Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Cleveland Zoo Main Building

[TeamTapir223]

Just about every early 20th century zoo has a historic multi- purpose facility which housed its most popular animals and Cleveland is no different.The Main Building opened in 1909 and closed in 1979.It was located between Monkey Island and the current picnic area and the Palava Hut Picnic Pavillion.

1942-Renovations included a assembly hall,classrooms and a commissary.
1950-more cages addded and a subterranean level reptile exhibit.
1959-a severe flood wipes out the zoos reptile collection.

The Building primarily housed primates and big cats here is a list of a lot of the
primates and cats exhibited over the years in the Main Building!

Lowland Gorilla
Orangutan
Chimpanzee
Capuchin Monkey
Spider Monkey
Green Monkey
Emperor Tamarin
Greater Spot Nosed Monkey
Diana Monkey
Sooty Mangabey
Crab Eating Macaque
Rhesus Macaque
Pig Tailed Monkey
Mandrill
Drill
Hamadryas Baboon
Dog Faced Baboon
Blue Monkey
Wooley Monkey
Colobus Monkey
Patas Monkey
Mona Monkey
Grey Cheeked Mangabey
Red Capped Mangabey

Cats

African Lions
Bengal Tigers
Leopard
Jaguar
Cheetah
Puma
Snow Leopard
Bobcat
Ocelot
African Civet
Palm Civet
Lynx
Other

Asian Elephant
Asiatic Black Bear
Hyenas
Coatis
African Wild Dogs
Giant Anteater
Famous Residents

African Lions-King and Queenie
Gorillas -Bobo and Yogi and Timmy
Oranutan-Gi Gi
Asian Elephants-Minnie
Nemo
Trixie
Frieda

Team Tapir223

 

[MaxRebo]

Does anyone have any pictures of this building and its enclosures?

 

[gerenuk]

I want to say that most of the zoo's records and archives got destroyed in the same flood that sealed the building's fate. Check the zoo's website section on publications. They are always adding more historical stuff into that section.