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Dallas Zoo history
Dallas Zoo company history timeline
In 1841 John Neely Bryan, a lawyer and trader from Tennessee, built the first cabin (now restored) in the area on the riverbank.
Founded with just two deer and two mountain lions in 1888 as the first zoo in the Southwest, this City of Dallas-owned but privately managed zoo is a thriving example of a successful public-private partnership.
The zoo was established in 1888.
The Dallas Cotton Exchange was organized in 1907 and in the early decades of the 20th century was one of the world’s largest cotton markets.
The zoo called City Park home until 1910, when it was relocated to Fair Park.
In 1930 C.M. (“Dad”) Joiner discovered the great East Texas oil field, which attracted investment and made the city a major centre of the petroleum industry.
Dallas has a council-manager form of government that was established there in 1931.
The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park, which is operated by Dallas Zoo, opened in 1936 as part of the city’s celebration of the Texas centennial.
The Dallas Zoological Society was established in 1955 to support the zoo.
A top global wholesale market, the city is the home of the Dallas Market Center (1957), one of the world’s largest wholesale merchandise complexes.
The city is known for its cultural activities, including opera, ballet, musicals, and symphony concerts; a notable facility is the Kalita Humphreys Theater (1959; part of the Dallas Theater Center), designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
In 1966, the zoo displayed over five hundred species of animals.
Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport opened in 1974, drawing business to the region and making it an attractive location for corporate headquarters.
Dallas became well known in popular culture as the setting for the eponymous television drama series (originally broadcast 1978–91); the ranch where the show was filmed is now a tourist attraction and convention centre.
In 1997, the 19,000-square-foot (1,800 m) Kimberly-Clark Chimpanzee Forest exhibit opened to the public.
On May 8, 1999, the 2-acre (0.81 ha), $4.5 million ExxonMobil Endangered Tiger Habitat opened.
On September 3, 2008, the zoo announced it had received the largest gift in its 120-year history, a $5 million donation from Harold Simmons.
On October 1, 2009, the zoo's management responsibilities, animals, and employees were officially turned over to the Dallas Zoological Society.
On May 28, 2010, the Giants of the Savanna habitat opened to national acclaim.
On April 1, 2015, the Dinosaur exhibit opened hosting over 20 animatronic dinosaurs.
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Dallas Zoo competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Zoo | 1875 | $49.4M | 484 | 11 |
| San Francisco Zoo | 1954 | $25.4M | 179 | - |
| San Antonio Zoo | 1914 | $19.0M | 272 | 43 |
| Indianapolis Zoo | 1964 | $28.8M | 100 | 11 |
| Oregon Zoo | 1887 | $6.9M | 10 | - |
| San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance | 1916 | $342.3M | 3,000 | 53 |
| Wildlife Conservation Society | 1895 | $256.0M | 2,899 | 100 |
| Fort Worth Zoo | - | $38.5M | 245 | 23 |
| Sedgwick County Zoo | 1963 | $14.0M | 79 | - |
| Oakland Zoo | 1922 | $33.2M | 173 | 6 |
Dallas Zoo history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Dallas Zoo, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Dallas Zoo. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Dallas Zoo. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Dallas Zoo. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Dallas Zoo and its employees or that of Zippia.
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