What zoo exhibits that have closed did you like?

I feel you could almost meme how often I have brought up Brookfield Zoo's Aardvark House for this question on zoochat, but if that was all someone would remember about me I would find it appropriate. It does eat me that the exhibit that inspired my love of zoos most is sitting empty and unused.

I also miss Ibex Island and Baboon Island at Brookfield - though both are long replaced, I still wish species of a similar niche did/do find homes at the facility in the future. Baboon Island was always a pretty fun stop and the former exhibit was memorable more for its historic design than anything. I also miss the old Reptile House, which initially lead to a big downturn in the reptile collection, but by today this has been mitigated by more reptiles appearing in other parts of the facility.

I also liked Milwaukee County Zoo's Australia House; it wasn't particularly special or impressive in the technical fields, but it was a quiet part of the facility and fairly kind to its inhabitants compared to some parts of the facility. I also loved the excellent moose habitat as well. While I enjoy the elephants, Impala and Bongo a lot and wouldn't have wanted these species to all leave the zoo, I do sometimes wish Adventure Africa hadn't had to infringe on these existing habitats, but logistically I don't think there was an alternative for the elephant/moose situation.

Finally, I'll admit I have nostalgia for the old Kovler Lion House at Lincoln Park as before I understood the negative welfare the building provided it was one of my favorite exhibits as a young child. The Pepper Family Wildlife Center is by all means a superior exhibit and provides a fantastic experience for lions.

I missed at least two exhibits during my trip to the National Zoo that are no longer open - the Invertebrate House and the old Bird House - both of which I really wish I'd had a chance to see.
 
Moebelle said:
I can't say that I liked them for animal welfare concerns, but I'd give anything to go back in time and preserve more of Cincinnati's nocturnal and cat houses on video. Because it was so dark, you can't find really any media of the nocturnal house anywhere online.

Both attractions closed simultaneously, the nocturnal house building closed but the cat house was renovated into Night Hunters - now a nocturnal house.
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The Nocturnal House was a large exhibit as you entered I believe it was usually a barn owl. Of course the further you went in the darker it became. Don't remember to many species they kept there, but the last largest exhibit did have an aardvark in it.

The Cat house was cool for what it housed. Yes it was olde school titled walls, and fencing covering the fronts. House a lot of different species than most zoo's. Old House had: Jungle Cats, Leopard Cats, Caracals, Snow Leopards, Clouded Leopards, Margay, Bobcat/ Lynx outside, Sand Cat, Black footed cats. When it was remodeled in the 80's it housed: Pallas Cat, Jaguarundi's, a KING CHEETAH, Golden Cat ( asian speices), a Marble Cat (YES they had one), fishing cats.
 
JVM said:
I feel you could almost meme how often I have brought up Brookfield Zoo's Aardvark House for this question on zoochat, but if that was all someone would remember about me I would find it appropriate. It does eat me that the exhibit that inspired my love of zoos most is sitting empty and unused.

I also miss Ibex Island and Baboon Island at Brookfield - though both are long replaced, I still wish species of a similar niche did/do find homes at the facility in the future. Baboon Island was always a pretty fun stop and the former exhibit was memorable more for its historic design than anything. I also miss the old Reptile House, which initially lead to a big downturn in the reptile collection, but by today this has been mitigated by more reptiles appearing in other parts of the facility.

I also liked Milwaukee County Zoo's Australia House; it wasn't particularly special or impressive in the technical fields, but it was a quiet part of the facility and fairly kind to its inhabitants compared to some parts of the facility. I also loved the excellent moose habitat as well. While I enjoy the elephants, Impala and Bongo a lot and wouldn't have wanted these species to all leave the zoo, I do sometimes wish Adventure Africa hadn't had to infringe on these existing habitats, but logistically I don't think there was an alternative for the elephant/moose situation.

Finally, I'll admit I have nostalgia for the old Kovler Lion House at Lincoln Park as before I understood the negative welfare the building provided it was one of my favorite exhibits as a young child. The Pepper Family Wildlife Center is by all means a superior exhibit and provides a fantastic experience for lions.

I missed at least two exhibits during my trip to the National Zoo that are no longer open - the Invertebrate House and the old Bird House - both of which I really wish I'd had a chance to see.
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Brookfield's Baboon Island also had a family of Meerkats living in the exhibit too!
 
Bird Houses! I've seen Houston spent hours in there. Puzzled Denver Zoo got rid of their's ( the key there was sitting and relaxing and the birds would fly by you), Cleveland's Bird Building. Much of the key to these exhibits was making the time to sit and relax inside and watch the birds doing there thing without being rushed through. I feel zoo's do injustice to bird species with small aviaries, like why even bother. Yes San Diego Zoo got it right, yes the environment allows enormous aviaries. Seen Bronx Zoo World of Birds only once, trying to get back there.
 
This one's not closed but remodels several times, but Cincinnati's Older Bird Building. At one end there where 2 separate pools. One housed american alligator, or evenuatlly a crocodile, the other side had fully grown Smooth-fronted Caiman. Which at one time the female caiman layed eggs were found in the water, and hatchings were seen behind the scenes in the reptile building. An the once loose squirrel monkey that lived in the vegetation above crocodile pools who stole my camera filter, but surprisingly came back and handed it to me!
 
junglejim said:
Brookfield's Baboon Island also had a family of Meerkats living in the exhibit too!
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Just realized I left this message hanging which I thought I'd long responded to -- yes, during the 1980s there were meerkats at Baboon Island, the last of a long line of mixes there that had long included caprids but also on occasion, bear cubs and crocodiles. I believe after the meerkats moved to Desert's Edge, it was only ever baboons until it closed.
 
JezP100 said:
as zoos continue to evolve and change over the course of them opening, sometimes older exhibits get renovated into newer and mostly better ones. however, what exhibit do you miss at a specific zoo?
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I know it's just my nostalgia talking but I kind of miss the old Sunda Trail at Fresno Chaffee Zoo. While the new Kingdoms of Asia was a much-needed renovation for the Apes and tigers and has more suitable animals living the old elephant habitat, I think I would have preferred it to just have it be a natural forest setting and it being the closest place I could go see an elephant back in the early 2010s for me it made the zoo and that specific area quite the draw for me. I would also like to note that I also prefer how the old orangutan terraces were themed compared to now, but at least they kept the nosey statue.
 
I quite enjoyed the Asian Forest at Sedgwick County Zoo. Its replacement is a lesser experience in my book
 
As a long-time visitor of the North Carolina Zoo, I can't help but bring up the zoo's former African Pavilion and Rainforest Aviary exhibits. The worst part is that neither exhibit was replaced; both exhibits had to close due to climate-induced structure deterioration.

I was really bummed to hear when their Rainforest Aviary closed permanently back in 2022. It
remains one of my favorite walkthrough free-flight aviaries. The indoor rainforest was certainly unique for a zoo down south, and it was well designed and immersive. Additionally, it was always well-stocked (something I can't say for other aviaries I have visited) and I could spend up to an hour each visit just walking around or hanging out in the dome watching a variety of colorful birds flying around. It was a fantastic exhibit all around.

But it's the closure of the African Pavilion that especially stung because I only got to experience it with animals maybe once or twice, before I was able to drive and venture out on my own. It had a very diverse lineup of wildlife, and was probably the most unique exhibit in the entire zoo. It had everything from monkeys, meerkats, and crocodiles to pythons, turtles, hornbills, cichlids, and more. Its placement next to the Watani Grasslands exhibit (then still called the African Plains) was very creative and unique. Sadly, by the time I started visiting the zoo on my own regularly, all the animals had been phased out, and it closed for good not long after.

A few others I can think of;
  • I want to echo sentiments for Bronx Zoo's World of Darkness; I only got to experience it as a kid, but I would have likely loved this exhibit if I got to see it again, seeing as Omaha's Kingdoms of the Night, a similar exhibit, remains one of my all-time favorite exhibits.
  • Georgia Aquarium's Georgia Explorer; it may not have been the most exciting exhibit at the aquarium, but I remember it being decent, and it was nice to see such a large aquarium have a dedicated native wildlife exhibit. It's a shame that it was replaced with the inferior Truist Pier 225.
 
King of Komodo Dragons said:
Dallas Zoos Australia section, Houston Zoos World of Birds/Bird Row, San Antonio zoos Japanese Giant Salamander exhibit to name a few.
I also miss the hoofstock row at Houston mainly for the species they housed, but the Pantanal exhibit which replaced it is one my all time favorite zoo exhibits so I can't complain too much. The world of birds/bird row hurts the most as I neglected to photograph the signage and most of the birds at the time as I was still new to photography and have yet to find a species list for those exhibits, it remains one of my greatest regrets in regards to Zoo visiting
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In regards to the Houston Zoo, I peaked through the construction fence for Birds of the World and was able to see the carcass for the vultures to stick their heads in to get their food and was surprised to see the Africa Savanna aviary to be hilly. I wasn't able to see any birds in the Africa aviary so far.
 
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Whipsnade Discovery House, which is the kind of thing I'd like to own myself; London Zoo Aquarium; Harewood House Bird Garden - all of it.

Also, and I suppose it counts as an animal exhibit because it contained a small fish pond, the little Filmy Fern House tucked away behind the Orangery at Kew. It was one of the most peaceful places in London.
 
Jennings said:
Also, and I suppose it counts as an animal exhibit because it contained a small fish pond, the little Filmy Fern House tucked away behind the Orangery at Kew. It was one of the most peaceful places in London.
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I liked the Filmy Fern House. I also liked its name. I also liked the Evolution House with its recreation of a bubbling primordial soup
 
Dassie rat said:
I liked the Filmy Fern House. I also liked its name. I also liked the Evolution House with its recreation of a bubbling primordial soup
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The Evolution House was superb, and I've always thought that the concept could very easily be adapted for zoos, perhaps as a themed aquarium/invert/herp house with a few suitable mammal and bird taxa alongside fossils and plants and animatronics and the aforementioned bubbly mud.

The building's current use is incredibly dull: Davies Exploration House, Kew Gardens, London
 
Nocturnal houses at Antwerp, Blijdorp, Burger's, Munich and Bronx Zoo.
Rivièrahal complex and small cat row at Blijdorp Rotterdam
Wolfswood Burger's zoo
Asian rainforest at Planckendael zoo
Reptile house at Dresden zoo
Mappin terraces at London Zoo
Rainforest exhibit in the Vivarium at Tierpark Dahlholzli

To my surprise, there aren't that many, but perhaps I'm forgetting some.
 
Oh, and going back a while the Chester Zoo cat house, which I believe was demolise din the late 90s.I have fond memories of it from school trips in the 80s.No doubt undersized by modern standards but with a Felid collection which was probably second to none at the time and which I doubt can be matched by any UK zoo now.

And from later on, the short lived Europe on the Edge aviary which was world class and strangely unloved.
 
I guess it's the White Tiger Exhibit in Singapore Zoo for me, where they swapped the White Tigers with Malayan Tigers.
 
The Knowsley Safari Park elephant enclosure. It was quite big compared to others I've seen. However, I understand that they can't house a bull elephant so it was better for the species to move them to France.
 
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