Montgomery Zoo

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The Montgomery Zoo features over 700 animals spanning over 150 species from 5 different continents, all housed in natural, "barrier free" habitats. The zoo features an entry plaza that is always decorated with floral arrangements.

The Montgomery Zoo began as a small menagerie in 1920 in Oak Park in downtown Montgomery. Initially started as a small children's zoo as a part of a local community park, the zoo housed alligators, monkeys, bears and assorted other animals. There was a small train and carousel for the children.

The zoo closed down between 1960 and 1971 due to racial tensions, and an unwillingness to integrate.

In 1972, the Montgomery Zoo reopened at its current location. The zoo began with six acres, a small petting zoo for the children, assorted monkeys, a flight cage designed after the 1906 St. Louis World's Fair, and a chimpanzee named Benji.

The new American alligator habitat opened with four bachelor males in summer 2014.