Recognized as the No. 1
Family-Friendly Zoo in the United States
by Child magazine, Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo features 56 acres of lush, natural habitats comprising seven main exhibit areas:
Asian Domain, Primate World, Manatee and Aquatic Center, Florida Wildlife Center, Free-Flight Aviary, Wallaroo Station children's zoo, and the new Safari Africa.
Tampa's Lowry Park Zoological Society, in agreement with the City of Tampa, operates Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization and provides programs in education and conservation to benefit the general public and to enhance the quality of life in Tampa Bay. Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo also exists as a center for conservation of endangered wildlife both locally and around the globe.
RECENT ADDITIONS:
In May 2004, the Zoo opened the first phase of "Safari Africa" - the largest exhibit opening since Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo reopened its doors in 1988. Safari Africa features elephants, giraffes, zebras and many other African animal species on several acres of natural habitats. Phase I also included giraffe feeding opportunities and camel safari rides.
White rhinoceros from South Africa made their debut in March 2005 as part of Safari Africa's Phase II featuring a special "rhino encounter," an opportunity for visitors to touch and feed a rhino. Visitors can also experience a bird's-eye view of the zoo on the new "Treetop Skyfari," a 45-foot-high aerial ride that travels over several acres of the zoo's animal habitats.
In Sept. 2005, the zoo added a meerkat exhibit, the first new structure in a series of planned buildings in Safari Africa to be known as the "African Village." Plans for the complex include:
A centralized safari lodge with air-conditioned inside dining decorated with high-end finishes and museum-quality African artifacts;
A terrain vehicle safari adventure ride;
A series of huts featuring educational exhibits and food service stands, and;
Additional animal exhibits such as cheetahs and chimpanzees.
In October 2005, the zoo welcomed the birth of the first African elephant calf in the zoo's history - and in the Greater Tampa Bay area. The male calf was born to first-time mother "Ellie," a 20-year-old African elephant, on October 17, 2005 before dawn. On November 11, 2005, mother and calf made their public debut in the large outdoor yard within the zoo's 2.5-acre elephant habitat.
For A Complete Fact Sheet About Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo, Click Here
Tampa's first zoo was established in the late 1930s on the banks of the Hillsborough River in Plant Park. It consisted of a small collection of indigenous animals such as raccoons, alligators and an aviary with a variety of exotic birds. As the collection grew, the animals were moved to the more centrally located Lowry Park in 1957, by Mayor Nick Nuccio, where it was maintained by Tampa's Parks Department.
In 1961, General Sumter L. Lowry, Jr. gave the Zoo its most prominent exotic animal, Sheena, an 18-month-old Asian elephant. This event provided the impetus for expanding and diversifying the animal collection. As the collection continued to grow through the 1970s, the need to upgrade the habitats and present the animals in natural settings became an issue fully embraced by the Tampa Bay community, which resulted in the formation of an organization dedicated to building a first-class zoological garden.
The Lowry Park Zoo Association was formed in 1982, at the suggestion of the Tampa Parks Department, Mayor Bob Martinez, and private citizens who shared a common vision. Its mission was to raise awareness of Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo and promote a public-private partnership to fund the renaissance of Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo. The zoo architectural firm, Design Consortium, Ltd., was hired in 1984, to develop a 24-acre master plan.
While the Zoo Association embarked on a $20 million capital campaign, the City of Tampa committed $8 million to build the first phase, which consisted of the entrance, administrative offices, clinic commissary units, Free-Flight Aviary, Asian Domain, Primate World, and the Children's Village/Petting Zoo.
As the first phase neared completion in February 1988, the Zoo Association became the Lowry Park Zoological Society, a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to the management and ongoing development of a superior zoological garden. Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo is situated on land owned by the City of Tampa and is independently operated by the Lowry Park Zoological Society for charitable and educational purposes.
The rejuvenated Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo formally opened to the public on March 5, 1988, with more than 614,000 people visiting the facility during its first 12 months.
Construction began on the second phase of the Zoo, the Florida Wildlife Center, in 1988, and Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo was accredited by the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums in 1989.
The northern portion of the Florida Wildlife Center opened February 5, 1990, and the southern part opened January of 1991, featuring a world-renowned Manatee Aquatic Center and Rehabilitation Hospital. The exhibit is known today as the Mason M. and Charles P. Lykes Florida Wildlife Center and houses the David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Hospital.
After the phases were completed, Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo featured several acres of lush, natural habitats comprising five main exhibit areas: The Florida Manatee and Aquatic Center, Native Florida Wildlife Center, Asian Domain, Primate World and Children's Petting Zoo. Two free-flight aviaries were also constructed for visitors to enjoy. In 1995, a 10,000-square-foot pavilion was constructed to provide an area for meeting and banquet facilities, educational programs and special exhibitions.
In 1997, a 1,500-square-foot interactive area was built featuring hands-on displays, exhibits, artifacts, videos and a small insect zoo. An adjoining amphitheater was later added for the Zoo's "Reptile Encounter" programs; and a "Birds of Prey" amphitheater was constructed to allow visitors to soar with a variety of owls, hawks, eagles and falcons. In 1998, the Zoo added a Jungle Carousel featuring 33 handcrafted figures of animals that take kids on a whimsical, wildlife adventure.
The summer of 1999 brought a number of new creature comforts for Zoo visitors, including the fully air-conditioned Paradise Cafe featuring an extended Key West Deck with an exciting new view of the manatees. Visitors have it made in the shade thanks to shade canopies over the Reptile Encounter and Birds of Prey amphitheaters. Construction work was also completed on the Zoo's "no hassle" entry and parking lot, featuring spaces for more than 400 additional vehicles.
Classes began in fall 2000, at the new Florida Environmental Education Center, nicknamed "The Zoo School," which features 11 classrooms, a library and the Frank E. Duckwall Foundation exhibit/lecture hall. This state-of-the-art education center was designed to offer exciting programs for everyone from tots to teens, adults, families, school age groups and more.
The TECO Energy Manatee Amphitheater opened in March 2001, and provides enhanced public education programming. A boardwalk was also constructed allowing visitors to walk up and see into the manatee hospital - the only nonprofit facility of its kind in the world.
In September 2001, Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo opened Stingray Bay where visitors can pet and feed stingrays in a 16,000-gallon touch pool. In May 2002, the Zoo opened Wallaroo Station - a 4.5-acre Australian-themed family zoo that includes a wide variety of Australian animals.
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