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Kansas City Zoo history
Kansas City Zoo company history timeline
In December 1909, the Kansas City Zoological Gardens officially opened with four lions, three monkeys, a wolf, a fox, a coyote, a badger, a lynx, an eagle and other birds.
The first expansion took place in 1912.
The zoo evolved slowly during its first 40 years, while it added exhibits such as the Bear Grotto in 1912.
The improvements resulted in record attendance of 700,000 zoo guests and 400,000 IMAX visitors, in 1998.
In 2002, Friends of the Zoo, Inc., (FOTZ) a private non-profit, took the reins of the Zoo with a focused commitment to improving and supporting Zoo facilities, animals and education programs.
The Orangutan Primadome opened in 2002 as a part of new management when the zoo changed from a city-operated organization to a public-private partnership with Friends of the Zoo (FOTZ for short).
Extensive renovations of the zoo began in late 2005.
The Discovery Barn opened in 2006 along with a short-cut path to Africa.
The Promenade was also added in 2006, which is a wide path straight to the African elephants exhibit, which allows guests to reach Africa much faster.
The Zoo closed the Sprint IMAX Theater on September 4, 2007.
New admission gates to the zoo were opened in May 2008 featuring new parking and animals.
The Kansas City Zoo was honored in “America’s Best Zoos 2008” as one of the top 60 zoos in the United States and was ranked No.
In October 2013, the Helzberg Penguin Plaza opened, funded by an ongoing series of fundraising events as well as a 1/8th cent sales tax collected from the 2 county Zoological District.
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Kansas City Zoo competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodland Park Zoo | 1899 | $42.4M | 413 | - |
| San Francisco Zoo | 1954 | $25.4M | 179 | - |
| Cincinnati Zoo | 1875 | $49.4M | 484 | 11 |
| Indianapolis Zoo | 1964 | $28.8M | 100 | 11 |
| Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden | 1904 | $6.9M | 61 | - |
| Cheyenne Mountain Zoo | 1926 | $20.6M | 75 | - |
| Zoo Atlanta | 1889 | $29.6M | 144 | 2 |
| Sacramento Zoo | 1927 | $7.4M | 50 | - |
| Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens | 1914 | $16.0M | 199 | 6 |
| Brevard Zoo | 1994 | $14.0M | 249 | - |
Kansas City Zoo history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Kansas City Zoo, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Kansas City Zoo. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Kansas City 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 Kansas City Zoo. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Kansas City Zoo and its employees or that of Zippia.
Kansas City Zoo may also be known as or be related to FRIENDS OF THE ZOO INC OF KANSAS CITY and Kansas City Zoo.