Celebrate Zippity Zoo Day: It’s Abilene Zoo’s 58th Birthday

Come and celebrate the Abilene Zoo's 58th birthday! Yes, you heard right, the Abilene Zoo is 58 years old. The actual birthday is July 3rd, marking the day in 1966 when the zoo opened its doors at its current location, 2070 Zoo Lane in Abilene. This is a historic site where the original Abilene Airport was first situated.

The Abilene Zoo is celebrating "Zippity Zoo Day" as its birthday on Saturday, July 20th, from 8 AM until 4 PM with exciting activities, including up-close animal encounters, giraffe feedings, educational sessions about animals and their history, and even free birthday cake. An interesting piece of history is that the original Abilene Zoological Gardens was established in 1919 and was located at what is now known as Rose Park, at the corner of South 7th and Mockingbird Lane.

When the Abilene Zoo initially opened on July 2nd, 1966 at Grover Nelson Park, it housed 156 species in its collection. Today, the Abilene Zoo spans nearly 20 acres and is home to over 800 animals representing more than 175 species.

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The Abilene Zoo continues to grow. In 1995, the zoo acquired an additional 24 acres for expansion. Moreover, the zoo engaged in a land swap with the City of Abilene Parks and Recreation and gained an additional 19 acres, including the third lake, named Tittle Lake in honor of the zoo architect, James Tittle, who designed the zoo back in the 1960s.

As July 20th "Zippity Zoo Day" approaches, get ready to learn more about the exciting developments at the Abilene Zoo and prepare for the upcoming expansions. Happy Birthday to our beloved Abilene Zoological Gardens!

Finally, as we celebrate "Zippity Zoo Day" let us not forget the old classic songs "Zippity Zoo" and the Disney classic "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" as seen below.