Iowa City Zoo is A nonprofit zoo located in iowa city, iowa, in hickory hill park, which opened in
1967 after the zoo in 1955. It has 120 species of native and exotic animals. It also has free admission.
History[]
The zoo was built from 1950 to 1954 and opened in 1955. Over the next 20 years, the zoo faced many improvements and today, over 120 species of animals are housed amongst their naturalistic habitats.
Annual Events[]
HallZOOween[]
A halloween event, guests are encouraged to wear costumes to the zoo. The hallZOOween event is A safe halloween option that offers animal shows, live performances, and other fall-related activities.
Holidays At The Zoo[]
The zoo is transformed for the christmas season with lights, holiday carolers, food vendors, visits with santa and the grinch, and photo booths.
Dinos And Dragons[]
During the summer months since 2017, the zoo features animatronic prehistoric animals and dragons all over the zoo.
Animals[]
Main Building[]
- Prairie dog
- Burrowing owl
- Pink fairy armadillo
- Southern three banded armadillo
- Black legged poison frog
- Boa constrictor
- Komodo dragon
- American alligator
- Galapagos tortoise
- Giant gourami
- Banded archerfish
- Red bellied piranha
- Goliath birdeater
- Gila monster
Exotic Trail[]
- Emu
- Dingo
- Pygmy hippo
- Red panda
- Andean condor
- Capybara
- Rhea
- Eastern gray kangaroo
- Ring tailed lemur
- Red ruffed lemur
- White ruffed lemur
- Giant anteater
- Sloth bear
- Dromedary camel
- Helmeted guinea fowl
- lar gibbon
- Mandrill
- Muntjac
- Olive baboon
- Brazilian tapir
The Woods[]
- Red wolf
- American black bear
- White tailed deer
- Great horned owl
- North american river otter
- Red fox
- Canada lynx
- Gray fox
- Least weasel
- Virginia opossum
- barred owl
- North american porcupine
East Area[]
- American flamingo
- Trumpeter swan
- Canada goose
- Maned wolf
- Spotted hyena
- Bornean orangutan
- Reindeer
- Coyote
- North american couger
- Fallow deer
- Meerkat
- Snow leopard
- Coati
- Bush dog
- Wolverine
- Chacoan peccary
- Rock hyrax
- Fossa
- Yak
- Blue wildebeest
- Sandhill crane
- Bald eagle
- Scarlet macaw
- Barn owl
- Warthog
- Patagonian mara
- Aldabra tortoise
- Cownose ray
- Black swan
- Bobcat
- Cape porcupine
- Chinese goral
- Golden lion tamarin
- Guinea pig
- Harris's hawk
- Laughing kookaburra
- Linnaeu's two toed sloth
- Arctic fox
- Binturong
- Magpie goose
- Lowland paca
- Prehensile tailed porcupine
- Red tailed hawk
- Turkey vulture
- King vulture
- Call duck
- American pekin
- Vietnamese pot bellied pig
- Kunekune pig
- Alpaca
- Miniature horse
- American pygmy goat
- Suffolk sheep
- Southdown sheep
- Lincoln sheep
- leghorn chicken
- Silkie chicken
- Miniature donkey
- Miniature zebu
- Highland cattle
Birds Of Iowa Aviary[]
- Eastern bluebird
- Greater prairie chicken
- Eurasian tree sparrow
- Pileated woodpecker
- American goldfinch
- Red bellied woodpecker
- white crowned sparrow
- Cedar waxwing
- Red headed woodpecker
- Rough legged buzzard
- American robin
Jaguar passage[]
- Jaguar
Cassowary Pen[]
- Southern Cassowary
Free roaming[]
- Indian peafowl
Attractions[]
Carousel[]
With 30 hand carved wooden animals, the carousel is located in the east area nearby the orangutan exhibit.
ZooChoo Train[]
A kid friendly ride around the zoo, the zoochoo train is similar to A similarly named train ride in Zoo knoxville.
Zoo Garden[]
7,000 native iowa plants are in this botanical garden located in the east area.
Ropes Course[]
Found in the woods section, this 5 story tall attraction has 20 obstacles and gives guests A chance to test their courage.
Other destinations[]
- Nature play area (playground; the woods section)
- Log cabin education center (education center; the woods section)
- Zoo event center (weeding/Event center; nearby main building)
- Finders keepers gift shop (Gift shop; entrance)
- Aussie picnic area (picnic area/pavilion; exotic trail)
Hoax[]
In 1993, A famous hoax regarding the zoo is known as the fugitives from iowa city zoo scare of 93. The creator of the hoax as of 1993 is unknown. The storyline of the hoax is similar to the central park zoo escape hoax of 1874, with A woman who often visited the zoo witnessed the near escape of A snow leopard. The city's newspaper reported that there was A mass escape of nearly all the animals in the zoo and 3 people were killed by the animals. The same snow leopard was said to be the first escapee, killing his keeper. Eventually, the zoo's director at the time confirmed the news to be fake.