America's 100 Must See Exhibits

[lintworm]

Good luck, did you know what you just did to yourself . I am interested to see what you came up with. Looking forward to following this thread.

The darkened visitor hallways discourage the birds from flying out of their naturally lit habitats which allows several exhibits to be completely open without any mesh or glass obscuring the view - a concept the zoo pioneered

To be fair, the real pioneer was the Antwerp Zoo which started this concept in 1948, though, as is more often the case, the Americans supersized it. The system was abandoned in Antwerp recently, but this is how it looked there:

@Skukuza

Execution wise the Bronx example is much more impressive and I like the use of concrete

 

[felis silvestris]

I’m excited to see what else will be picked! I’m thinking the Congo gorilla forest will be on here

 

[pachyderm pro]

Another thread? You're riding on lintworm way too much! Just kidding. I'm wondering though would some "lesser zoo" feature in this? in lintworm thread there are some underappreciated gems which very few people have been.
(and i wonder will CMZ reptile house with their lamp gecko feature lol)

Rest assured that there will be plenty of deep cuts on this list from some small and rural collections that aren't talked about as often (at least one will appear by the time we reach #10). There will also be "underappreciated gems" in the form of smaller exhibits from major zoos that are often overshadowed by flashier, larger complexes.

Good luck, did you know what you just did to yourself . I am interested to see what you came up with. Looking forward to following this thread.

You're never really able to understand just how time consuming things like this are until you start doing them. It'll be rewarding though and if the comments so far are any indication, I think the discussion produced will be well worth the effort.

 

[Joseph G]

You are a legend for this @pachyderm pro!

First one of these threads I’m an active user on the site for from the start. Super excited to follow along!

 

[Dhole dude]

Very excited for this thread! I'm excited to see if any of my local zoo exhibits will make the cut .

 

[groundskeeper24]

I’m excited to see what else will be picked! I’m thinking the Congo gorilla forest will be on here

I have a feeling that several Bronx exhibits will be on the list. I can't think of a single US zoo with the number of great exhibits that they have.

 

[Pleistocene891]

I have a feeling that several Bronx exhibits will be on the list. I can't think of a single US zoo with the number of great exhibits that they have.

I wouldn’t be shocked if Bronx makes it 5 or 6 more times. That’s how great the zoo is.

 

[15399]

I wouldn’t be shocked if Bronx makes it 5 or 6 more times. That’s how great the zoo is.

I would be. And that's not to criticize the Bronx Zoo, but merely an acknowledgement of how many other great zoo exhibits are out there. I could easily see Jungle World, Congo Gorilla Forest, and possibly the Monorail and/or Baboon Reserve, but with so many great exhibits at zoos all across the country, I'd be surprised if any zoo is represented by more than five exhibits.

 

[Pleistocene891]

I would be. And that's not to criticize the Bronx Zoo, but merely an acknowledgement of how many other great zoo exhibits are out there. I could easily see Jungle World, Congo Gorilla Forest, and possibly the Monorail and/or Baboon Reserve, but with so many great exhibits at zoos all across the country, I'd be surprised if any zoo is represented by more than five exhibits.

I would be quite surprised if Madagascar and the Mouse House don’t make it.

 

[15399]

I would be quite surprised if Madagascar and the Mouse House don’t make it.

Madagascar might (I forgot about it when writing that post), but I'd be shocked if the mouse house makes it. Sure, it may be unique, but with how many incredible Zoo exhibits are out there, I'm certain there are over a hundred higher up on a must-see list than it. Even if Madagascar makes it, I stand by that I'd be surprised to see more than five from a zoo and that it'd be instead of another one- as with the number of incredible exhibits at incredible zoos out there, I'd be surprised if @pachyderm pro decided to make a sizeable portion of the list a single zoo, no matter how good that zoo may be.

 

[Pleistocene891]

Madagascar might (I forgot about it when writing that post), but I'd be shocked if the mouse house makes it. Sure, it may be unique, but with how many incredible Zoo exhibits are out there, I'm certain there are over a hundred higher up on a must-see list than it. Even if Madagascar makes it, I stand by that I'd be surprised to see more than five from a zoo and that it'd be instead of another one- as with the number of incredible exhibits at incredible zoos out there, I'd be surprised if @pachyderm pro decided to make a sizeable portion of the list a single zoo, no matter how good that zoo may be.

The Mouse House has one of the biggest(or maybe the biggest) collection of rodents in the U.S. The exhibit has many rarities, generally good exhibit quality, and has historical value. Not many zoo exhibits can say they have all three qualities. If a zoo has many exhibits that deserve to make the list, then they should. Otherwise, the list just becomes too subjective(which it already is, but that's fine).

 

[reduakari]

The Mouse House has one of the biggest(or maybe the biggest) collection of rodents in the U.S. The exhibit has many rarities, generally good exhibit quality, and has historical value. Not many zoo exhibits can say they have all three qualities. If a zoo has many exhibits that deserve to make the list, then they should. Otherwise, the list just becomes too subjective(which it already is, but that's fine).

Don’t forget the 1941 African Plains—the first application of Hagenbeck’s panorama concept in the US—still pretty outstanding 82 years later.

 

[pachyderm pro]

2. Expedition Peru: Trek of the Andean Bear
Nashville Zoo, TN
Opened: 2018
Size: 1.5 Acres (0.6 Hectares)
Inhabitants: Andean Bear, Southern Pudu, Cotton-top Tamarin, Guinea Pig and a variety of South American ectotherms.

There is no shortage of fantastic Andean bear habitats in Europe, but in America tropical bears in general have often gotten the shaft in favor of the much more readily available North American bears. Without much competition, this exhibit is the absolute best of its kind for Andean bears in the United States by a relatively wide margin. The bear habitat is beautifully landscaped and features several cascading waterfalls alongside tastefully done rockwork. A large 15 foot tall artificial tree trunk is the centerpiece that provides impressive climbing opportunities. The exhibit is viewed through both dry moats and large windows inside of a spacious lodge that includes underwater viewing. That building is part of a small Peruvian village recreation that’s complemented by various satellite habitats to help round out the area. The planned acquisition of viscacha fell through, so although the rest of the species list isn’t the most exciting, the guinea pig mini-village is endearing and the cotton-top tamarin display in the women’s restroom is particularly unique to say the least.

@Moebelle

@Moebelle

@geomorph

@geomorph

@geomorph

@Zooplantman

Similar Exhibits: None

 

[Pleistocene891]

This has to be the best Andean bear exhibit in the U.S. No other exhibit I’ve seen comes close.

 

[geomorph]

For Andean bear exhibit complexes, the Forest of Uco at Phoenix Zoo comes to mind as a decent one.

 

[CMP]

2. Expedition Peru: Trek of the Andean Bear
Nashville Zoo, TN
Opened: 2018
Size: 1.5 Acres (0.6 Hectares)
Inhabitants: Andean Bear, Southern Pudu, Cotton-top Tamarin, Guinea Pig and a variety of South American ectotherms.

There is no shortage of fantastic Andean bear habitats in Europe, but in America tropical bears in general have often gotten the shaft in favor of the much more readily available North American bears. Without much competition, this exhibit is the absolute best of its kind for Andean bears in the United States by a relatively wide margin. The bear habitat is beautifully landscaped and features several cascading waterfalls alongside tastefully done rockwork. A large 15 foot tall artificial tree trunk is the centerpiece that provides impressive climbing opportunities. The exhibit is viewed through both dry moats and large windows inside of a spacious lodge that includes underwater viewing. That building is part of a small Peruvian village recreation that’s complemented by various satellite habitats to help round out the area. The planned acquisition of viscacha fell through, so although the rest of the species list isn’t the most exciting, the guinea pig mini-village is endearing and the cotton-top tamarin display in the women’s restroom is particularly unique to say the least.

@Moebelle

@Moebelle

@geomorph

@geomorph

@geomorph

@Zooplantman

Similar Exhibits: None

Quite the contrast between this lush, naturalistic exhibit and the smaller, more barren grottos I'm used to seeing for the species, and other tropical bears, like at Brookfield Cincinnati.

 

[Pleistocene891]

Quite the contrast between this lush, naturalistic exhibit and the smaller, more barren grottos I'm used to seeing for the species, like at Brookfield and Cincinnati.

Brookfield has Andean Bears? I think they have sloth, polar, and brown bears if I’m not mistaken.

 

[CMP]

Brookfield has Andean Bears? I think they have sloth, polar, and brown bears if I’m not mistaken.

You are definitely not mistaken, I was thinking of the Sloth Bear habitat when I wrote that. Seeing as Sloth Bears are clearly not Andean Bears, I've corrected the post for clarity. I'd also like to note that Cincinnati no longer has Andean bears either, and that whole area is being redesigned.

 

[JVM]

What an interesting exhibit! It's bold to treat the Andean bear as an attraction in its own right, and use it to pull visitors to the exhibit -- though bears are an abc animal, exotic bears rarely receive this treatment here, being in the name and with a detailed exhibit with multiple views. It also similarly sounds interesting to theme the exhibit specifically around Peru, rather than simply 'South America / Amazon'. It seems like an almost boldly educational exhibit in those regards.

The Mouse House has one of the biggest(or maybe the biggest) collection of rodents in the U.S. The exhibit has many rarities, generally good exhibit quality, and has historical value. Not many zoo exhibits can say they have all three qualities. If a zoo has many exhibits that deserve to make the list, then they should. Otherwise, the list just becomes too subjective(which it already is, but that's fine).

I suspect something like Mouse House will have some pull for being a really unique exhibit -- he did lean into this logic for a few picks in his Must-See Zoos thread. Members are concerned about over-representation of a single zoo, which is perfectly valid of course, but I have to imagine it is also a concern to avoid repeating the same exhibit subject too many times even if it leads to diversifying the total facilities, not to say we might not see repeats, but five excellent gorilla habitats from different zoos vs five different animal habitats from three zoos, I think the latter would win here.

Brookfield has Andean Bears? I think they have sloth, polar, and brown bears if I’m not mistaken.

They had Andean bears prior to the opening of Great Bear Wilderness at the old Bear Grottos; they were the casualty in shifting focus to a North America exhibit. I have to say in all my years visiting the zoo while they held Andean bears, across three or four grottos, I don't think I once saw them. Maybe a butt once but I might be misremembering a sloth bear.

 

[groundskeeper24]

Quite the contrast between this lush, naturalistic exhibit and the smaller, more barren grottos I'm used to seeing for the species, and other tropical bears, like at Brookfield Cincinnati.

Frankly, I think Cincinnati has once again failed to seize an opportunity with the emptying and re-balancing of it's much-maligned Bear Line. They have opted for the uber boring black bear plus marginal North American species route. IMO, they should have taken all 3 grottoes and merged them into a single exhibit for a tropical bear species. An exhibit like this would flow well into the neighboring Jungle Trails complex. Instead, we get the most boring and likely poorly constructed solution possible. Cincinnati gonna Cincinnati.