OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Gardens, home to 1,900 animal species and a core memory for many Oklahomans, is celebrating 100 years at its current location while setting new attendance records and welcoming new species and zoo babies.
The centennial celebration from June 7 to 9 featured a membership sale, giveaways, vintage photo-ops, and special animal activities, with the first 500 families on June 8 and 9 receiving complimentary OKC Zoo Keys, which allow visitors to unlock recorded messages about the zoo’s species and conservation efforts, narrated by News9 anchors and meteorologists.
This year, the zoo set a new attendance record with 1,107,995 visitors from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, surpassing last year’s record of 1,091,032. The increase was driven by the opening of Expedition Africa, improved food and beverage options, and popular seasonal events like Safari Lights, which features a musical light show, interactive exhibits, and photo ops, and Sip and Stroll, an adults-only event where guests enjoy the zoo with drinks from five bars.
“Guests really just enjoyed seeing how much the Zoo has grown,” said OKC Zoo Director of Public Relations, Candice Rennels, in an interview. “The centennial has given both staff and guests a chance to think about what the zoo means to them, something that has filled many with a sense of nostalgia.”
Zoo guests Jacob and Cailtin Lehew echoed this sentiment while out enjoying their favorite exhibits at the zoo.
“I’ve been coming since I was a little girl,” Caitlin Lehew said in an interview during a rare cool summer day at the zoo. “It’s a neat place, and they’ve upgraded a lot.”
Looking back at 100 years
The Oklahoma City Zoo began in Wheeler Park in 1902 with just a white-tailed deer and quickly expanded through donations of wolves, eagles, mountain lions, and bobcats. By 1909, it housed 125 animals. After closing due to flooding in 1923, it reopened in Lincoln Park in 1924.
“It’s so exciting to look back at the history,” executive director/CEO Dr. Dwight Lawson said in an interview. “It’s been constant change and growth, both physically and programmatically.”
Early attractions included Roosevelt the Bear, named after President Teddy Roosevelt, and sea lions, which were moved to Aquaticus in 1986 after illness caused by visitor interference.
Elephants have been favorites since 1930, with recent arrivals such as Asha and Chandra, though Asha’s miscarriage in July 2024 was a significant loss for many. The zoo recorded its first giraffe birth in 1965, and it featured primates with the formation of the Great EscApe exhibit in 1993.
Significant milestones include the formation of Zoo Friends in 1956, the Zoo Trust in 1975, and a 1990 sales tax initiative that continues to fund major improvements and conservation efforts.
“The sales tax has enabled us to do all this development and keep new attractions and better care for the animals,” Lawson told Free Press.
What’s new at the Zoo?
Recent highlights at the zoo include five African lion cubs born on May 20 to lioness Dunia and male Huey. The cubs are expected to be on public view by mid-August.
The zoo also celebrated the first successful breeding of Volcán Alcedo Giant Tortoises in the U.S., thanks to adult tortoises Miss B, Isabela, Ellie, and 80-year-old Max. The hatchlings will stay in the Herpetarium until they mature. Visitors can see the adult tortoises in the Galápagos habitat.
A major recent addition is Expedition Africa, a 12-acre exhibit featuring over 60 species of African wildlife. This $35 million expansion began construction in November 2020 and was unveiled May 2024. The exhibit includes immersive habitats, covered pavilions, elevated decks, and interactive learning experiences focused on global conservation.
Gentry Drew, a young guest who has already visited Expedition Africa three times since its opening, is particularly fond of the naked mole rats.
“I like that the zoo has them because I really like to see them,” she said, pressing her face close to the glass to watch them scurry around.
Current Exhibits
Sanctuary Asia opened in 2010, and today houses a herd of Asian elephants, Indian rhinos, Komodo dragons, and red pandas.
The Oklahoma Trails exhibit opened in 2007 and spans eight acres as an immersive, naturalistic habitat where guests can discover the diverse species of animals native to Oklahoma. Lawson said this is one of the most popular exhibits and was the first major exhibit to feature native wildlife.
“Prior to that point, zoos kind of prided themselves on featuring exotic animals from other places and kind of relegated native life to the local nature centers,” Lawson said. “So this was really a departure from that trend.”
Oklahoma Trails showcases exhibits from bison to nocturnal cats. Visitors like Kenzie Brane and Bailey Cunningham enjoy soaking in the sights and sounds of the animals.
“My favorite thing about the zoo is seeing all the animals and spending time with family,” Bailey Cunningham told Free Press.
The Lion Overlook offers a popular view of the zoo’s pride of African lions, while the Herpetarium & Wetlands Walkway houses over 65 species of reptiles and amphibians. The Children’s Zoo is a favorite for families, featuring interactive areas like the Barnyard, Waterway, Explorikeet Adventure, and Flamingo Mingle.
Conservation efforts continue
The zoo’s conservation efforts include local partnerships for Texas horned lizards and global support for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and Turtle Survival Alliance. The zoo also conducts unique research on Sri Lankan elephants and manages a program for rare milkweed species, reintroduced to southeastern Oklahoma in May 2024. The Round-Up for Conservation program supports many of these initiatives by giving guests a chance to simply round up their purchases to support conservation initiatives.
Looking forward
The zoo’s new master plan, developed with SHR Studios, aims to expand reptile and amphibian exhibits, enhance accessibility, and renovate key areas. Notable projects include the Shore to Sea marine mammal habitat, set to open in 2027. The 10-year plan, costing $115M to $230M, will be funded by donations, tax credits, and the sales tax, focusing on modernizing facilities and improving animal care and visitor experiences.
“We will be looking at refreshing, redoing, reimagining things that are now almost 30 years old,” Lawson said.
The Shore to Sea project will start demolition in November 2026, closing the current master plan and setting the stage for the next decade of development.
“This zoo belongs to Oklahoma City,” Rennels told Free Press in an interview. “They have so much love for it, and they want to see the success and the growth and the shared memories. That’s what keeps us going. We are extremely grateful.”
Looking forward to this fall, ZOObrew is on September 27, Haunt the Zoo runs from October 5 to 27, and OKC Zoo Safari Lights begins on November 9.
Zoe Elrod covers events and happenings around Oklahoma City for Free Press bringing her skill as a reporter and photographer. Zoe has spent her career covering local musicians, artists, politicians, and everyday folks.