Where to see captive animals in the USA

TinoPup said:
ARIZONA

Zoos, Aquariums, Safaris, large Nature Centers, etc:
  • Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson – Zoo – AZA, AAM – All native species, gardens and animals.
  • Bearizona Wildlife Park, Williams – Safari – ZAA – Drive yourself. All native species.
  • Funny Foot Farm & Tucson Petting Zoo, Tucson – Petting Zoo – Small zoo, primarily domestics. Chacoan mara!
  • Grand Canyon Deer Farm, Williams – Petting Zoo - Small zoo with deer, bison, coati, domestics.
  • Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary, Prescott – Zoo – Primarily native species.
  • International Raptor & Falconry Center, Flagstaff – Birds – Tours – BOP.
  • Keepers of the Wild Nature Park, Valentine – Zoo – ASA, BCSA – Non-profit sanctuary, mostly carnivores.
  • Navajo Nation Zoo, Window Rock – Zoo - Only Native American zoo in USA. Native species.
  • OdySea Aquarium, Scottsdale – Aquarium – AZA – Have otters, penguins.
  • Out of Africa Wildlife Park, Camp Verde – Zoo, Safari - Safari part is on their truck with others.
  • Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix – Zoo – AZA, WAZA – The tram ride that doesn't show anything different.
  • R Lazy J Wildlife Ranch, Eagar – Zoo – Also own Roer’s Zoofari in VA.
  • Reid Park Zoo, Tucson – Zoo – AZA.
  • Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch, Picacho – Petting Zoo - Ostrich ranch with cownose rays, fallow deer, lots of domestics.
  • Runnin W Wildlife Center, Cornville – Rescue – Appointment - Have native species and smaller exotics kept as pets - kangaroos, lemurs, etc.
  • SEA LIFE Arizona, Tempe – Aquarium – AZA – In shopping center.
  • Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center, Scottsdale – Rescue – Tours – ASA – Native species. A holding facility for Mexican wolf.
  • Superstition Serpentarium, Apache Junction – Herps – Weekends – Part of Goldfield Ghost Town & Mines. Specialize in hots.
  • Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium, & Safari Park, Litchfield Park – Zoo, Aquarium, Safari – ZAA, AAM, AMMPA – Safari is by tram.

Smaller Nature Centers and places with a limited amount of species:
  • Alchesay National Fish Hatchery, Whiteriver – Hatchery – USFWS – Brown trout, rainbow trout.
  • Bubbling Ponds Hatchery, Cornville – Hatchery - AZGFD (AZ Game & Fish Dept) - Razorback sucker, roundtail chub, Gila top minnow, rainbow trout, largemouth bass. Building a visitor center.
  • Butterfly Wonderland, Scottsdale – Insects - Have several butterfly areas, lots of insects, aquarium, herp area.
  • Canyon Creek Hatchery, Forest Lake Estates – Hatchery - Visitor center. Gila trout, rainbow trout, arctic grayling.
  • Environmental Education Center, Chandler – NC – A few native species.
  • Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium – Tucson – Science Museum, Insects - Bug exhibit has live insects. Also have shark exhibit, fossils. Museums For All.
  • Gray Hawk Nature Center, Sierra Vista – NC – Native species.
  • International Wildlife Museum, Tucson – NH Museum, live animals – A few aquariums, common pet ambassadors.
  • Liberty Wildlife, Phoenix – NC – Seasonal - Primarily BOP but also a herp room, a few small mammals.
  • Page Springs hatchery, Cornville – Hatchery – Rainbow trout, brown trout, Gila trout.
  • Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary, Scottsdale – Herps – Tours - Only do tours, parties, etc. Have full size crocs.
  • Raptor Ranch, Williams - Birds, Camping - BOP. Flight demos, encounters & experiences.
  • Silver Creek Hatchery, Show Low – Hatchery – Apache trout, rainbow trout.
  • Tonto Creek Fish Hatchery, Payson – Hatchery, Aquarium - Aquarium, Visitor center. Trout: Apache, rainbow, brook, cutthroat, tiger, brown.
  • Tucson Wildlife Center, Tucson – Rehab – Tours? – GFAS – Previously gave tours, no longer mention them on website.
  • White Mountain Nature Center, Pinetop – NC – BOP.
  • White Tank Library and Nature Center, Waddell – NC – Herps.
  • Wild at Heart, Cave Creek – Birds – Tours – BOP, tours by reservation.
  • Williams Creek National Fish Hatchery, McNary – Hatchery – USFWS - Apache trout, brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout.
  • Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery, Willow Beach – Hatchery – USFWS - 5 strains of rainbow trout, razorback sucker, bonytail chub.

Natural History Museums and other notable facilities without animals:
  • Arboretum at Flagstaff, Flagstaff – Arboretum – Doesn’t appear to have any live animals currently.
  • Arizona Museum of Natural History, Mesa – NH Museum – No animals? Museums For All.
  • Highlands Center for Natural History, Prescott – NC – No live animals.
  • Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff – NH Museum – No animals.
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Okay, suuuuper late response to this (I assumed this thread wasn’t much, clearly I was wrong), but you’ve missed a couple of things for Arizona.
  1. Arizona Museum of Natural History does have animals (or at least they used to, I don’t know if they still do). Last I checked, they have a Spiny Softshell Turtle, a Gila Monster, and various freshwater fish (such as longnose gar). About 10 years or so ago, they had an alligator snapping turtle and even an American alligator (the gator was in one of the worst exhibits I think I’ve ever seen). Both currently live at Phoenix Herps AFAIK.
  2. The Westin Kierland Resort has 4 terrariums in their lobby containing a California Kingsnake, a Bull Snake, a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, and a Gila Monster. You said you weren’t including hotels that only have a tank or two of fish, but this is different, right?
Anyways, this is one impressive list! Keep up the good work!
 
Corangurilla said:
Okay, suuuuper late response to this (I assumed this thread wasn’t much, clearly I was wrong), but you’ve missed a couple of things for Arizona.
  1. Arizona Museum of Natural History does have animals (or at least they used to, I don’t know if they still do). Last I checked, they have a Spiny Softshell Turtle, a Gila Monster, and various freshwater fish (such as longnose gar). About 10 years or so ago, they had an alligator snapping turtle and even an American alligator (the gator was in one of the worst exhibits I think I’ve ever seen). Both currently live at Phoenix Herps AFAIK.
  2. The Westin Kierland Resort has 4 terrariums in their lobby containing a California Kingsnake, a Bull Snake, a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, and a Gila Monster. You said you weren’t including hotels that only have a tank or two of fish, but this is different, right?
Anyways, this is one impressive list! Keep up the good work!
Click to expand...

1. Please don't make statements based on something you saw in the past. They currently have nothing in their exhibit list or on their map that has live animals, and there have been no animals on their social media in at least a year that reside at the facility (the few that appear are all with visiting speakers).
2. How is it different?
 
TinoPup said:
1. Please don't make statements based on something you saw in the past. They currently have nothing in their exhibit list or on their map that has live animals, and there have been no animals on their social media in at least a year that reside at the facility (the few that appear are all with visiting speakers).
2. How is it different?
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Well, this is awkward….
  1. I checked Twitter and there is a picture of a gar there from July of this year. They also still have the Gila monster as of this year.
  2. Well, you didn’t say anything about hotels that had a tank or two of reptiles.
 
Corangurilla said:
Well, this is awkward….
  1. I checked Twitter and there is a picture of a gar there from July of this year. They also still have the Gila monster as of this year.
  2. Well, you didn’t say anything about hotels that had a tank or two of reptiles.
Click to expand...

1. Can you link me evidence of the gila?
2. You're completely missing the point
 
TinoPup said:
1. They seem to post different things on different social media, that's so frustrating. They definitely don't have what they used to, but I'll give you the gila and possible fish.
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If it is helpful, their website says "See Tom the soft-shelled turtle and a live Gila monster" (Explore the Museum | Arizona Museum of Natural History), and there is a photo of the turtle in the Zoochat gallery from a year ago (January 2022 - Arizona Museum of Natural History - ZooChat).
 
TinoPup said:
  • Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Chicago – NH Museum, live animals – Herps, butterfly garden, a few birds and fish. Part of the Chicago Academy of Sciences. Museums For All.
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TinoPup said:
  • Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Willow Springs – NC – Live animals.
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These two facilities I would actually consider to be larger than 'Smaller Nature Centers and places with a limited amount of species', especially Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.
 
birdsandbats said:
PNNM has a fairly large collection, around 50-60 species or so. Live animals are a a huge focus of the facility.
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Looking at their website again, yeah, it's debatable, and I could probably move it up. Species-wise they fall more into the category I have them in, though - over half of those species are butterflies (they say 40 species), the rest are predominately small, local herps. The website says there are two spotted turtles and some Blanding's turtles in Mysteries of the Marsh, plus a red-bellied cooter, box turtles, and fox snakes in the Look-In Lab wall. On social media I'm also seeing a softshell turtle, an alligator snapping turtle, possibly smooth green snakes, and button quail. They appear to do a lot of presentations with species that come in from other facilities.
 
TinoPup said:
Looking at their website again, yeah, it's debatable, and I could probably move it up. Species-wise they fall more into the category I have them in, though - over half of those species are butterflies (they say 40 species), the rest are predominately small, local herps. The website says there are two spotted turtles and some Blanding's turtles in Mysteries of the Marsh, plus a red-bellied cooter, box turtles, and fox snakes in the Look-In Lab wall. On social media I'm also seeing a softshell turtle, an alligator snapping turtle, possibly smooth green snakes, and button quail. They appear to do a lot of presentations with species that come in from other facilities.
Click to expand...
Pretty extensive native invert collection as well, a few different birds, some fish. If they really have 40 species of butterflies than their total collection is probably closer to the 80-90 species range.
 
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birdsandbats said:
Pretty extensive native invert collection as well, a few different birds, some fish. If they really have 40 species of butterflies than their total collection is probably closer to the 80-90 species range.
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I'm really not seeing where you're coming up with 40-50 non-butterflies?
 
My listing for the facility:

"Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Chicago – NH Museum, live animals – Herps, butterfly garden, a few birds and fish. Part of the Chicago Academy of Sciences. Museums For All."


Nothing being said here disagrees with this. There are always going to be places that don't easily fit into one of my four categories, as much as I tried to come up with ones that would encompass everything. Species-wise it clearly fits into a smaller facility, for me. Butterflies, amphibians, inverts, etc are all very small species that have short lifespans (so can easily leave collections) and take up little space.
 
IOWA

Zoos, Aquariums, Safaris, large Nature Centers, etc:
  • Blank Park Zoo, Des Moines – Zoo, Aquarium – AZA – Train that goes around part of outside of zoo. KultureCity.
  • Fairview Zoo, Wapello – Zoo – Seasonal – By appointment only? Plenty of species.
  • Fontana County Park, Fontana Interpretive Nature Center, Hazleton – NC – Bison, deer, BOP, herps, mammals.
  • National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Dubuque – Aquarium, NC, NH Museum – AZA, AAM – Otters, fish, herps, BOP. Smithsonian Affiliate. Museums For All.
  • Osborne Visitor Welcome Center & Nature Center, Elkader – NC – Black bear, puma, wolves, other mammals, herps, BOP.
Smaller Nature Centers and places with a limited amount of species:
  • Ape Cognition and Conservation Initiative, Des Moines – Primate – Group Tours – AZAc – Private but will occasionally host school groups, etc.
  • Barn Stahl Petting Zoo, Wellsburg – Farm Park – Bison, zebra, mara, domestics, etc. Farm rides for kids.
  • Botna Bend Park, Hancock – Ungulate – Town park with elk, bison.
  • Calkins Nature Area, Iowa Falls – NC, NH Museum – 20+ native species, butterfly house, NH museum.
  • Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, Sioux City – NC – Herps and fish. Stone State Park.
  • East Park, Mason City – Ungulate – Town park with deer.
  • Eden Valley Nature Center, Baldwin – NC – Herps.
  • Gilbertson Nature Center, Elgin – NC – Domestics, possibly a few native species.
  • Hickory Hillys Park, La Porte City – Ungulate – Bison, elk, turkey.
  • Hillview Park, Hinton – Ungulate – Elk herd.
  • Jefferson County Park Nature Center, Fairfield – NC – Fish, turtles.
  • Jester Park Nature Center, Granger – NC – NC has herps and fish, plus Elk & Bison Educational Plaza.
  • Lime Creek Nature Center, Mason City – NC – Herps, fish.
  • Miami Lake Park, Lovilia – Ungulate – Elk, whitetail herds.
  • Muscatine County Environmental Learning Center, Muscatine – NC – BOP, herps, a pair of 1,200 gallon aquariums.
  • Nathaniel Hamlin Park & Museums, Audubon – Museum, live animals – Elk herd. Audubon room.
  • Oakland Mills Nature Center, Mt Pleasant – NC – BOP, red fox.
  • Prairie’s Edge Nature Center, Cresco – NC – Herps, fish.
  • Sharon Bluffs State Park, Centerville – NC – Elk, BOP, possibly others.
  • Swan Lake State Park, Carroll – NC – Bison, bald eagles, and trumpeter swans.
  • Wildwood Nature Center, Fayette – NC – Foxes, a few other species.
Better places to see domestics:
  • Elevated Animals Petting Farm, Brighton – Petting Zoo – Seasonal – Domestics.
  • Hansen’s Farm Fresh Dairy, Hudson – Petting Zoo, Store – Kangaroos, domestics.
  • Iowa’s Dairy Center, Calmar – Ungulate – Robotic and parlor milking, beef education center, dairy museum, hall of breeds. Some parts are open 24/7. Northern Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Association.
  • Old MacDonald’s Farm in Bever Park, Cedar Rapids – Petting Zoo – Domestics.
  • Sunrise Children’s Zoo, Waterloo – Petting Zoo – Seasonal – Domestics, including dogs you can adopt at the end of the season.

Natural History Museums and other notable facilities without animals:
  • Putnam Museum & Science Center, Davenport – Museum – Hall of Mammals, others.
  • University of Iowa Museum of Natural History, Iowa City – NH Museum – Bird and mammal halls, Laysan Island cyclorama.

State Fish Hatcheries: Fish Hatcheries
 
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