Kansas City Zoo

The Kansas City Zoo sits proudly on over 200 acres amidst the sprawling Swope Park in downtown Kansas City. The park is the second-largest urban park in the United States, behind only the famous Central Park of New York City. The park itself features no less than two golf courses, a lake, an amphitheater, and several picnic grounds--not to mention a magnificent zoo featuring nearly 900 animals from around the world.

For those visiting the Kansas City area with children in tow, perhaps the most enjoyable trip in the city would be to Swope Park in general and the zoo in particular. Planning for the zoo began nearly 100 years ago upon the formation of the Kansas City Zoological Society. Construction began in 1908, and by the end of the next year, the gates swung open and welcomed the first of millions more to come.

Lions, and Tigers and Bears!

In 1991, voters in the Kansas City area passed a $50 million bond issue to expand the zoo, and it soon swelled to its current size of just over 200 acres. The money also allowed workers to construct new habitats for African and Australian animals. The renovations and improvements helped stoke interest in the zoo and visitors flocked there in record numbers. Nearly 40,000 people visited the new African exhibit during the first two days of its existence!

In December 1995, the new William N. Deramus Education Pavilion opened, featuring an IMAX theater. This represented the very first IMAX theater ever in a public zoo and continues to draw crowds to this day. The changes keep coming and plans are already in place to expand the zoo even more over the next 20 years.