History, Conservation, and Fun

There's a lot to see and do at Zoo Boise, whether you take a lunch-hour stroll, or make it a family outing. There's a fascinating history, as well as much to learn, too. You might even say Zoo Boise has definitely evolved. In fact, the zoo came about almost by accident.

Exotic birds and an escaped circus chimp!

In 1916, Zoo Boise began as a menagerie to house a collection of exotic birds and an escaped circus chimp. For the last 100 years, Zoo Boise has continued to grow, adding new exhibits and programs to become a community treasure that provides a wonderful educational and recreational opportunity for more than 340,000 visitors annually making Zoo Boise one of the largest attractions in the state.

Unfortunately, as Zoo Boise has grown, so have the threats facing animals in the wild.  Elephants, lions, tigers, rhinos, gorillas, pandas, polar bears, and countless others—all face extinction within a couple of decades.

For Zoo Boise, simply being a nice place to bring your family to learn about animals is no longer enough. We had to do more in order to address this crisis that threatens the world's most iconic species, the same species our children hold so dear.

Zoo Boise turns the act of visiting a zoo into a conservation action!

In 2007, Zoo Boise became the first zoo in the country to create a conservation fee. The 50¢ fee, charged in addition to the admission price, was designed to fund conservation projects taking place in Idaho and around the world. More importantly, it changed the purpose of a zoo visit—empowering visitors to help save the very creatures they were seeing.

Additional mechanisms were created, including a conservation fee on memberships, the chance to feed a giraffe or a bear in exchange for a small fee, the opportunity to take a conservation cruise to see monkeys or feed goats and sheep in our Zoo Farm. All these little conservation fees, multiplied by our hundreds of thousands of visitors, have now generated $3 million to date for the conservation of animals around the world.

While we all care about animals and want to protect them in the wild, knowing how to help can be a challenge. So, Zoo Boise has redefined itself as a vehicle to help our visitors save endangered species. Now, when families visit Zoo Boise, they don't just see animals, they help save them as well.

Learn more by visiting www.zooboise.org/conservation.

Gorongosa National Park Exhibit and other iconic species!

Zoo Boise is home to more than 100 different species including lions, tiger, giraffes, sloths, penguins, bald eagle, snow leopards, spider monkeys, Komodo dragon, and red pandas.

In 2019, Zoo Boise opened its brand new Gorongosa National Park Exhibit! Gorongosa was once one of the greatest parks in Africa but was destroyed during 25 years of war in Mozambique. Zoo Boise is part of a partnership to rebuild the park, increasing animal populations while also addressing the needs of the very poor people who live nearby.

Besides housing amazing animals like Nile crocodiles and baboons, the exhibit also tells the story of the agricultural, medical, and education programs that are in place to partner with the people of Mozambique.

Ever-evolving, Zoo Boise is a fantastic place for everyone in groups or by oneself. Make a plan to visit today!

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The City of Boise is closely monitoring COVID-19. Zoo Boise is following City recommended guidelines and policies for the safety of our guests, employees, and animal collection. Advance tickets may be required. Visit www.zooboise.org to learn more about current ticketing and operating guidelines and to find out what exhibits, animal encounters, buildings, and play structures are currently open or closed.