Of course, zoos are not the only places where you can see animals.The United States has many fine aquariums, wildlife parks, and other facilities that exhibit animals.All of these places could technically be considered zoos.The major differences between the "pure zoos" in the book and the facilities described in this online chapter are the variety of animals displayed, and the admission price:Zoos usually display a wider variety of animals, and are (generally) much less expensive.On the other hand, some of these other places provide entertainment options not available at most zoos. Below are a few of the very best:
This little corner of Africa is located deep in the heart of Texas, just an hour south of Fort Worth.Zebras, giraffes, ostriches, antelope, bison, and deer roam freely over 3,000 acres that resemble African terrain.The center has had phenomenal success breeding white rhinos, prairie chickens, and cheetahs, among other species.Most guests see the animals from the luxury of their cars – there’s a drive-through tour.The park also offers a Children’s AnimalCenter, a Nature Trail, guided tours, and luxurious overnight accommodations at The Lodge.The more adventurous can stay at the Foothills Safari Camp.
Opened in 1967, this was America’s first drive-through safari park.Today, on its four-mile road, you can encounter more than 900 animals up close, including lions, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, chimpanzees, gibbons, tapirs, and at least a dozen varieties of hoofed animals from Africa and Asia. Safari World, the park’s walk-through section, includes a petting zoo, rides, and some smaller animal exhibits.There is a KOA campground on site for those who want to spend the night.
Located 17 miles northeast of San Antonio, this drive‑through safari park is adjacent to Natural Bridge Caverns.Upon entering the park, each vehicle is equipped with a guide map and a cup of food to feed the antelope, zebras, and ostriches that wander up to the cars.Of the more than 50 species here, the more exotic include white rhinos and bongo antelope.You’ll find a petting zoo and smaller animals at the VisitorCenter.
Located about 35 miles south of Tacoma, this park is a refuge for animals native to the United States.A 50‑minute tram tour provides close encounters with herds of bison, elk, bighorn sheep, caribou, moose, and more.In the Core Area, where many smaller animals are displayed in naturalistic habitats, the main attraction is the beaver pond.Bears, wolves, cougars, eagles, owls, and other predators can also be found here.
Located in the center of the state, ten miles west of Peoria, this park exhibits only animals that are, or were, native to Illinois.Visitors can see animals from any of nine walking trails.Bison, elk, wolves, foxes, otters, bears, and skunks are among the many animals on display.Features include a Prairie Railroad train ride and an authentic Pioneer Farmstead.
At this drive‑through reserve in southwestern Oregon, a wide variety of antelope, deer, and other hoofed animals, as well as rhinos, ostriches, bears, cheetahs, and even lions can be seen up close from the comfort of your automobile.Nearly 100 types of animals are grouped according to their continent of origin. Along your drive-through tour, you may spot a small herd of elephants in the distance. A petting zoo and animal programs that sometimes feature tigers and other great cats round out your experience.
A half hour south of I-70, this 10,000-acre wildlife conservation center in eastern Ohio is a cross between a modern zoo and a wildlife reserve.Opened in 1994, the park has been affiliated with the Columbus Zoo since 2002.Two guided tours are available: one on an enclosed bus, another on an open-air vehicle.Tours cover hundreds of acres where herds of hoofed animals are loosely grouped by geography.Indian and white rhinos, giraffes, Sichuan takin mountain goats, zebras, and one of the nation’s largest captive herds of bison are just some of the rare animals you’ll encounter.The tour makes a stop at the new Mid-SizedCarnivore Conservation Center, a 60-acre space for cheetahs, African wild dogs, and dholes (wild Asian dogs) that opened in 2007.
The former New Jersey State Aquarium reopened in 2005 with a new name, with twice as many exhibits, and with many times the excitement!This is the first American aquarium to exhibit Nile hippos, displayed here at the West African River Experience.A 40-foot glass tunnel takes visitors into the world of more than 20 sharks and sawfish in Shark Realm.The Jules Verne Gallery features jellyfish, giant spider crabs, and other oddities.In the gigantic Ocean Realm tank, look for bluefin tuna, sea turtles, and extremely rare shark rays.Other features include a Caribbean reef tank, a rain forest, seals, penguins, a touch pool with sharks, and a 4-D theater.
With an entrance on San Francisco’s touristy Pier 39, the focus here is on marine animals that live in San FranciscoBay.In Discover the Bay, eight separate exhibits display small Bay animals, including skates and small sharks.Under the Bay is a 300-foot underwater glass tunnel, where you’ll get clear views of bat rays and several large sharks.Touch the Bay gives visitors an opportunity to handle harmless sharks, rays, and tide pool animals.
As you enter this Pacific-based aquarium, you’ll pass beneath an 88-foot replica of a blue whale.Just beyond the Sea Jellies and Life in Darkness exhibits, the Blue Cavern tank is a two-story kelp forest that’s home to giant sea bass and more.Seals and sea lions are visible via an Underwater Viewing Tunnel.The Northern Pacific gallery displays sea otters, and diving birds such as crested auklets.The facility’s largest exhibit is the Tropical Reef Habitat, with sharks and sea turtles.Other features include coral reef tanks, shark and ray petting, lorikeet feeding, and AnimalVision, a fun, animated 3-D film.
Connected by both administration and by visitor train to the city’s Rio Grande Zoo, this aquarium has been a hit ever since its 1996 opening.The tour inside follows the Rio Grande River, from the freshwater species of the local Albuquerque area to the sea creatures of the Gulf of Mexico, where the Rio Grande ends.Cutthroat trout are a highlight among the freshwater fish displayed near the aquarium’s entrance.As the winding path approaches the Gulf exhibits, a Salt Marsh displays both shorebirds and stingrays.Features of the extensive ocean exhibits include a real retired Gulf shrimp boat, a walk-through glass tunnel through a moray eel tank, a beautiful artificial coral reef tank, the tranquil Jellies exhibit, and the 285,000 gallon open ocean tank with numerous large sharks and sea turtles swimming past the 38-foot-wide window into the tank.
Built on the Mississippi River at the edge of the historic French Quarter, this facility was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina.While the building was not harmed, power outages shut down its life support systems, killing most of the 10,000 fish inside.Since then, the aquarium has been rebuilt, and today it’s even better than ever.The four major exhibit sections include a transparent underwater tunnel providing up‑close looks at sharks and other creatures of the Caribbean Reef; a lush Amazon exhibit under a glass roof; paddlefish, catfish, and a white alligator in the swampy Mississippi River; and sharks, barracudas, sea turtles, and other giants of the open ocean swimming under a replica of an oil rig in the 400,000-gallon Gulf of Mexico tank.
This downtown Dallas aquarium is not at all typical.Central and South American animals are featured in this modern facility.In the Rainforest, three layers of the jungle are displayed:the Canopy includes giant river otters, howler monkeys, and a free flight aviary; Orinoco crocodiles, anacondas, poison dart frogs, vampire bats, and tamarin monkeys inhabit the Understory; and the River habitat is home to Antillean manatees.Another jungle exhibit, Mundo Maya, houses jaguars, ocelots, hawk eagles, hummingbirds, and Morelet's crocodiles and other reptiles.In more traditional exhibits, bamboo sharks and moray eels are some of the inhabitants of Predators, while black-footed penguins represent South Africa.
Owned by Landry’s restaurateurs, the same folks who gave us the Rainforest Cafes®, this inland aquarium portrays the path to the ocean along the Colorado River, and a parallel path along an Indonesian river.The initial North American forest exhibit features a number of game fish, which fishermen seem to enjoy.In the desert exhibit, the regularly scheduled flash flood is a fun surprise for visitors.The Indonesian section includes an attractive exhibit of Sumatran tigers.Eventually, you reach an impressive open ocean gallery, with sharks and other large fish.Just beyond Sting Ray Reef touch tank, there is a fancy full-service restaurant with a view of coral reef fish.
Also owned by Landry’s, this aquarium takes visitors all over the world: From a Louisiana swamp and its alligators and snapping turtles, to the Amazon rain forest with its piranhas and pretty freshwater stingrays.Most interesting are the ruins of a maharaja’s temple in India, where rare white tigers are displayed.Along the way, many beautiful fish from the Gulf of Mexico are exhibited.To see the large sharks and sawfish, visitors must ride an outdoor miniature train through a glass tunnel.Also outside are a ferris wheel, carousel, and carnival games, all with an aquatic theme.As in Denver, a lavish restaurant with a coral reef view is featured.
The highlight of this pretty aquarium is a half-million-gallon Coral Reefs exhibit, with a long wall of glass which shows off the colorful reef fish.Sea Hunt is inhabited by sharks and other animals dangerous to man – stinging jellyfish, giant octopus, and moray eels.At the Wetlands, visitors can watch playful river otters, and check out a pool filled with up to 50 juvenile alligators. African black-footed penguins star in the "Penguin Promenade" show (see picture).
Opened in 2005, this aquarium instantly made U.S. zoological history when it became the first in the nation to exhibit whale sharks, the world’s biggest fish.The facility is the world’s largest aquarium; its tanks hold over eight million gallons of fresh and salt water.More than three quarters of that water is in the Ocean Voyager tank, which must be enormous to accommodate multiple whale sharks (see picture), which can grow up to 40 feet long.More than 100,000 fish, including hammerhead sharks and manta rays, are also part of this giant tank, visible from a 100-foot-long glass tunnel or through a 61-foot-wide window.In Cold Water Quest, beluga whales share an exhibit area with sea otters, sea dragons, and an octopus.Tropical Diver features reef fish, including sea horses and jellyfish, while River Scout focuses on freshwater animals, including small-clawed otters and Amazon fish.
Part of a working marine laboratory, this small aquarium displays an impressive variety of popular creatures.Sharks are a major focus here, with a terrific Shark Habitat, as well as an entertaining movie about sharks.Other animals on exhibit include sea turtles, dolphins, and manatees (photo courtesy of Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium).For kids and kids-at-heart, there are two touch pools, one with stingrays.
Located in Connecticut's historic seaport, this aquarium has some very interesting marine mammals.Rarely seen elsewhere, white beluga whales (see photo) and Stellar’s sea lions are both exhibited here. Sea lion shows, with much smaller California sea lions, are held in the 1,200-seat Marine Theater. Additional features include African penguins, a stingray touch pool, and an Amazon exhibit. The Institute for Exploration, headed by Dr. Robert Ballard, the finder of the Titanic, is an interesting twist here.Because of this association, the aquarium has fascinating exhibits about the Titanic, John F. Kennedy’s PT109 boat (another Ballard find), and possible evidence of Noah’s Flood that was discovered in the Black Sea.
The variety of exhibits in this innovative aquarium is staggering.A prime attraction of Baltimore's scenic InnerHarbor, it features a lush TropicalRain Forest under a glass roof.Entertaining dolphin shows are presented in a 1,300‑seat amphitheater.Wings In the Water displays over 50 large rays (photo from National Aquarium in Baltimore).Like the dolphins, the rays can be seen both above and below water.A walkway spirals up through the center of two gigantic cylindrical tanks, the Atlantic Coral Reef and the OpenOcean, which display sharks, sawfish, and much more.Other features include native Maryland habitats, puffins, and poison dart frogs.In late 2005, the aquarium added Animal Planet Australia, a major exhibit occupying an entire multi-story pavilion which displays the reptiles, fish, birds, and indeed, the entire landscape of Australia.
Located at CentralWharf on the city's historic waterfront, this Boston landmark is most famous for its spiraling Giant Ocean Tank, where sharks and sea turtles swim together.Nearly 10,000 animals, including penguins and seals, are on display here in over 70 exhibits.A wide variety of ocean fish are exhibited in the aquarium’s three floors of galleries, which include Amazing Jellies, Seadragons (see picture), and the Edge of the Sea.
More than 8,000 animals live at this facility in the famous Coney Island amusement district.The aquarium is best known for its Sea Cliffs habitats, home to walruses, sea otters, sea lions, fur seals, and penguins.Sharks have their own exhibit house, across from Alien Stingers, an intriguing exhibit of stinging jellyfish.Sea lions give daily shows in a small amphitheater.
Just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, this aquarium has 70 exhibits in 14 distinct galleries.The most famous is the Surrounded By Sharks exhibit, a glass tunnel through the habitat of tiger sharks and other fish.Try to spot the ultra-rare shark rays here.The Bizarre and Beautiful gallery has 13 exhibits of unusual creatures such as octopi, flashlight fish, and sea horses.Other interesting species include otters in the RainforestIslands, alligators, penguins, and giant Amazon fish.A huge lorikeet feeding aviary is very popular with kids.
North Carolina has not just one, but three official state aquariums spread along the Atlantic coast.All have exhibits of alligators, sharks, and sea turtles (see picture).The largest, the North Carolina Aquarium on Pine Knoll Shores, is centrally located near Morehead City and features two nature trails, a large touch tank, and a Living Shipwreck exhibit.Near the Nags Head tourist area, the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island has a Graveyard of the Atlantic exhibit.Down south, the North Carolina Aquarium at FortFisher has an Open Oceans Gallery with moray eels, jellyfish, and an octopus.
From 1996 to 1998, this aquarium received international attention as it hosted Keiko, the killer whale star of the 1993 movie Free Willy.Today, the facility’s most popular residents are probably its playful sea otters (photo courtesy of Oregon Coast Aquarium).Their outdoor habitat is near seals, sea lions, and the Sea Bird Aviary, with puffins and auklets.Interesting indoor exhibits include jellyfish, a kelp forest, and Passages of the Deep, an underwater glass tunnel through a tank of sharks and other large fish.
Built by the people who run the “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” museums, this aquarium is located on South Carolina’s popular resort beach.The facility’s feature exhibit is a 750,000-gallon Dangerous Reef, where visitors glide on a moving walkway through a glass tunnel while giant sharks swim around them. Rainbow Rock introduces the amazing colors of the ocean’s coral reef species, while Ray Bay lets visitors meet various stingrays and even sharks up close.Also exhibited are octopus, weedy sea dragons, and moon jellies.
Run by the same Ripley’s museum folks as above, this SmokeyMountain facility has some of the same exhibits.There is a crystal-clear 340-foot glass tunnel through Shark Lagoon, where large tarpons, giant stingrays, sea turtles, sawfish, and of course, large sharks are visible in every direction.The Gallery of the Seas displays octopus, sea horses, and jellyfish.You can pet various rays and sharks in Stingray Bay.Notably different here, though, is the beautiful Tropical Rainforest, with fish, birds, and reptiles from the tropics of South America and Africa.
Over 8,000 sea creatures are displayed here on Seattle's famous Pier 59.The Underwater Dome has more than 100 acrylic windows for viewing the salmon, rockfish, sharks, and other interesting marine life of Puget Sound.A fascinating salmon hatchery and salmon ladder are seen from a boardwalk, surrounded by exhibits of sea otters, harbor seals, fur seals, and puffins.In 2007, the aquarium opened Windows on Washington Waters, a 120,000-gallon salmon-filled tank in the aquarium’s entry plaza (see photo).
This aquarium takes the visitor from the water of South Carolina’s western mountains, all the way to the state’s Atlantic coast.In the Mountain Forest, brook trout and river otters are displayed.The Coastal Plain exhibits alligators and other reptiles.At the Coast, an octopus and sea turtles can be found.Finally, at the gigantic three-story GreatOcean tank, sand tiger sharks and other large ocean fish swim together, and moon jellies are displayed nearby.
Steinhart Aquarium
Temporary:
875 Howard Street
San Francisco, California 94103
Permanent:
5 Concourse Drive
San Francisco, California 94118
(415) 321‑8000
Part of the excellent California Academy of Sciences, this aquarium’s permanent home is under renovation and, at press time, is scheduled to re-open late in 2008.Until then, its key exhibit is the 20,000-gallon Coral Reef tank.Other large exhibits include African penguins, alligator gars, sea bass, and large snapping turtles.
This educational facility, run by the local university, is located on San Diego's panoramic north shore.The view of the Ocean from beautiful Tidepool Plaza is spectacular.The aquarium has a small gallery of display tanks with species from California and Mexico, as well as a huge Kelp Forest exhibit.There are nine types of sharks here, many in the Shark Reef tank.Kids will enjoy exploring the outdoor plaza’s tide pools.
Until recently, this was the largest freshwater aquarium in the world It was originally dedicated exclusively to freshwater wildlife, but thanks to a major expansion, the aquarium is now a two-building complex, with a pair of sparkling four‑story, glass‑roofed structures.In the original River Journey building, the largest exhibit is Nickajack Lake, with paddlefish (see photo), alligator gars, and more.Your journey through the building eventually ends up at a Gulf of Mexico exhibit with barracudas and bonnethead sharks.The newer Ocean Journey building opened in 2005 and focuses on saltwater fish, including jellyfish, a large touch tank, and a massive open ocean tank. Just behind the complex, on the river, the aquarium offers exciting and educational of "Tennessee's Grand Canyon" on the high-speed catamaran, River Gorge Explorer.
Opened in 1990, this beachside aquarium focuses on animals that live in the Gulf of Mexico just outside.The 35‑foot‑tall Islands of Steel exhibit showcases the marine life surrounding the giant oil rigs out in the Gulf, including sand tiger sharks, moray eels, and groupers.Flower Gardens display the amazing colors of the Gulf’s coral reefs, while Floating Phantoms features jellyfish.Otter Space and Amazon are freshwater exhibits, displaying (logically enough) otters and giant Amazon fish.Dolphin Bay is the home of the aquarium’s bottlenose dolphins.There are also a number of interesting animal shows here.
Both hands‑on exhibits and live animals help visitors interpret the local marine environment here.Highlights include the Bay & Ocean Pavilion with sharks, rays, and other ocean fish, three varieties of rare sea turtles, and the popular harbor seals (see picture).The Marsh Pavilion includes river otters, snakes, and a half-acre walk-through bird aviary.There are also a touch tank and an IMAX theater.
Located just yards away from the famous beach, this small aquarium is one of the nation's oldest aquariums.Its main attractions are the galleries of beautiful fish and other animals that swim in the waters of the Hawaiian Islands.Outside, you’ll find an extremely endangered Hawaiian monk seal, a Mahimahi Hatchery, and a Reef Machine that enables a living coral reef to thrive.
This Miami coastal attraction is the home of the famous dolphins that starred in the TV show Flipper.They still hold dolphin shows here under that famous name.Other shows feature killer whales and sea lions.Special animal attractions include sea lion feeding, manatees, sharks, and a variety of ocean fish, tropical birds, alligators, and Nile crocodiles.
All four SeaWorld parks feature killer whale shows in Shamu Stadium, hilarious “Clyde & Seamore” sea lion shows, a dolphin show, a show featuring pets, superb Penguin Encounter and Shark Encounter exhibits, a Shamu's Happy Harbor playground, a Journey to Atlantis water coaster, a set of excellent aquariums, seal and dolphin petting and feeding pools, a nighttime laser and fireworks show, and an atmosphere rivaled only by the Disney parks.The California park, which in 1964 was the first of these parks to open, also includes a Skyride, a 265‑high Skytower, moray eel and bat ray feeding at the Forbidden Reef, a Wild Arctic thrill ride, and special exhibits featuring sea otters and manatees.
A day here can easily round out a Disney World vacation.In addition to the core SeaWorld attractions (see above), this park also has a 400‑foot Sky Tower, a Wild Arctic thrill ride, a Kraken floorless roller coaster, and exhibits featuring manatees and sting rays.
This largest of the SeaWorld parks has all of the core attractions (see above) plus a hilarious 4-D movie, a water ski show, a Rio Loco raging river raft ride, a Texas Splashdown log flume ride, two scary roller coasters, and the Lost Lagoon waterpark.
A combination aquatic park, theme park, and zoo, this is one of the top attractions in the San FranciscoBay area.Daily animal shows feature a killer whale, dolphins, sea lions, birds, and elephants.Close‑up experiences with the animals include Sting Ray Bay (petting and feeding), a walk-through Butterfly Habitat, the Lorikeet Aviary (feeding), Nairobi’s Giraffe Deck (feeding), Dolphin Experience (feeding and petting), and Shark Experience (a walk through a clear acrylic underwater tunnel).Other animals on exhibit include walruses, penguins, alligators, cougars, cheetahs, lions, tigers, and reptiles.The park also has over 20 children’s rides and more than a dozen thrill rides, with at least eight roller coasters.
The nation's largest collection of reptiles is here in the heart of the Black Hills.One highlight is the Sky Dome, a walk‑through terrarium with free‑roaming birds, lizards, and harmless snakes in desert and rain forest habitats.Other floors of the building display crocodiles, a Komodo dragon, and venomous snakes -- including an exhibit of the world's deadliest snakes that is the largest such exhibit in the U.S.On grounds well known for their colorful flower gardens, animal shows include a snake program, an alligator and crocodile show, and a bird program.There are also many unique opportunities to touch a variety of reptiles.
Just a few miles from Walt Disney World, hundreds of alligators and crocodiles can be seen from a network of boardwalks built over a swamp.Other features here include a train tour, a cypress swamp walk, a petting yard with domestic animals, a lorikeet feeding aviary, a splash park, and exhibits of other animals, mostly natives of Central Florida.Regularly scheduled shows include the famous “Gator Jumparoo” where alligators spring out of the water for food, “Gator Wrestlin’,” and “Up Close Encounters.”
Located in the popular Wisconsin Dells tourist area, this preserve displays and breeds all 15 of the world's crane species, including endangered whooping cranes and wattled cranes.Adorable crane chicks are very engaging to see.Both guided tours and self‑guided nature trails are available.
Typical zoo roles are reversed here: Hundreds of monkeys and other primates roam free in jungle settings, while human visitors are caged in wire mesh walkways.“Hangin’ with Orangs” (starring some talented orangutans) is one of three entertaining shows.At a second show, crab‑eating macaque monkeys dive for food in their pool, while a third show features chattering monkeys in an Amazonian Rain Forest setting.Other species displayed here include gorillas, red-handed tamarin monkeys, and howler monkeys.
One of Florida's oldest tourist attractions, this alligator farm is located in the oldest city in the country.Thousands of alligators and their crocodilian relatives can be seen from elevated boardwalks over a series of swamps. In fact, this is the only place in the world where all 23 of the world's crocodilian species are displayed.Other exhibits include a 15-foot saltwater crocodile from Australia, albino alligators from Louisiana, and displays of exotic birds and monkeys.Shows include the educational “Realm of the Alligator,” “Scales and Tales” (with snakes and other reptiles), “Rainforest Review” (which features parrots and other animals), “Florida’s Forest Friends” (a children’s show), and the always-popular “Alligator Feeding.”
Of course, zoos are not the only places where you can see animals. The 
Florida
John G. Shedd Aquarium
New England
