Editing Philadelphia Zoo (section)

{{Short description|Zoo in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox zoo
| name             = Philadelphia Zoo
| logo             =
| logo_width       =
| logo_caption     =
| image            = Philadelphia Zoo Welcome Gate 2832px.jpg
| image_width      =
| image_caption    = The gate above the zoo's entrance
| slogan           = America's First Zoo
| date_opened      = {{start date and age|1874|07|01}}
| date_opening     =
| date_closed      =
| location         = [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| coordinates      = {{Coord|39|58|21|N|75|11|48|W|region:US-PA_type:landmark|display=it}}
| area             = {{cvt|42|acre}}<ref name=AboutTheZoo>[http://www.philadelphiazoo.org/About-the-Zoo.aspx "About the Zoo"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150330192449/http://www.philadelphiazoo.org/About-the-Zoo.aspx |date=March 30, 2015 }}. ''philadelphiazoo.org''. Philadelphia Zoo. Retrieved May 13, 2018.</ref>
| floorspace       =
| num_animals      = ~1,700<ref name=AboutTheZoo/>
| num_species      = 340+{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}
| largest_tank_vol =
| total_tank_vol   =
| annual_visitors  = 1.2 million<ref name=AboutTheZoo/>
| members          = [[Association of Zoos and Aquariums]]<ref name="aza_list"/>
| exhibits         =
| owner            = The Zoological Society of Philadelphia
| director         =
| management       =
| publictransit    = {{rint|septa|60px}} 34th Street: {{ric|SEPTA Metro|G}} {{bus icon|12px}} {{rint|septa|60px}} [[SEPTA]] bus: {{SEPTA bus link|38}}<br>{{bus icon|12px}} [[Philly PHLASH]]
| website          = {{Official website |url=http://www.philadelphiazoo.org}}
}}

The '''Philadelphia Zoo''' is a [[zoo]] located in the [[Centennial District (Philadelphia)|Centennial District]] of [[Philadelphia]] on the west bank of the [[Schuylkill River]]. It was the first true [[zoo]] in the United States; it was chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, but its opening was delayed by the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] until July 1, 1874. The zoo opened with 1,000 animals and an admission price of 25 cents.<ref>Ashbrook Apartments newsletter, July 2009, Carrboro, North Carolina</ref> For a brief time, the zoo also housed animals brought to U.S. from safaris by the [[Smithsonian Institution]], which had not yet built its [[National Zoological Park (United States)|National Zoo]].<ref name=SIA>{{cite web |title=National Zoological Park, Records |url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_216681 |work=Record Unit 74 |publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution Archives]] |access-date=April 10, 2012 |archive-date=April 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415060054/http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_216681 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Philadelphia Zoo is one of the premier zoos in the world for breeding animals that are difficult to [[captive breeding|breed in captivity]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.philadelphia.com/attractions/attractions.html |title=Philadelphia Tours & Attractions |access-date=September 29, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205041947/http://www.philadelphia.com/attractions/attractions.html |archive-date=December 5, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The zoo also works with many groups around the world to protect the natural habitats of the animals in their care.

The zoo is {{cvt|42|acre}} and the home of nearly 1,300 animals,<ref name=AboutTheZoo/> many of which are rare and endangered. Special features include a children's [[petting zoo]], a rainforest themed carousel, a climbing structure, chats with keepers, behind the scenes tours available for purchase, and many interactive and educational exhibits.