Making a Zoological Park

In 1882, a parcel of land was donated by a private owner to the city of Cleveland, Ohio. On this land lived a herd of American deer. This was the start of what would be known as the Cleveland Zoological Park. Other animals and infrastructure were quickly added. In 1916, the Cleveland Museum of Art opened, and still remains on this original site. However, the Cleveland Zoological Park does not. Around the time of the opening of the art museum, the zoo and all of its occupants were being transferred from the east side of Cleveland to the southwest side in Brookside Park.

By the 1940’s the zoo was no longer operated by the city of Cleveland and was now in the care of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. It continued to grow and thrive and needed more space for the growing number of buildings and animals. The map I found shows part of this growth of the zoo. It marks out the parcel of land off of Fulton Road the Cleveland City Council approved for use by the Cleveland Zoological Park. This portion of land was 8.2068 acres, contributing to the zoo’s total size of 110 acres. This plot of land now holds what is called the Northern Trek, home to bears, large cats, camels, and seals. In the early 2000s, I remember visiting a new exhibit dedicated to educating people about wolves in North America was added to this section.

Today, the zoo is known as the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and is overseen by the Cleveland Metroparks System. Now spreading over 165 acres and home to over three thousand animals, the zoo has remained a fixture of Cleveland pastime and education. The zoo continues to evolve to this day, adding new exhibits and making improvements to small and outdated enclosures. Some of the most recent additions include complete remodeling of the big cat exhibits in the Northern Trek.

Sources

“Zoo History.” Cleveland Metroparks. Accessed February 19, 2019.                                                    https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/zoo/learn/zoo-history

“Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.” Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve   University. Accessed 19, 2019. https://case.edu/ech/articles/c/cleveland-metroparks-zoo

Map “Additional Zoo Parcel Zoo Survey.” Cleveland Metropolitan Park District. Cleveland Public Library. Accessed February 19, 2019. https://cdm16014.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p4014coll24/id/2133