The Ross Park Zoo is a

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for Conservation biology, conservation purposes. The term ''zoological g ...

located in

Binghamton, New York Binghamton () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the conflue ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The zoo was opened in 1875, making it the 5th oldest zoo in the nation. The zoo (known as the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park from 2005 to 2020) is open seasonally from April through December.

History

The of land was donated by Erastus Ross, a wealthy businessman whose only instructions were to build a park that all the community could enjoy. The electric trolleys in the area allowed easy access to the park. Other features of the park included

roller coasters A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...

, swings, a miniature train, and a

carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...

. Band concerts were a frequent summer event. Increased use of

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...

s let people easily travel outside the city for recreation, this plus the two

World Wars A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...

and the

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led to the decline of the park. Eventually the

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

was threatening to close the park because of sub-standard exhibits. In 1966, concerned citizens formed the Southern Tier Zoological Society in an attempt to upgrade the facilities. Mr. Ross donated the zoo enough money to run it for many years. He intended it to be free for all guests as well as the carousel that is on the outskirts of the entrance to the zoo. However, the zoo now has a nominal entrance fee. The carousel still remains free of charge to ride. In December 2005, the zoo lost its accreditation with the

Association of Zoos and Aquariums The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), originally the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1924 and dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in ...

, "due to turmoil in its previous leadership and finances." Accreditation was successfully regained in 2009, but lost again in 2014.

Animals and Facilities

The zoo currently contains a growing number of animal exhibits, including

red panda The red panda (''Ailurus fulgens''), also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzzle ...

red wolves The red wolf (''Canis rufus'') is a canine native to the southeastern United States. Its size is intermediate between the coyote (''Canis latrans'') and gray wolf (''Canis lupus''). The red wolf's taxonomic classification as being a separate sp ...

, a snow leopard, lemurs, an aviary, penguins, otters, wallabies, howler monkeys, and many other animals. It is set in a lushly wooded environment. The zoo also contains, outside the entrance of the zoo, a pavilion with areas for barbecuing, a small park, and rest rooms. The old lions den has been freshly renovated and is being used for educational programs with seating "behind bars". The zoo is also a neighbor to the Discovery Center, which is a hands-on children's museum.

Events

The zoo also holds many annual events and activities. These events include: Courtship Tails, Eggstravaganza, Zoo Brew & Wine Too!, Ice Cream Safari, Feast with the Beasts, Howloween at the Zoo, and Boo at the Zoo.

Notes

External links

* * {{authority control Zoos in New York (state) Buildings and structures in Binghamton, New York Tourist attractions in Binghamton, New York Parks in Broome County, New York Zoos established in 1875