Famous zoos of the world begin with Vienna's Schönbrunn, the oldest zoo still open after 270 years, and reach as far as Singapore's open rainforest zoo.
This Finepedia guide, written in November 2026, looks at ten of the most famous zoos on Earth. Each entry explains when the zoo opened, how big it is, which animals made it well known and what it changed in the way zoos care for wildlife. Together they show how zoos grew from royal collections of rare animals into centres for science, education and conservation.
The word zoo is short for zoological garden, a park where wild animals are kept so that people can study and see them. Rulers kept private collections of animals, called menageries, for thousands of years. The modern zoo, open to the public and linked to scientific study, appeared in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries [1]. Today the best zoos also breed endangered animals and support wildlife projects in the wild.
How We Chose These
We chose zoos that are famous around the world for their history, their size or the ideas they pioneered, and that are still open today. The list runs in order of founding, from the oldest to the youngest, using the dates given by the zoos and by Wikipedia. Visitor and animal numbers change every year, so treat them as rough guides. Several of these zoos are run by scientific societies that were founded at the same time.
The 10 Famous Zoos at a Glance
| No. | Zoo | City | Founded | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schönbrunn Zoo | Vienna, Austria | 1752 | oldest zoo still operating |
| 2 | Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes | Paris, France | 1794 | second oldest zoo |
| 3 | London Zoo | London, United Kingdom | 1828 | oldest scientific zoo |
| 4 | Artis | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 1838 | oldest zoo in the Netherlands |
| 5 | Antwerp Zoo | Antwerp, Belgium | 1843 | historic animal buildings |
| 6 | Berlin Zoological Garden | Berlin, Germany | 1844 | most visited zoo in Europe |
| 7 | Philadelphia Zoo | Philadelphia, United States | chartered 1859, opened 1874 | first true zoo in the US |
| 8 | Bronx Zoo | New York, USA | 1899 | largest metropolitan zoo |
| 9 | San Diego Zoo | San Diego, United States | 1916 | pioneer of cage-less exhibits |
| 10 | Singapore Zoo | Singapore | 1973 | open rainforest exhibits |
1. Schönbrunn Is the Oldest Zoo Still Open
Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna was founded in 1752 and is the oldest zoo in the world still in operation [2]. It was the idea of Francis Stephen of Lorraine, husband of the empress Maria Theresa, who had a menagerie built in the park of the Habsburg summer palace at Schönbrunn. The zoo covers 17 hectares and is part of the Schönbrunn Palace World Heritage Site [3]. As of 2021 it kept about 8,250 animals of 707 species, including giant pandas, and it receives more than 2 million visitors a year [2].
Key Facts
- Location: Vienna, Austria
- Founded: 1752
- Area: 17 hectares
- Visitors: more than 2 million a year
Did You Know?
The zoo's first monkey house opened in 1837, but reptiles had to wait until 1870 for an enclosure of their own [2].
2. The Jardin des Plantes Rescued the Royal Animals
The Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes in Paris was founded in 1794, largely with animals brought from the royal menagerie at the Palace of Versailles, which had been abandoned during the French Revolution [4]. It is the second oldest zoo in the world, after Schönbrunn. The zoo stands beside the Seine in the centre of Paris and takes up about one third of the Jardin des Plantes, the city's great botanical garden. Today it keeps many rare small and medium-sized mammals, as well as birds and reptiles [4].
Key Facts
- Location: Paris, France
- Founded: 1794
- First animals: from the royal menagerie at Versailles
- Rank: second oldest zoo in the world
Why It Matters
The Jardin des Plantes is the oldest part of the National Museum of Natural History, founded in 1793, so the Paris zoo was tied to scientific research from its first years [4].
3. London Zoo Is the Oldest Scientific Zoo
London Zoo in Regent's Park opened on 27 April 1828 and is the oldest scientific zoo in the world [5]. It was first meant as a collection for study by members of the Zoological Society of London, and it only opened to the public in 1847. In 1831 the animals of the Tower of London menagerie moved there. London Zoo opened the first reptile house in 1849, the first public aquarium in 1853, the first insect house in 1881 and the first children's zoo in 1938 [5].
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Key Facts
- Location: Regent's Park, London, United Kingdom
- Opened: 27 April 1828
- Open to the public: 1847
- Animals: more than 8,000 from over 300 species
Did You Know?
The naturalist Philip Henry Gosse, who stocked the zoo's first aquarium, coined the word aquarium from the phrase aquatic vivarium [5].
4. Artis Is Amsterdam's Garden of Nature and Art
Artis in Amsterdam was founded in 1838 by three zoology enthusiasts, including Gerard Westerman [6]. Its full name is Natura Artis Magistra, Latin for nature is the teacher of art. It is the oldest zoo in the Netherlands and the fifth oldest in the world that is still operating. As well as the zoo, Artis has an aquarium, a planetarium, an arboretum and an attraction called Micropia. It has 27 listed historic buildings, bridges and ponds, most still used for animals [6].
Key Facts
- Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Founded: 1838
- Full name: Natura Artis Magistra
- Listed structures: 27
Why It Matters
Artis shows how an old city zoo can keep its 19th-century buildings in use while adding modern science attractions such as Micropia.
5. Antwerp Zoo Keeps Okapis in a Temple
Antwerp Zoo opened on 21 July 1843 in the centre of Antwerp, right beside the city's main railway station [7]. It is the oldest animal park in Belgium and one of the oldest in the world. It has long been run by the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, and its first director was the zoologist Jacques Kets. Many of its 19th-century buildings survive, including an Egyptian temple of 1856 and a Moorish temple of 1885, which still houses okapis [7].
Key Facts
- Location: Antwerp, Belgium
- Opened: 21 July 1843
- First director: Jacques Kets
- Aquarium: opened 1913
Did You Know?
Local people still call the zoo De Zoologie, a nickname taken from the name of the society that founded it [7].
6. Berlin Zoo Has One of the Largest Collections of Species
The Berlin Zoological Garden opened in 1844 and is the oldest surviving zoo in Germany [8]. Its first animals were given by King Frederick William IV of Prussia from his own collection. It covers 35 hectares in Berlin's Tiergarten and keeps more than 20,200 animals of about 1,380 species, one of the largest collections in the world. With its aquarium, it had more than 3.5 million visitors in 2017, making it the most visited zoo in Europe. Knut the polar bear made it famous worldwide [8].
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Key Facts
- Location: Berlin, Germany
- Opened: 1844
- Area: 35 hectares
- Animals: more than 20,200
Why It Matters
Berlin Zoo was badly damaged by bombing in the Second World War, when its aquarium building was destroyed by a direct hit, yet it was rebuilt into one of the richest zoos on Earth [8].
7. Philadelphia Opened America's First True Zoo
The Philadelphia Zoo was chartered on 21 March 1859, making it the first true zoo in the United States [9]. The American Civil War delayed its opening until 1 July 1874, when more than 3,000 visitors came through its Victorian gates and paid 25 cents each. It opened with about 1,000 animals. Today it covers 42 acres on the west bank of the Schuylkill River and is known for breeding animals that are hard to breed in zoos [9].
Key Facts
- Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Chartered: 21 March 1859
- Opened: 1 July 1874
- Area: 42 acres
Did You Know?
The zoo's Penrose Research Laboratory was the first of its kind in any zoo and helped animals live longer and healthier lives [9].
8. The Bronx Zoo Helped Save the American Bison
New York's Bronx Zoo opened on 8 November 1899 with 843 animals in 22 exhibits [10]. It is the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States, covering 265 acres of parkland on both sides of the Bronx River. Its first buildings, known as Astor Court, are Beaux-Arts pavilions around a round sea lion pool. In 1905 the American Bison Society was founded to save the bison, whose numbers had fallen from tens of millions to a few hundred, and the zoo took part in the rescue [10].
Key Facts
- Location: the Bronx, New York City, United States
- Opened: 8 November 1899
- Area: 265 acres
- Visitors: about 2.1 million a year
Why It Matters
The Bronx Zoo is managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society, founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society to build a zoo, study animals and protect wildlife [10].
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9. San Diego Pioneered Cage-Less Exhibits
The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park began with animals left over from the Panama-California Exposition of 1915, gathered together by the doctor Harry M. Wegeforth [11]. He founded the Zoological Society of San Diego at a meeting on 2 October 1916. The zoo was a pioneer of open-air, cage-less exhibits that copy the animals' natural homes. It covers 100 acres and houses more than 12,000 animals of over 680 species and subspecies. It is the most visited zoo in the United States [11].
Key Facts
- Location: Balboa Park, San Diego, California, United States
- Society founded: 2 October 1916
- Area: 100 acres
- Animals: more than 12,000
Did You Know?
The famous animal collector Frank Buck became director of the San Diego Zoo in June 1923 [11].
10. Singapore Zoo Brought Animals Into the Open
Singapore Zoo opened in 1973 on the edge of the Upper Seletar Reservoir, in the forested heart of the island [12]. It covers 28 hectares and shows animals in natural, open exhibits with hidden barriers, moats and glass between the animals and visitors, instead of cages. It houses the largest captive colony of orangutans in the world. The zoo receives about 2 million visitors a year and is part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, together with the Night Safari, River Wonders and Bird Paradise [12].
Key Facts
- Location: Mandai, Singapore
- Opened: 1973
- Area: 28 hectares
- Visitors: about 2 million a year
Why It Matters
Singapore Zoo is a model of how a zoo in the tropics can show animals without bars, using the natural forest around it as part of the exhibits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the oldest zoo in the world?
Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna, founded in 1752, is the oldest zoo still in operation [2].
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Which was the first scientific zoo?
London Zoo, opened in 1828 by the Zoological Society of London, is the oldest scientific zoo [5].
What is a cage-less exhibit?
It is an enclosure that uses moats, ditches, glass or hidden fences instead of bars, so the animals live in a space that looks like their natural home. San Diego Zoo helped pioneer the idea [11].
Which is the most visited zoo in Europe?
The Berlin Zoological Garden, which with its aquarium had more than 3.5 million visitors in 2017 [8].
Conclusion
Famous zoos show how our idea of keeping wild animals has changed over nearly three centuries. From the royal menagerie at Schönbrunn to London's first reptile house and Singapore's open rainforest exhibits, each one has shaped how people meet wildlife today. For more about the animal world, read the Finepedia guides Top 10 Wild Members of the Dog Family and Top 10 Famous Botanical Gardens of the World.
- ^ [1] "Zoo". Wikipedia. Zoo on Wikipedia.
- ^ [2] "Schönbrunn Zoo". Wikipedia. Schönbrunn Zoo on Wikipedia.
- ^ [3] "Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. UNESCO listing 786.
- ^ [4] "Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes". Wikipedia. Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes on Wikipedia.
- ^ [5] "London Zoo". Wikipedia. London Zoo on Wikipedia.
- ^ [6] "Artis (zoo)". Wikipedia. Artis on Wikipedia.
- ^ [7] "Antwerp Zoo". Wikipedia. Antwerp Zoo on Wikipedia.
- ^ [8] "Berlin Zoological Garden". Wikipedia. Berlin Zoological Garden on Wikipedia.
- ^ [9] "Philadelphia Zoo". Wikipedia. Philadelphia Zoo on Wikipedia.
- ^ [10] "Bronx Zoo". Wikipedia. Bronx Zoo on Wikipedia.
- ^ [11] "San Diego Zoo". Wikipedia. San Diego Zoo on Wikipedia.
- ^ [12] "Singapore Zoo". Wikipedia. Singapore Zoo on Wikipedia.
- [13] "10 Best Zoos in the World". 10 Most Today. Topic reference on 10mosttoday.com.
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