The Atlanta Zoo is located in Grant Park. Since I have lived most of my life in Atlanta, I’ve gone to the Zoo since I was a kid(in the olden days). The Zoo was very different back then from the facility you will find now. Animals in cages, Willie B. in a cage with only a tire swing and suitcase for entertainment; nothing natural, just a collection of animals that a local man, George V. Gress, bought from a traveling circus gone defunct in 1889. Asa G. Candler Jr., son of the Coca Cola magnate, added his collection of exotic animals to the Zoo in 1935. All of these animals were just “behind bars”.
After a major renovation, Zoo Atlanta was reopened in 1988, after two or three years of work, with natural habitats for all animals, especially Willie B, a hometown favorite named for a previous mayor. What you see today is quite different from what was there when I was growing up.
Instead of a mishmash collection of circus animals, Zoo Atlanta is now known for its elephants, our amazing lowland and silverback gorilla families, and our giant panda breeding program. Zoo Atlanta was home to the first pair of surviving twin pandas in the U.S.. That first set, Mei Lan and Mei Huan, left for China in November, 2016. But, not to worry, you can see the second set of twin pandas, born earlier this year, now living, and playing, at the zoo.
The Scaly, Slimey Spectacular is Zoo Atlanta’s renovated reptile facility. Once again, natural habitats for all. Not exactly my “cup of tea”, but great natural habitats, none the less.
Lions, tigers, zebras, giraffes, kangaroos, bird, otters and flamingos are among the many animals on display and spring is a neat time of year to pay them a visit.
One thing missing from Grant Park is the Civil War Cyclorama. Having fallen into disrepair, the Cyclorama, originally homed at the park since 1921, has been moved to the Atlanta History Center, where it is in the process of receiving badly needed renovations. The Cyclorama is a panoramic painting of the Civil War Battle of Atlanta. Plaster figures, adding a three D element to the display, are also being restored in the diorama.At the History Center the Cyclorama will ultimately become part of an exhibit focusing on the impact of the Civil war on slavery and the Civil Rights movement. After its restoration, the Cyclorama will be housed in a lighted, glass enclosed gallery, visible all night. This is something you won’t want to miss when the repairs are complete. The Atlanta History Center is a day trip worthy of your time.
Back to the Zoo: Zoo Atlanta has many spacial events all year long, including overnight camp outs for members. Zoo Atlanta events for spring and summer 2017 include:
Brew at the Zoo 5/17
Art Gone Wild Paint Out Week 6/5-9
Art Gone Wild Art Sale 6/17-18
National Zookeeper Week 7/16-22
Wild World Weekend 8/5-6
World Elephant Day 8/12
Members Only Night: Summer 8/12
Golden Frog Day 8/14
Check out the Zoo website for Fall events zooatlanta.org
I hope you’ll check out our Zoo. We are quite proud of it and it’s a terrific place to take your kids. We even have a petting zoo, train , Merry-Go-Round and zipline in the childrens’ area.
