I must say, I would be quite disappointed if the world-class Beaver exhibit at Beaver Springs Aquarium Park doesn't at least receive an honorable mention
.America's 100 Must See Exhibits
- Thread starter pachyderm pro
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I must say, I would be quite disappointed if the world-class Beaver exhibit at Beaver Springs Aquarium Park doesn't at least receive an honorable mention
Well tbf, we don't know that yet since he hasn't revealed the other 2 nominees.
53. Elephant House
Cincinnati Zoo, OH
Opened: 1906
Size: 10,000 Square Feet (930 Square Meters)
Inhabitants: Asian Elephant
This national historic landmark dates back to a time where zoos designed animal houses in the same style as the country the animals were indigenous to. The Taj Mahal-esque building pays homage to Indian architecture and was one of the last zoo buildings constructed with this design philosophy in mind. It’s 100 feet long and 70 feet wide making it the largest entirely concrete animal building anywhere in the world. The windowed dome puts the building at 75 feet tall and makes for stunning vistas from various points in the zoo. It’s seen many different iterations throughout the years housing a wide variety of large mammals including hippos, rhinos, giraffes and bison, but has always housed elephants since the very beginning. It’s an architectural marvel, but for the elephants it's far below modern standards and the zoo has recognized that. The current elephants along with some new blood from Europe are due to be shifted into a brand new complex opening next year. When that happens, the tentative plan is to combine both existing elephant yards into a single exhibit for a large breeding herd of giraffes, maintaining this listed building in the process.
@Moebelle
@Moebelle
@ChunkyMunky pengopus
@Moebelle
@Moebelle
Similar Exhibits: Just as this building will be repurposed in the imminent future, other historic elephant houses have been refurbished for different species while having their architecture maintained. Audubon Zoo’s ancient elephant house has been retrofitted for orangutans, an extremely necessary adaptation considering this was at one point the smallest elephant paddock on the continent. Another former elephant house is the iconic Zoo Center building at Bronx Zoo, which is now home to white rhinos, various reptiles and some fascinating historical accounts.
Audubon Zoo
@geomorph
Bronx Zoo
@Milwaukee Man
@TinoPup
Cincinnati Zoo, OH
Opened: 1906
Size: 10,000 Square Feet (930 Square Meters)
Inhabitants: Asian Elephant
This national historic landmark dates back to a time where zoos designed animal houses in the same style as the country the animals were indigenous to. The Taj Mahal-esque building pays homage to Indian architecture and was one of the last zoo buildings constructed with this design philosophy in mind. It’s 100 feet long and 70 feet wide making it the largest entirely concrete animal building anywhere in the world. The windowed dome puts the building at 75 feet tall and makes for stunning vistas from various points in the zoo. It’s seen many different iterations throughout the years housing a wide variety of large mammals including hippos, rhinos, giraffes and bison, but has always housed elephants since the very beginning. It’s an architectural marvel, but for the elephants it's far below modern standards and the zoo has recognized that. The current elephants along with some new blood from Europe are due to be shifted into a brand new complex opening next year. When that happens, the tentative plan is to combine both existing elephant yards into a single exhibit for a large breeding herd of giraffes, maintaining this listed building in the process.
@Moebelle
@Moebelle
@ChunkyMunky pengopus
@Moebelle
@Moebelle
Similar Exhibits: Just as this building will be repurposed in the imminent future, other historic elephant houses have been refurbished for different species while having their architecture maintained. Audubon Zoo’s ancient elephant house has been retrofitted for orangutans, an extremely necessary adaptation considering this was at one point the smallest elephant paddock on the continent. Another former elephant house is the iconic Zoo Center building at Bronx Zoo, which is now home to white rhinos, various reptiles and some fascinating historical accounts.
Audubon Zoo
@geomorph
Bronx Zoo
@Milwaukee Man
@TinoPup
An interesting pick although one I can get behind. I have not see Cincinnati’s house yet would love to see it in person. I probably would lean towards the Bronx Zoo’s as a more iconic and interesting piece of architecture though. I also think Bronx has made better use of there building for decades, with fairly naturalistic outdoor yards for pachyderm’s (albeit too small for elephants) and the current use for monitors, giant tortoises, and bachelor rhinos.
*cough*Columbus*cough*
Oh man! People need to get a grip, the AZA is great and does a lot of wonderful things, but there is no reason a facility must be AZA to have a great exhibit or habitat. If it is good then it is good and worthwhile to make any list conjured up.
Look at Sylvan Heights, Bearizona, Reptilandia, and Iguanaland - all specialist non-AZA facilities that have arguably the best collection and habitats for several species or types of animals. The new non-AZA Reptilandia in Texas has incredible reptile habitats.
Persephone
Well-Known Member
Huh. Not the exhibit I expected from Cincinnati. The zoo does have some fascinating old architecture. If the reptile house won’t appear as a later entry it would’ve dovetailed nicely here as an honorable mention. The building might belong on this list. As an elephant exhibit it probably wouldn’t.
Also, just seeing that you revised off some smaller zoo entries. I know I was somewhat critical of two of the Wisconsin ones but it’s your list. I also thought the badger / stork exhibits are the best in their respective zoos.
(also kind of weird Pittsburgh won’t show up lol)
Also, just seeing that you revised off some smaller zoo entries. I know I was somewhat critical of two of the Wisconsin ones but it’s your list. I also thought the badger / stork exhibits are the best in their respective zoos.
(also kind of weird Pittsburgh won’t show up lol)
Zoo Center may be a more dynamic piece of architecture, but it doesn't have the cultural heritage of the house at Cincinnati. Zoo buildings with such a design are rare and this is definitely the most grandiose example. This is also definitely an exhibit for the visitors more than the animals at the moment, but that will soon be changed and it'll still be a must-see exhibit in my eyes when it's repurposed as a giraffe house (even if it may be a bit jarring seeing giraffes next to a building inspired by Indian architecture).
Allow me to rephrase; only non-AZA facility that didn't leave for political reasons or will soon be accredited once again.
Truthfully the reason I bumped off the other two exhibits was not because of the quality of the displays themselves, rather because they come from a pair of facilities that have suffered from poor reputations and can be described as 'roadside' zoos. It wasn't anything from the places you listed above (which I agree are very respectable collections) and I was wavering on them even before things became contentious, that was just enough to convince me it wouldn't be a great idea to feature them.
I think the context are the exhibits themselves, no? I mean, even some of the exhibits here suffer from poor reputation among the animal rights group as well. I really would like to see what the two exhibits are considering that AWCC bear exhibit is absolutely marvelous.
Honestly, you saying this only makes me wish more that they had made the lists again. I encourage you to re-integrate them into the main list if possible, but it is your list at the end of the day.
And considering Columbus already failed re-accreditation once, I wouldn't be too sure.
ha, nah, they are a shoe-in at this point. The AZA meetings are already scheduled to be in Columbus this fall, it would be a real black eye to have them in an zoo that fails accreditation.And considering Columbus already failed re-accreditation once, I wouldn't be too sure.
Persephone
Well-Known Member
Just pretend The Wilds is hosting.
Officially, the Wilds is hosting.
Ah, the Elephant House! This building is probably more ingrained in my mind from childhood than any other in the world.
I'm 45 and have a hard time recalling any significant stretch of time when it wasn't problematic for any number of reasons. I've seen it renovated several times. I've seen it go from housing 4 species of megafauna to up to 6, then down to 3, then down to 1. I even recall did-dik being housed in the moats in front of the hippo yard. Even then it wasn't quite adequate despite the good intent.
I think that when I was a kid I thought that somewhere between the outdoor yards and the indoor holding there was more space. When I got older, I realized that the building really was way too small for any of those species. On top of that, in it's original configuration, even less space was usable for animals as a huge hall bisected it length-wise.
I don't think the yard for the cows is quite atrocious. It's a 1000 percent improvement from what it once was. I have no idea where they kept their Asian Elephant herd when Gretchen the African elephant occupied the building. I can recall her being "cordial" with the nile hippo that neighbored her yard in the current bull area. That arrangement in current zoo culture would cause some heads to explode, as there wasn't a ton of separation between the two.
Good or bad, it's the most iconic building on the property. I wish they would have repurposed it more like Bronx or Audubon. I'd be over the moon to see it become an exhibit of Indian wildlife, but I guess we can't sit around playing fantasy zoo forever. I'd rather see it house multiple mid-sized species than become a giraffe barn, but I can see the benefits to that, too.
The worst part of the evolution of this building is it's pseudo successor, the current African section. This set of exhibits what going to do for giraffes and hippos what the Elephant House never could. Unfortunately it turned out to be an underwhelming for both of those species.
When it's all said and done, Cincinnati has far less to offer than it once did, but with somewhat improved animal welfare. The days of it being a destination for people to see rare species are long gone. Perhaps those of us that experienced it's time as an iconic yet problematic collection can continue to take solace in the fact that it still boasts some very historically significant architecture. The older you get, the more you appreciate things that endure time, and the zoo has taken great pains to ensure that this building will.
I'm 45 and have a hard time recalling any significant stretch of time when it wasn't problematic for any number of reasons. I've seen it renovated several times. I've seen it go from housing 4 species of megafauna to up to 6, then down to 3, then down to 1. I even recall did-dik being housed in the moats in front of the hippo yard. Even then it wasn't quite adequate despite the good intent.
I think that when I was a kid I thought that somewhere between the outdoor yards and the indoor holding there was more space. When I got older, I realized that the building really was way too small for any of those species. On top of that, in it's original configuration, even less space was usable for animals as a huge hall bisected it length-wise.
I don't think the yard for the cows is quite atrocious. It's a 1000 percent improvement from what it once was. I have no idea where they kept their Asian Elephant herd when Gretchen the African elephant occupied the building. I can recall her being "cordial" with the nile hippo that neighbored her yard in the current bull area. That arrangement in current zoo culture would cause some heads to explode, as there wasn't a ton of separation between the two.
Good or bad, it's the most iconic building on the property. I wish they would have repurposed it more like Bronx or Audubon. I'd be over the moon to see it become an exhibit of Indian wildlife, but I guess we can't sit around playing fantasy zoo forever. I'd rather see it house multiple mid-sized species than become a giraffe barn, but I can see the benefits to that, too.
The worst part of the evolution of this building is it's pseudo successor, the current African section. This set of exhibits what going to do for giraffes and hippos what the Elephant House never could. Unfortunately it turned out to be an underwhelming for both of those species.
When it's all said and done, Cincinnati has far less to offer than it once did, but with somewhat improved animal welfare. The days of it being a destination for people to see rare species are long gone. Perhaps those of us that experienced it's time as an iconic yet problematic collection can continue to take solace in the fact that it still boasts some very historically significant architecture. The older you get, the more you appreciate things that endure time, and the zoo has taken great pains to ensure that this building will.
This is an exhibit that I'd disagree with the inclusion of on this list. While certainly architecturally impressive, and if this list was ranking must-see zoo architecture, or must-see artwork in zoos, I'd absolutely see why this building would be a worthy inclusion. However, from the perspective of a zoo exhibit, this elephant exhibit simply seems... average. Personally, I wouldn't consider an exhibit must-see solely for its historical significance and architectural marvel, when the exhibit itself doesn't stand out in any which way. This building is no more of a must-see serving as an elephant house than it would be as a zoo's entrance or gift shop. I can think of a number of historically significant exhibits that are much more impressive, from an exhibitry perspective, and I'd be much more inclined to include a different historically significant exhibit instead of one that serves as a mediocre elephant habitat.
Pleistocene891
Well-Known Member
I agree. This elephant exhibit isn't even mediocre, it's god awful. Bronx's "Zoo Center" exhibit would be a much better exhibit to put here if one wanted a historical/architectural exhibit on the list.
I wouldn't call the Zoo Center a worthwhile inclusion either. It is worth noting, however, that this elephant exhibit is not the first "historically significant" and/or "architecturally significant" exhibit on this list. Saint Louis Zoo's Herpetarium, Woodland Park Zoo's Gorilla Exhibit, Lincoln Park Zoo's Lion House, and Madagascar at the Bronx Zoo are all historically significant, and are much more obvious entries onto this list. I'd also be very surprised if in the future no more historical exhibits make the cut, as there are some truly great historically significant exhibits that I would be very surprised to see @pachyderm pro omit from the list of must-see exhibits, for instance Bronx's Jungle World and Lincoln Park's African Journey are both exhibits that I would consider historically significant, and both are also exhibits that I fully expect to be covered during the remainder of this list.
During my visit on a sunny June day two years ago, this building was stunningly picturesque and made for a grandiose backdrop to the, I'll admit, rather lackluster elephant exhibit. I think its inclusion on the list is fine. When I was there I imagined the ambiance might be akin to the feeling one might get visiting a historical European collection. I've only felt that way elsewhere at Shedd and St. Louis to an extent, so there is definitely something to be said about the atmosphere of this ornate and historic exhibit.53. Elephant House
Cincinnati Zoo, OH
Opened: 1906
Size: 10,000 Square Feet (930 Square Meters)
Inhabitants: Asian Elephant
This national historic landmark dates back to a time where zoos designed animal houses in the same style as the country the animals were indigenous to. The Taj Mahal-esque building pays homage to Indian architecture and was one of the last zoo buildings constructed with this design philosophy in mind. It’s 100 feet long and 70 feet wide making it the largest entirely concrete animal building anywhere in the world. The windowed dome puts the building at 75 feet tall and makes for stunning vistas from various points in the zoo. It’s seen many different iterations throughout the years housing a wide variety of large mammals including hippos, rhinos, giraffes and bison, but has always housed elephants since the very beginning. It’s an architectural marvel, but for the elephants it's far below modern standards and the zoo has recognized that. The current elephants along with some new blood from Europe are due to be shifted into a brand new complex opening next year. When that happens, the tentative plan is to combine both existing elephant yards into a single exhibit for a large breeding herd of giraffes, maintaining this listed building in the process.
@Moebelle
@Moebelle
@ChunkyMunky pengopus
@Moebelle
@Moebelle
Similar Exhibits: Just as this building will be repurposed in the imminent future, other historic elephant houses have been refurbished for different species while having their architecture maintained. Audubon Zoo’s ancient elephant house has been retrofitted for orangutans, an extremely necessary adaptation considering this was at one point the smallest elephant paddock on the continent. Another former elephant house is the iconic Zoo Center building at Bronx Zoo, which is now home to white rhinos, various reptiles and some fascinating historical accounts.
Audubon Zoo
@geomorph
Bronx Zoo
@Milwaukee Man
@TinoPup
One delightful aspect of this exhibit is that there is a group of naturalized European Wall Lizards (European wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) - ZooChat for those wondering) that use the rocky outcroppings of the moat around the exhibit as basking areas. The contrast between the minuscule lizards and large elephants all in one sightline is nice, and it made me feel as if I might have been somewhere in the wild where elephants would be in the background while a small lizard would be in the foreground. (Well, all one would need to do is look up and at all the obviously artificial structures littered across the paddocks to dispel that idea)
For anyone unfamiliar, the zoo did not release the lizards. They are part of a long-present and still increasing population in the greater Cincinnati area. They're both common and an invasive species that by all reports is continuing to spread.
Yes, more information and discussion was in the comments of the media I linked