 The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, Over One Hundred Wild Years!
More than 100 years ago, philanthropist Christopher Lyman Magee donated $125,000 for the construction of zoological gardens in Pittsburgh's Highland Park area. On June 14, 1898, the Pittsburgh Zoo opened to the public for the very first time, providing people with a rare glimpse of animals and plants they had never seen before. Fitting zoo paradigms of the time, it was more of an animal menagerie. Through the years, however, the Zoo has transformed into a naturalistic habitat and resource for conservation, education and research.
This evolution began in 1937 with the addition of outdoor bear exhibits. In 1949, Pittsburgh's first Children's Zoo opened, thanks to a generous grant from the Sarah Mellon Scaife Foundation. In the 40 years that followed, children delighted in charming exhibits like the giant whale with a soft spongy tongue to walk on and a giant hunk of cheese that was home to dozens of mice. The AquaZoo opened in 1967 as the only public aquarium in Pennsylvania and the second largest aquarium in the country at the time.
The Zoo's Master Plan for renovations began in 1980. In the 10 years that followed, the Zoo was completely transformed. Exhibits were recreated into naturalistic habitats, enabling animals to roam as they would in the wild while providing a more pleasant and informative experience for visitors. The Asian Forest, which opened in 1983, was the first area to utilize this new technique. The African Savanna, featuring seven major exhibits in an African landscape, opened in 1987.
In 1991, the Zoo opened the Tropical Forest Complex, a five-acre indoor rainforest housing 16 species of endangered and threatened primates and more than 150 species of tropical plants. Also that year, the Children's Zoo was renovated into a Children's Farm, featuring domestic animals and animal care demonstrations. Niches of the World, an underground indoor exhibit, reopened in 1992 after its reptile, amphibian and small animal displays were renovated.
In January of 1994, the once city-run Pittsburgh Zoo became a private non-profit organization owned and operated by the Zoological Society of Pittsburgh. The transition from public to private has been a resounding success.
In 1994, the Zoo's Education Complex was built, creating space for five classrooms, a library and a 300-seat lecture hall, furthering the Zoo's mission of conservation and education. The Zoo's administration offices also are located there. Kids Kingdom, the completely renovated children's zoo, opened in 1995 and was enhanced by the addition of the Discovery Pavilion in 1997. A $17.4 million state-of-the-art Aquarium opened in 2000, doubling the size of the former AquaZoo and exhibiting thousands of aquatic animals. In 2002, the Zoo celebrated the completed expansion of the Education Complex, made possible through a generous donation from the Scaife Charitable foundation, and with the support of Senator Rick Santorum. The roof was raised and a second story was built, providing more classrooms, teacher resource areas and an animal holding area. The new building is a "green" building - having been built to be environmentally friendly.
According to President & CEO Dr. Barbara Baker, the Zoo's growth can be traced to one thing: commitment. "Our staff is deeply committed to making sure our Zoo not only maintains the standards already set, but strives to improve the exhibits and the lives of our resident animals every day," Baker said. "This makes the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium a safe haven for the animals who live here, and provides visitors with a unique zoo experience."
The Zoo's remarkable growth in attendance, exhibitry, research, education and conservation efforts are sending it roaring into the future.
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