The Maryland Zoo — also known as The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Maryland , and formerly known as The Baltimore City Zoo or the Baltimore Zoo — is a 135-acre park located in historic Druid Hill Park in the northwestern area of the City of Baltimore, Maryland (U.S.A.), with the postal address of 1876 Mansion House Drive. Druid Hill was opened in 1876 as the first major park purchased by the City under foreseeing Mayor Thomas Swann (1809-1883) (and later as 33rd Governor of Maryland, 1866-1869) and was later designed by famed nationally-known landscaper Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) with additional work on various park buildings contributed by future Baltimore City Hall architect George A. Frederick (1842-1924), and Park Commissioner John H.B. Latrobe (son of earlier famed British-American architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe [1764-1820]), who also was an accomplished lawyer, author, artist, amateur architect, and civic leader. Olmsted had earlier won a contest for the design of plans for New York City’s famed Central Park in mid-town Manhattan in 1858, a year after it opened, and worked on the massive public works project during its construction from 1858 to 1873. The Maryland Zoo is now home to over 2,000 animals and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Bed Bug Exterminator Baltimore
Exhibits
The zoo has five main areas: Schaefer Plaza, Zoo Central, Maryland Wilderness, Northern Passage, and African Journey. Visitors enter the main ticketing gate of the zoo at Schaefer Plaza, named in honor of former Baltimore Mayor and Maryland Governor William Donald Schaefer (1921-2011). The plaza features a gift shop, a playground called “Celebration Hill,” the zoo’s original lion statues, and the Prairie dog exhibit. Before the zoo’s redesign in the early 2000s, guests would continue down the historic “Main Valley” to access the exhibits. A tram now connects visitors to Zoo Central free of charge. Zoo Central features a concessions area, carousel, and children’s train ride that traverses the north side of the African Journey exhibit.
Northern Passage
The Northern Passage (originally the “Polar Bear Watch”) features grizzly bears, ravens, bald eagles, formerly polar bears, snowy owls, and Arctic foxes. Guests can view the bears from underwater viewing areas or from the windows of an actual massive Tundra Buggy, purchased from the Canadian company that creates this kind of vehicle for viewing the polar bear in its natural habitat. The exhibit featured three polar bears named Magnet, Alaska, and Anoki. The magnet was born in 1988 at the Toledo Zoo and arrived at the zoo in 1991. He won the Best in Show contest by Microsoft’s Zoo Tycoon for best zoo animal in 2001. The magnet was available as a downloadable patch for the game, and during the game, polar bears purchased via the Magnet icon would play with a red ball. The real Magnet was euthanized in April 2015 due to kidney disease.
Address: 1 Safari Pl, Baltimore, MD
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