Philadelphia Zoo "so unbelievably proud of our past" as America's 1st zoo looks to future

The Philadelphia Zoo opened its gates on July 1, 1874. Ever since, it's been an oasis of conservation, education and, of course, Philly pride.

"Having America's first zoo in the city that started it all," Dani Hogan, director of mission integration, said. "It just makes sense."

Every year, some 1 million visitors walk the 42 acres that make up Philadelphia Zoo.

"We've always been an animals-first, conservation-based organization with a focus on community and learning and engagement and making sure that the world remains a better place for wildlife," Hogan said.

That mission started in March of 1859, when the commonwealth "approved and signed the charter for the Zoological Society of Philadelphia."

Some 15 years later, due to delays during the Civil War, the zoo finally opened, welcoming more than 3,000 people, adding another "first" to the city's history.

"When Philadelphia Zoo first opened, we actually housed 592 animals right here at 34th and Girard," Hogan said. "Since then, however, we've definitely expanded."

Today, 1,900 different animals live here. The oldest? Mommy the Galapagos tortoise. She shot to international fame last year after giving birth to 16 hatchlings in her late 90s.

"Mommy has lived here since 1932, if you can believe it," Hogan said. "She is nearly 100 years old."

More than 100 years old, though, is some of the architecture at the zoo, like the beloved "Treehouse." Many know it as an indoor playground, but Hogan said it originally had a different purpose.

"It was constructed around 1877," Hogan said, "and it was originally designed to house animals like antelope and even giraffes. Hence that very tall roof that you see there."

As the zoo grew and evolved, animal care practices changed with it. Giraffes have enjoyed their outdoor enclosures for years. We were there for one of the first times a bear walked the new Zoo360 trail at Carey Bear Country.

"We've been planning for it for more than three years and it's finally here," Maria Bryant, communications director, said.

That's one way the zoo says it is celebrating the nation's 250th. Another is through the return of "Zootopiaries." Then, there's the Philly Zoo Ferris Wheel.

"It's 110 feet tall," Bryant said. "It's going to give you immaculate views of the Schuylkill River, the city skyline."

With the old comes the new, and the storied history of Philadelphia Zoo lives on.

"We are so unbelievably proud of our past," Hogan said, "and we carry it with us in every decision that we make, but we are the zoo of the future."