Endowment Fund, January 2019
                 fund created to contribute to conservation efforts here at the Zoo and around the
                 world
                 Zoo announces the birth a female pygmy hippo, Blanche, August 2019
                 Zoo hosts Zoological Association of America’s annual conference, November 2019
                 Zoo awarded Montgomery Chamber of Commerce Impact Maker Award,
                 December 2019

2020        Mayor Todd Strange presented with Golden Egg Award, January 2020
                 Zoo awarded the MAX Community Achievement Award, January 2020
                 Zoo closes for 100 days due to COVID-19 pandemic, March - June 2020
                 First Christmas Tree Village at Christmas Lights Festival, December 2020

2021        Waters of the World opens, August 2021
                 Bald Eagles new exhibit opens, September 2021
                 Andean Condors new exhibit opens, November 2021
                  Christmas Lights Festival celebrates 30th Anniversary, December 2021

2022        Snow Leopard exhibit opens, Spring 2022
                 African Forest and African Savanna displays open, July 2022
                 Herd of Nile Lechwe added to animal collection, July 2022
                 Two-toed sloth added to animal collection, male and female, August 2022
                 Montgomery Zoo celebrates 50th Anniversary at Northern Blvd location,
                 September 2022
                 Lemur Island display opens, October 2022

2023       Three Trumpeter Swans added to North America exhibit, Spring 2023
                 Eastern bongo birth (two), Early Spring and Late Fall 2023      
                 Male Reticulated Giraffe (JJ) joins exhibit, June 2023
                 Pygmy Hippo calf born (Meela) at Zoo, July 2023
                 Clouded Leopard (two) exhibit opens, Summer 2023
                 Chilean flamingo, new exhibit home in South American Aviary, Summer 2023

2024        Birth of two male African Kudu calves
                 Birth of two female East African bongo calves
                 Exciting new enhancements added to Christmas Lights Festival, December 2024
                 Heather Price named new Zoo Deputy Director, December 2024

2025        Birth of female pygmy hippo, Anuket, March 2025
                 Birth of four Flamingo chicks, first hatchlings in two decades, June 2025 
                 Broke ground on new Admssions, Gift Shop, and Office complex, July 2025
                 Birth of female giraffe, Ozzi, August 2025
                 Shelli Dean named new General Curator, David Champion name Assistant General Curator
                 Larry Richardson named new Rides and Attractions Manager

2026        Introduction of four youngster ostriches to the Zoo’s Africa Savanna section, January 2026