Best Zoo Complexes and Stand-Alone Exhibits

GraysonDP

GraysonDP

Well-Known Member
Recently I made a list of my top 25 exhibit complexes and stand alone exhibits I have seen at America's zoos and thought I would post them here. I'd love to see what other people pick as their favorite exhibits at the zoos they've visited.

25 Best Exhibit Complexes

1. Congo Gorilla Forest- Bronx Zoo

2. Giants of the Savanna/Wilds of Africa- Dallas Zoo

3. Heart of Africa- Columbus Zoo

4. Arctic Ring of Life- Detroit Zoo

5. Asia Trail- National Zoo

6. Kiliminjaro Safaris- Disney’s Animal Kingdom

7. Watani Grasslands- North Carolina Zoo

8. Monkey Trails and Forest Tales- San Diego Zoo

9. Polar Frontier- Columbus Zoo

10. Journey Into Africa- San Diego Safari Park

11. JungleWorld- Bronx Zoo

12. Museum of Living Art- Fort Worth Zoo

13. Ituri Forest- San Diego Zoo

14. Florida: Mission Everglades- Zoo Miami

15. African Forest- Houston Zoo

16. Edge of Africa- Busch Gardens

17. Range of the Jaguar- Jacksonville Zoo

18. American Trail- National Zoo

19. Pangani Forest- Disney’s Animal Kingdom

20. African Plains- Bronx Zoo

21. Regenstein Center for African Apes- Lincoln Park Zoo

22. Land of the Tiger- Jacksonville Zoo

23. Aquarium- Toledo Zoo

24. Myombe Reserve- Busch Gardens

25. Amazon and Beyond- Zoo Miami

25 Best Stand-Alone Exhibits

1. Tiger Mountain- Bronx Zoo

2. Baboon Reserve- Bronx Zoo

3. Lion Camp- San Diego Safari Park

4. Wolf Woods- Brookfield Zoo

5. African Kopje- San Diego Zoo

6. North American Prairie- North Carolina Zoo

7. Macaque Forest- Lincoln Park Zoo

8. Serengeti Plain- Busch Gardens

9. Wolf Wilderness- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

10. Meerkat Exhibit- Nashville Zoo

11. Kitera Chimpanzee Forest- North Carolina Zoo

12. Exxon Tiger Habitat- Dallas Zoo

13. Forest Edge- North Carolina Zoo

14. Australian Outback Adventure- Detroit Zoo

15. Baird’s Tapir Exhibit- Nashville Zoo

16. Gorilla Tropics- San Diego Zoo

17. Red Panda Exhibit- Detroit Zoo

18. Elephant Trails- National Zoo

19. Hippoquarium- Toledo Zoo

20. Chimpanzees of Mahale Mountain- Los Angeles Zoo

21. Giraffe Overlook- Jacksonville Zoo

22. Bison Range- Bronx Zoo

23. Giraffe Savanna- Nashville Zoo

24. Greater Kudu/Addra Gazelle Exhibit- Zoo Miami

25. Bonobo Exhibit- San Diego Zoo
 
GraysonDP said:
Recently I made a list of my top 25 exhibit complexes and stand alone exhibits I have seen at America's zoos and thought I would post them here. I'd love to see what other people pick as their favorite exhibits at the zoos they've visited.

25 Best Exhibit Complexes

1. Congo Gorilla Forest- Bronx Zoo

2. Giants of the Savanna/Wilds of Africa- Dallas Zoo

3. Heart of Africa- Columbus Zoo

4. Arctic Ring of Life- Detroit Zoo

5. Asia Trail- National Zoo

6. Kiliminjaro Safaris- Disney’s Animal Kingdom

7. Watani Grasslands- North Carolina Zoo

8. Monkey Trails and Forest Tales- San Diego Zoo

9. Polar Frontier- Columbus Zoo

10. Journey Into Africa- San Diego Safari Park

11. JungleWorld- Bronx Zoo

12. Museum of Living Art- Fort Worth Zoo

13. Ituri Forest- San Diego Zoo

14. Florida: Mission Everglades- Zoo Miami

15. African Forest- Houston Zoo

16. Edge of Africa- Busch Gardens

17. Range of the Jaguar- Jacksonville Zoo

18. American Trail- National Zoo

19. Pangani Forest- Disney’s Animal Kingdom

20. African Plains- Bronx Zoo

21. Regenstein Center for African Apes- Lincoln Park Zoo

22. Land of the Tiger- Jacksonville Zoo

23. Aquarium- Toledo Zoo

24. Myombe Reserve- Busch Gardens

25. Amazon and Beyond- Zoo Miami

25 Best Stand-Alone Exhibits

1. Tiger Mountain- Bronx Zoo

2. Baboon Reserve- Bronx Zoo

3. Lion Camp- San Diego Safari Park

4. Wolf Woods- Brookfield Zoo

5. African Kopje- San Diego Zoo

6. North American Prairie- North Carolina Zoo

7. Macaque Forest- Lincoln Park Zoo

8. Serengeti Plain- Busch Gardens

9. Wolf Wilderness- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

10. Meerkat Exhibit- Nashville Zoo

11. Kitera Chimpanzee Forest- North Carolina Zoo

12. Exxon Tiger Habitat- Dallas Zoo

13. Forest Edge- North Carolina Zoo

14. Australian Outback Adventure- Detroit Zoo

15. Baird’s Tapir Exhibit- Nashville Zoo

16. Gorilla Tropics- San Diego Zoo

17. Red Panda Exhibit- Detroit Zoo

18. Elephant Trails- National Zoo

19. Hippoquarium- Toledo Zoo

20. Chimpanzees of Mahale Mountain- Los Angeles Zoo

21. Giraffe Overlook- Jacksonville Zoo

22. Bison Range- Bronx Zoo

23. Giraffe Savanna- Nashville Zoo

24. Greater Kudu/Addra Gazelle Exhibit- Zoo Miami

25. Bonobo Exhibit- San Diego Zoo
Click to expand...
Seems like a good list.Would consider elephant lands at Oregan zoo.Very naturalistic zoo enclosure.Also elephant odyssey of San Diego zoo somewhere in your list.I think Dallas zoo's giants of the savannah is personally my favorite with a mixed variety of species and large immersing space.Henry doorly zoo also has a huge range of good exhibits like their African elephant exhibit and Liar forest.I've liked to see you expressing your opinions on your favourite stand out exhibits.

BennettL
 
Great list and I agree with a number of the choices. I've seen 19 out of the 25 "best exhibit complexes" and 23 out of 25 of the "best stand-alone exhibits".
 
@GraysonDP It would be interesting to hear from you what you feel makes an exhibit great and why you ranked them as you did. What preferences, assumptions, dislikes are behind the list?
 
Zooplantman said:
@GraysonDP It would be interesting to hear from you what you feel makes an exhibit great and why you ranked them as you did. What preferences, assumptions, dislikes are behind the list?
Click to expand...
When judging an exhibit, I care most about the immersiveness/naturalism of the habitat and the way in which the habitat matches the needs of the animals that inhabit it (enrichments, space, opportunities for animals to behave naturally, etc/). Other factors include visitor viewing, uniqueness of the design, conservation value, etc.
 
A Few Runner Ups:

Complexes

- Ford African Rainforest- Zoo Atlanta

- Madagascar- Bronx Zoo

- Asia Quest- Columbus Zoo

- Jungle Trails- Cincinnati Zoo

- Wings of Asia- Zoo Miami

- Rocky Coast- North Carolina Zoo

- Great Bear Wilderness- Cincinnati Zoo

Individual Exhibits

- Otter Outpost- Dallas Zoo

- Elephant Valley- San Diego Safari Park

- Hamadryas Baboon Exhibit- North Carolina Zoo

- Cheetah Exhibit- Fort Worth Zoo

- Meerkats- Houston Zoo

- Cougar Exhibit- Nashville Zoo

- Black Rhinoceros Exhibit- Zoo Miami
 
GraysonDP said:
A Few Runner Ups:

Complexes

- Ford African Rainforest- Zoo Atlanta

- Madagascar- Bronx Zoo

- Asia Quest- Columbus Zoo

- Jungle Trails- Cincinnati Zoo

- Wings of Asia- Zoo Miami

- Rocky Coast- North Carolina Zoo

- Great Bear Wilderness- Cincinnati Zoo

Individual Exhibits

- Otter Outpost- Dallas Zoo

- Elephant Valley- San Diego Safari Park

- Hamadryas Baboon Exhibit- North Carolina Zoo

- Cheetah Exhibit- Fort Worth Zoo

- Meerkats- Houston Zoo

- Cougar Exhibit- Nashville Zoo

- Black Rhinoceros Exhibit- Zoo Miami
Click to expand...
There is so Great Bear Wilderness in Cincinnati, that's Brookfield.
 
GraysonDP said:
When judging an exhibit, I care most about the immersiveness/naturalism of the habitat and the way in which the habitat matches the needs of the animals that inhabit it (enrichments, space, opportunities for animals to behave naturally, etc/). Other factors include visitor viewing, uniqueness of the design, conservation value, etc.
Click to expand...
Thanks.

I take it that this is not in priority order (or else Regenstein Center for African Apes would not be on the list at all)
And it is interesting that you place JungleWorld- Bronx Zoo and Museum of Living Art- Fort Worth Zoo adjoining. They are SOOOO different.

And, btw, you list Nashville's giraffe exhibit as stand-alone thereby eliminating the elephant exhibit (they are both really part of the same African Plains complex). Why is that?

(I should perhaps point out that I worked on the design of eight of your top 25 complexes in one way or another)
 
Last edited:
Zooplantman said:
Thanks.

I take it that this is not in priority order (or else Regenstein Center for African Apes would not be on the list at all)
And it is interesting that you place JungleWorld- Bronx Zoo and Museum of Living Art- Fort Worth Zoo adjoining. They are SOOOO different.

And, btw, you list Nashville's giraffe exhibit as stand-alone thereby eliminating the elephant exhibit (they are both really part of the same African Plains complex). Why is that?

(I should perhaps point out that I worked on the design of eight of your top 25 complexes in one way or another)
Click to expand...
Really? Which ones did you work at?
And animal needs come first with immersion right behind.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top