no it wasn't. It was (supposedly) the first in the Southern Hemisphere but even that is probably hyperbole. Melbourne Zoo's butterfly house wasn't opened until 1985.
Walk through or immersion enclosures
- Thread starter Carl Jones
- Start date
Zooplantman
Well-Known Member
Yes. For one, the London Butterfly House at Syon Park opened in 1981
The Cincinnati Zoo's 1978 Insectarium featured a small walk-through butterfly exhibit
Would London be the first zoo to host a walk-through spider area? The concept of it seems very interesting and if I ever make it to London it's definitely a must-go for me 
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
Would London be the first zoo to host a walk-through spider area? The concept of it seems very interesting and if I ever make it to London it's definitely a must-go for me
London certainly isn't the first walk through Spider exhibit I saw walk through Spider exhibits,in Germany at Koln and Plantaria years before London did it.
Brookfield's Tropic World, which did not begin to open until around 1984, was originally envisioned in the early 1970's as one of the earlier walk-through jungle building concepts, and many believed it would not succeed. A significant number of problems occurred during development, including some rare birds escaping, and it was nicknamed 'Dickinson's Folly' after one of its advocates.
It definitely doesn't predate Topeka or the other examples, but it was envisioned around the same period.
I'm not trying to stake a claim of any kind of 'first', I just always found its long development period an interesting fun fact.
It definitely doesn't predate Topeka or the other examples, but it was envisioned around the same period.
I'm not trying to stake a claim of any kind of 'first', I just always found its long development period an interesting fun fact.
What about the crocodile hall of the Aquarium Berlin, built in 1911-1913? Often claimed to be the first indoor walk-through exhibit in a zoo.
The modernisation of the Aquarium at Berlin Zoo
Topeka Zoo also sports the first glas tunnel through a gorilla exhibi; back-then director Gary K. Clarke was ahead of his time.
The modernisation of the Aquarium at Berlin Zoo
Topeka Zoo also sports the first glas tunnel through a gorilla exhibi; back-then director Gary K. Clarke was ahead of his time.