I just spent a couple of hours reviewing the current list of AZA-accredited facilities on the AZA website. Over the past few years several facilities in the U.S. have lost or chosen not to renew their accreditation (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Binghamton Zoo, Montgomery Zoo, Zoo Montana, etc.) while others have joined AZA (Sea Life Kansas City, Sea Life Grapevine, Butterfly Pavilion in Colorado, Discovery Cove in Florida, etc.). There are even 14 overseas facilities listed as being AZA-accredited:
Argentina (1) - Fundacion Temaiken
Bahamas (1) - Atlantis: Paradise Island
Bermuda (1) - Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo
Canada (5) - Biodome de Montreal, Calgary Zoo, Assiniboine Park Zoo, Vancouver Aquarium, Zoo de Granby
Hong Kong (1) - Ocean Park Corporation
Mexico (3) - Africam Safari Park, Leon Zoo, Veracruz Aquarium
Singapore (2) - Dolphin Island, S.E.A. Aquarium
Looking exclusively at the United States there are exactly 215 AZA-accredited establishments. By the first week of August I'll have visited 166 of them in my lifetime, thus almost hitting the 80% mark. For anyone wishing to tour every single AZA-accredited zoo and aquarium in America it is actually a tricky proposition as while some places that I've been to are now no longer accredited, the Sea Life franchises seem to be heading in the direction of accreditation and there are 8 of them across the nation...and that number will continue to grow. Every time I go on a cross-country road trip another Sea Life will open! Interestingly enough there are 700 zoos in America (including everything from drive-thru safaris to reptile zoos to insectariums) and if 215 are AZA-accredited then approximately 30% of all U.S. zoos have achieved that status.
An updated state-by-state list (my visits are in bold):
Alabama (1/1) - Birmingham Zoo
Alaska (0/1) - Alaska SeaLife Center
Arizona (3/3) - Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Phoenix Zoo, Reid Park Zoo
Arkansas (1/1) - Little Rock Zoo
California (20/23) - Aquarium of the Bay, Aquarium of the Pacific, Birch Aquarium, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, California Science Center, Charles Paddock Zoo, CuriOdyssey, Fresno Chaffee Zoo, Happy Hollow Zoo, The Living Desert, Los Angeles Zoo, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Oakland Zoo, Sacramento Zoo, Safari West Wildlife Preserve, San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, San Francisco Zoo, Santa Ana Zoo, Santa Barbara Zoo, SeaWorld San Diego, Sequoia Park Zoo, Steinhart Aquarium
Colorado (4/5) – Butterfly Pavilion, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Denver Zoo, Landry’s Downtown Aquarium - Denver, Pueblo Zoo
Connecticut (3/3) - Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, Maritime Aquarium, Mystic Aquarium
District of Columbia (1/1) - Smithsonian National Zoo
Delaware (0/1) - Brandywine Zoo
Florida (10/17) - Brevard Zoo, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Central Florida Zoo, Discovery Cove, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Jacksonville Zoo, Lion Country Safari, Mote Marine Aquarium, Naples Zoo, Palm Beach Zoo, Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, SeaWorld Orlando, St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, The Florida Aquarium, The Seas, Zoo Miami
Georgia (2/3) - Chehaw Wild Animal Park, Georgia Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta
Hawaii (0/1) - Honolulu Zoo
Idaho (2/2) - Tautphaus Park Zoo, Zoo Boise
Illinois (8/8) - Brookfield Zoo, Cosley Zoo, Henson Robinson Zoo, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Lincoln Park Zoo, Miller Park Zoo, Peoria Zoo, Scovill Zoo
Indiana (4/4) - Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, Indianapolis Zoo, Mesker Park Zoo, Potawatomi Zoo
Iowa (2/2) - Blank Park Zoo, National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
Kansas (6/7) - Hutchinson Zoo, Lee Richardson Zoo, Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Sedgwick County Zoo, Sunset Zoo, David Traylor Zoo, Topeka Zoo
Kentucky (2/2) - Louisville Zoo, Newport Aquarium
Louisiana (4/4) - Alexandria Zoo, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, Audubon Zoo, BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo
Maine - ZERO
Maryland (2/3) - National Aquarium in Baltimore, Salisbury Zoo, Maryland Zoo
Massachusetts (2/6) -Buttonwood Park Zoo, Capron Park Zoo, Franklin Park Zoo, Boston Museum of Science, New England Aquarium, Walter D. Stone Memorial Zoo
Michigan (4/5) - Binder Park Zoo, Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square, Detroit Zoo, John Ball Zoo, Potter Park Zoo
Minnesota (3/3) - Como Park Zoo, Lake Superior Zoo, Minnesota Zoo
Mississippi (1/1) - Jackson Zoo
Missouri (4/5) - Dickerson Park Zoo, Kansas City Zoo, Saint Louis Zoo, Sea Life Kansas City, Butterfly House
Montana (1/1) - Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center
Nebraska (4/4) - Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park & Wildlife Safari, Lincoln Children’s Zoo, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, Riverside Discover Center
Nevada (1/1) – Shark Reef Aquarium
New Hampshire (0/1) - Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
New Jersey (2/5) - Adventure Aquarium, Bergen County Zoo, Cape May County Park Zoo, Jenkinson’s Aquarium, Turtle Back Zoo
New Mexico (3/3) - Alameda Park Zoo, Albuquerque Biological Park (Zoo & Aquarium), Living Desert Zoo
New York (5/10) - Bronx Zoo, Buffalo Zoo, Central Park Zoo, New York Aquarium, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Rosamond Gifford Zoo, Seneca Park Zoo, Staten Island Zoo, Trevor Zoo
North Carolina (4/6) - Natural Science Center & Animal Discovery of Greensboro, North Carolina at Fort Fisher, North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, North Carolina Zoo, Western North Carolina Nature Center
North Dakota (4/4) - Chahinkapa Zoo, Dakota Zoo, Red River Zoo, Roosevelt Park Zoo
Ohio (5/8) - African Safari Wildlife Park, Akron Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo, Cleveland Zoo, Columbus Zoo, Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, The Wilds, Toledo Zoo
Oklahoma (2/2) - Oklahoma City Zoo, Tulsa Zoo
Oregon (3/3) - Oregon Coast Aquarium, Oregon Zoo, Wildlife Safari
Pennsylvania (3/8) - Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland, Elmwood Park Zoo, Erie Zoo, Lehigh Valley Zoo, National Aviary, Philadelphia Zoo, Pittsburgh Zoo, ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park
Rhode Island (1/1) - Roger Williams Park Zoo
South Carolina (3/5) - Brookgreen Gardens, Greenville Zoo, Ripley’s Aquarium at Myrtle Beach, Riverbanks Zoo, South Carolina Aquarium
South Dakota (2/2) - Bramble Park Zoo, Great Plains Zoo
Tennessee (5/6) - Chattanooga Zoo, Knoxville Zoo, Memphis Zoo, Nashville Zoo, Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, Tennessee Aquarium
Texas (16/17) - Abilene Zoo, Caldwell Zoo, Cameron Park Zoo, Dallas Zoo, Dallas World Aquarium, El Paso Zoo, Ellen Trout Zoo, Fort Worth Zoo, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Gladys Porter Zoo, Houston Aquarium, Houston Zoo, Rainforest & Aquarium at Moody Gardens, San Antonio Zoo, Sea Life Grapevine, SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas State Aquarium
Utah (2/2) - Tracy Aviary, Utah’s Hogle Zoo
Vermont - ZERO
Virginia (2/4) - Mill Mountain Zoo, Virginia Aquarium, Virginia Living Museum, Virginia Zoo
Washington (4/4) - Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Point Defiance Zoo, Seattle Aquarium, Woodland Park Zoo
West Virginia (0/1) - Oglebay’s Good Zoo
Wisconsin (5/5) - Henry Vilas Zoo, International Crane Foundation, Milwaukee County Zoo, Northeastern Wisconsin (NEW) Zoo, Racine Zoo
Wyoming - ZERO
AZA-accredited U.S. facilities – 215 (I’ve visited 166 AZA-accredited establishments amongst my lifetime total of 300 zoos)
Argentina (1) - Fundacion Temaiken
Bahamas (1) - Atlantis: Paradise Island
Bermuda (1) - Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo
Canada (5) - Biodome de Montreal, Calgary Zoo, Assiniboine Park Zoo, Vancouver Aquarium, Zoo de Granby
Hong Kong (1) - Ocean Park Corporation
Mexico (3) - Africam Safari Park, Leon Zoo, Veracruz Aquarium
Singapore (2) - Dolphin Island, S.E.A. Aquarium
Looking exclusively at the United States there are exactly 215 AZA-accredited establishments. By the first week of August I'll have visited 166 of them in my lifetime, thus almost hitting the 80% mark. For anyone wishing to tour every single AZA-accredited zoo and aquarium in America it is actually a tricky proposition as while some places that I've been to are now no longer accredited, the Sea Life franchises seem to be heading in the direction of accreditation and there are 8 of them across the nation...and that number will continue to grow. Every time I go on a cross-country road trip another Sea Life will open! Interestingly enough there are 700 zoos in America (including everything from drive-thru safaris to reptile zoos to insectariums) and if 215 are AZA-accredited then approximately 30% of all U.S. zoos have achieved that status.
An updated state-by-state list (my visits are in bold):
Alabama (1/1) - Birmingham Zoo
Alaska (0/1) - Alaska SeaLife Center
Arizona (3/3) - Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Phoenix Zoo, Reid Park Zoo
Arkansas (1/1) - Little Rock Zoo
California (20/23) - Aquarium of the Bay, Aquarium of the Pacific, Birch Aquarium, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, California Science Center, Charles Paddock Zoo, CuriOdyssey, Fresno Chaffee Zoo, Happy Hollow Zoo, The Living Desert, Los Angeles Zoo, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Oakland Zoo, Sacramento Zoo, Safari West Wildlife Preserve, San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, San Francisco Zoo, Santa Ana Zoo, Santa Barbara Zoo, SeaWorld San Diego, Sequoia Park Zoo, Steinhart Aquarium
Colorado (4/5) – Butterfly Pavilion, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Denver Zoo, Landry’s Downtown Aquarium - Denver, Pueblo Zoo
Connecticut (3/3) - Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, Maritime Aquarium, Mystic Aquarium
District of Columbia (1/1) - Smithsonian National Zoo
Delaware (0/1) - Brandywine Zoo
Florida (10/17) - Brevard Zoo, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Central Florida Zoo, Discovery Cove, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Jacksonville Zoo, Lion Country Safari, Mote Marine Aquarium, Naples Zoo, Palm Beach Zoo, Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, SeaWorld Orlando, St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, The Florida Aquarium, The Seas, Zoo Miami
Georgia (2/3) - Chehaw Wild Animal Park, Georgia Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta
Hawaii (0/1) - Honolulu Zoo
Idaho (2/2) - Tautphaus Park Zoo, Zoo Boise
Illinois (8/8) - Brookfield Zoo, Cosley Zoo, Henson Robinson Zoo, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Lincoln Park Zoo, Miller Park Zoo, Peoria Zoo, Scovill Zoo
Indiana (4/4) - Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, Indianapolis Zoo, Mesker Park Zoo, Potawatomi Zoo
Iowa (2/2) - Blank Park Zoo, National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
Kansas (6/7) - Hutchinson Zoo, Lee Richardson Zoo, Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Sedgwick County Zoo, Sunset Zoo, David Traylor Zoo, Topeka Zoo
Kentucky (2/2) - Louisville Zoo, Newport Aquarium
Louisiana (4/4) - Alexandria Zoo, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, Audubon Zoo, BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo
Maine - ZERO
Maryland (2/3) - National Aquarium in Baltimore, Salisbury Zoo, Maryland Zoo
Massachusetts (2/6) -Buttonwood Park Zoo, Capron Park Zoo, Franklin Park Zoo, Boston Museum of Science, New England Aquarium, Walter D. Stone Memorial Zoo
Michigan (4/5) - Binder Park Zoo, Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square, Detroit Zoo, John Ball Zoo, Potter Park Zoo
Minnesota (3/3) - Como Park Zoo, Lake Superior Zoo, Minnesota Zoo
Mississippi (1/1) - Jackson Zoo
Missouri (4/5) - Dickerson Park Zoo, Kansas City Zoo, Saint Louis Zoo, Sea Life Kansas City, Butterfly House
Montana (1/1) - Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center
Nebraska (4/4) - Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park & Wildlife Safari, Lincoln Children’s Zoo, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, Riverside Discover Center
Nevada (1/1) – Shark Reef Aquarium
New Hampshire (0/1) - Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
New Jersey (2/5) - Adventure Aquarium, Bergen County Zoo, Cape May County Park Zoo, Jenkinson’s Aquarium, Turtle Back Zoo
New Mexico (3/3) - Alameda Park Zoo, Albuquerque Biological Park (Zoo & Aquarium), Living Desert Zoo
New York (5/10) - Bronx Zoo, Buffalo Zoo, Central Park Zoo, New York Aquarium, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Rosamond Gifford Zoo, Seneca Park Zoo, Staten Island Zoo, Trevor Zoo
North Carolina (4/6) - Natural Science Center & Animal Discovery of Greensboro, North Carolina at Fort Fisher, North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, North Carolina Zoo, Western North Carolina Nature Center
North Dakota (4/4) - Chahinkapa Zoo, Dakota Zoo, Red River Zoo, Roosevelt Park Zoo
Ohio (5/8) - African Safari Wildlife Park, Akron Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo, Cleveland Zoo, Columbus Zoo, Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, The Wilds, Toledo Zoo
Oklahoma (2/2) - Oklahoma City Zoo, Tulsa Zoo
Oregon (3/3) - Oregon Coast Aquarium, Oregon Zoo, Wildlife Safari
Pennsylvania (3/8) - Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland, Elmwood Park Zoo, Erie Zoo, Lehigh Valley Zoo, National Aviary, Philadelphia Zoo, Pittsburgh Zoo, ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park
Rhode Island (1/1) - Roger Williams Park Zoo
South Carolina (3/5) - Brookgreen Gardens, Greenville Zoo, Ripley’s Aquarium at Myrtle Beach, Riverbanks Zoo, South Carolina Aquarium
South Dakota (2/2) - Bramble Park Zoo, Great Plains Zoo
Tennessee (5/6) - Chattanooga Zoo, Knoxville Zoo, Memphis Zoo, Nashville Zoo, Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, Tennessee Aquarium
Texas (16/17) - Abilene Zoo, Caldwell Zoo, Cameron Park Zoo, Dallas Zoo, Dallas World Aquarium, El Paso Zoo, Ellen Trout Zoo, Fort Worth Zoo, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Gladys Porter Zoo, Houston Aquarium, Houston Zoo, Rainforest & Aquarium at Moody Gardens, San Antonio Zoo, Sea Life Grapevine, SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas State Aquarium
Utah (2/2) - Tracy Aviary, Utah’s Hogle Zoo
Vermont - ZERO
Virginia (2/4) - Mill Mountain Zoo, Virginia Aquarium, Virginia Living Museum, Virginia Zoo
Washington (4/4) - Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Point Defiance Zoo, Seattle Aquarium, Woodland Park Zoo
West Virginia (0/1) - Oglebay’s Good Zoo
Wisconsin (5/5) - Henry Vilas Zoo, International Crane Foundation, Milwaukee County Zoo, Northeastern Wisconsin (NEW) Zoo, Racine Zoo
Wyoming - ZERO
AZA-accredited U.S. facilities – 215 (I’ve visited 166 AZA-accredited establishments amongst my lifetime total of 300 zoos)
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