The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is a non-profit zoo located near Powell in Liberty Township, Delaware County, Ohio, United States, north of the city of Columbus. The land lies along the eastern banks of the O'Shaughnessy Reservoir on the Scioto River, at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Powell Road. It has a worldwide reputation, largely attributable to the efforts and promotion of director emeritus Jack Hanna. In 2009, it was named by the USA Travel Guide as the number one zoo in the United States. It was also ranked number one best zoo in 2012 by Besties Readers Choice.
The Columbus Zoo is home to more than 7,000 animals representing over 800 species and sees over 2 million visitors annually. The animal exhibits are divided into regions of the world, with the zoo currently operating eight such regions. In addition the zoo owns an 18-hole golf course, known as the Safari Golf Club which encompasses . The zoo also owns Zoombezi Bay which encompasses . In total, the zoo owns of land, with dedicated to the zoo itself.
The zoo operates its own conservation program, donating money to outside programs as well as participating in their own conservation efforts. Over the past five years the zoo has contributed over $3.3 million to more than 70 projects in 30 countries. The zoo also has a close working relationship with the Wilds, a animal conservation center located in southeast Ohio and featured on the Columbus Zoo's website.
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, and by extension The Wilds, are prominently featured in the Nat Geo Wild series Secrets of the Zoo, a series focusing on various activities done with the animals in the zoo.
History Early history
The first zoo in Columbus, known as "the Zoo" was operated by the Columbus Zoological Company (not affiliated with today's Columbus Zoo). It was located in the present-day Old Beechwold Historic District in Clintonville. The zoo opened in May 1905 but closed for unknown reasons only five months later in October. The former monkey house can still be seen on the property of 150 West Beechwold Boulevard where it is used as a barn. The zoo's original brick entrance can also be seen on North High Street at Beechwold Road.
The present Columbus Zoo opened in 1927 as Riverside Park on by the O'Shaughnessy Reservoir. The zoo was initially conceived by Harry P. Wolfe, owner of the Columbus Dispatch, and the Columbus Mayor on a trip to the St. Louis in 1920 where they visited the zoo. Wolfe began purchasing exotic animals for the zoo and kept them in the Franklin Park Conservatory until the park was ready. Its first building housed lions and tigers and was completed in 1932.
In 1937, the zoo's name changed to the Columbus Municipal Zoo and utilized membership fees to fund its growth, but by 1950 was struggling financially.
1950 to present The city of Columbus took over management of the zoo in 1951 but later gave up ownership to the Zoological Park Association, Inc., a non-profit organization, in 1970. The city continued providing funds from the city's general fund, however, until 1986.
Jack Hanna became the director of the Columbus Zoo in 1978 and remained director until 1993. The zoo benefited greatly from his oversight, rising to national recognition during his tenure. Prior to his arrival, the zoo saw an average annual attendance of about 360,000. In addition, the animal facilities were in need of renovation. Hanna put an extensive amount of effort into turning the Columbus Zoo into a model facility, including personally picking up trash after hours. Cage enclosures were also removed during his time and replaced with more natural looking habitats. His enthusiasm, along with his national television recognition, helped attract more visitors to the zoo, with over 1.4 million visitors annually by 1992. Hanna was named director emeritus of the zoo in 1993 and continued to be the public face for the zoo in its marketing campaigns until 2020.
In 2004, voters passed a measure that would raise an estimated $180 million to expand the zoo over 10 years. The expansion includes additional parking, Polar Frontier, an exhibit including polar bears and Arctic foxes as well as Heart of Africa, the most recent exhibit, which includes lions, antelope, cheetahs, giraffe, zebras, etc. To make room for these new exhibits, bordering Powell Road has been relocated around the eastern and southern border of the zoo. A new entrance was constructed along the new roadway, which opened in early 2008. Long-term plans include the possibility of a resort-style hotel to attract tourists along with its outdoor water-amusement park, Zoombezi Bay.
On June 28, 2009, Jeff Swanagan, the executive director of the zoo, died suddenly at the age of 51. Dale Schmidt, the zoo's chief operating officer, was named executive director on November 20, 2009.
Loss and restoration of accreditation In 2021, zoo executives were reported by The Columbus Dispatch as having inappropriate businesses practices that used zoo resources for personal use. Zoo officials addressed the allegations, admitting to mistakes and cut ties to institutions involved but did not clarify specific issues. On October 7, 2021, the Columbus Zoo was to lose its Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredited status for financial mismanagement and animal endangerment. The zoo appealed the decision, and kept its accreditation provisionally. In December 2021, this appeal was denied, with an option to reapply in autumn 2022.
Also in December, Tom Schmid became the president and CEO of the Columbus Zoo. Schmid came to Columbus from the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, Texas, and planned to improve the zoo's image and restore its accreditation.
The zoo regained AZA accreditation in March 2023. It is also accredited by the Zoological Association of America.
Exhibits The Columbus Zoo is divided into eight regions, each housing animals from a particular region of the world. Each region is themed for the particular area of the world they are representing, though older regions are themed less than the newly constructed ones. Food and souvenir shops are located throughout the zoo, each one also themed for the region the shop is in.
There are three modes of transportation through the zoo other than walking. These include a train that circles the North America Trek, a tram that borders the southern part of the North America Trek that takes visitors to Polar Frontier, and a boat ride around the Islands of Southeast Asia region.
Adventure Cove "Adventure Cove" opened in July 2020. This region contains a pool for California sea lions and harbor seals, Jack Hanna's Animal Encounter Village, which houses a rotating cast of around twenty of the Zoo's ambassador animal species, and the Stingray Bay, which predates the rest of the region, having opened in June 2012.
North America Trek The "North America Trek" (formerly known as simply 'North America') is the second-largest and the oldest region, which opened in Spring of 1985. In total, the North America Trek covers roughly of land and contains a number of large exhibits, including a migratory songbird aviary containing over 20 species. In addition to the exhibits, the North America Trek contains the train ride that circles the region. The first phase of the region went through extensive construction for a renovation, and reopened in June 2025.
Polar Frontier
The "Polar Frontier" opened in May 2010, featuring animals native to colder climates including Arctic foxes and brown bears. The region also marked the return of polar bears to the zoo, whose habitat includes a pool and an underwater viewing area. The center of the exhibit includes a Conservation/Education Building and a new play area. The zoo added a third polar bear in 2013 and further expanded Polar Frontier in 2014.
In 2015, one of the bears in the Polar Frontier, Aurora, gave birth to a bear cub, which the zoo named Nora. Nora, born on November 6, 2015, was the first polar bear born and raised at the zoo since the opening of Polar Frontier. She now resides at the Hogle Zoo in Utah.
Heart of Africa
The "Heart of Africa" region opened in May 2014 and is located to the north and east of the zoo . The area encompasses of land, and feature many African plains animals. One exhibit in the new region are lions, which were moved in order to accommodate Asia Quest, as well as giraffes, cheetahs, zebras, and vervet monkeys. Following the design of recent exhibits such as the Islands of Southeast Asia, the African savanna attempts to merge habitats and scenery to make visitors feel as if they are on the plains. Other features including giraffe feedings, as well as dining facilities.
The centerpiece of the Heart of Africa exhibit is the Watering Hole, an open rotational enclosure containing a large pond. The exhibit is designed to accommodate many different species, and different animals rotate in and out throughout the day. Some of the zoo's species can only be viewed at the Watering Hole.
Asia Quest
The Asia themed region, "Asia Quest" opened in two phases in 2006. The region is an attempt to more fully immerse visitors into the exhibits, not only building larger and more attractive exhibits, but also melding them together with the scenery. Visitors entering Asia Quest pass a waterfall flanked by two habitats, travel through a cave containing the indoor habitats, exit into a Chinese forest, and finally enter an Asia Quest aviary designed to look like an abandoned Asian garden. Instead of fences, habitats are either recessed and separated via rock walls, or on ground level and separated by the rock walls and glass. Asia Quest also promotes donations for animal conservation, as many of the region's animals are threatened in the wild.
Shores & Aquarium
The "Shores and Aquarium" region is most well known for the fish and manatee aquariums, known as "Discovery Reef" and "Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Center". In addition to the indoor aquariums, the shores region also features exhibits of Caribbean flamingos, American alligators, Humboldt penguins, and Aldabra giant tortoises.
Discovery Reef, which opened in 1993, is an saltwater aquarium and houses numerous species of fish, seahorses, sharks, and garden eels. It also houses a live coral exhibit, one of the largest in the United States although the coral in the largest tank is synthetic.
Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (formerly the 'Manatee Coast'), which opened in 1999, is the cornerstone of the region, supporting the endangered Florida manatees, fish, stingrays, a sea turtle, and pelicans in a indoor habitat. This habitat is one of only two outside of Florida to keep manatees, making it an especially popular exhibit. The building is also covered by a retractable roof, which creates an outdoor environment for up to five manatees during warm weather.
The Reptile Habitat is the first building encountered heading west after exiting the tunnel under Riverside Drive and is located within the shores region. Originally opened in 1968, it is a fully indoor facility, containing numerous snakes, terrapins, lizards, and tortoises. The Columbus Zoo has also bred many threatened reptile species.
Australia and the Islands