The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium, located in Toledo, Ohio, is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) through the year 2022. The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium houses over 10,000 individual animals covering 720 species. The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium currently participates in over 80 species survival programs with a large focus on conservation efforts. The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium has over 57,000 members and hosts over 1 million visitors a year.
The Toledo city board believed a zoo was required to make the city a tourist destination. The Toledo Zoo began in 1900 when Carl Hillebrand donated a woodchuck to Peter Mettler and the Walbridge Park. By the end of the first year, the Toledo Zoo had a collection of 39 animals, which were mainly donated. The park was unprepared for these donations and was forced to use temporary housing such as ravines and boxes for exhibits. In November 1901, the Toledo Zoo nearly lost its entire collection when the winter housing for the animals caught fire. As a result, in 1907, the Toledo Zoo built its first brick building for housing animals, known as the Lion House.
Exhibits
- The African plains’ main exhibit is 5 acres (2.0 ha) in size. It has artificial termite mounds for the free-roaming African animals, such as the East African crowned cranes, Grant’s zebra, greater kudu, helmeted guineafowl, impala, addra gazelles, Masai giraffe, sacred ibis, Nile lechwe, white-backed vulture, ostrich, watusi cattle, white-headed vulture, marabou stork, warthogs, and wildebeest.
- Aquarium has one of the most diverse collections of any zoo-aquarium in the United States. The aquarium closed in October 2012 for renovations and re-opened in March 2015. The updated aquarium contains 3000+ aquatic animals in 178,000 US gal (670,000 l) of water, including the largest tank with 90,000 US gal (340,000 l).
- Located in the first room of the Aviary are the demoiselle crane, blue-throated macaws, birds from the Amazon Rainforest, and rhinoceros hornbills. There is an Australian walkthrough exhibit where people feed either budgerigars or many of the other bird species in the room. Diegel Bed Bug Exterminator Toledo
- Cassowary Crossing is located near the south-side ramp for the Anthony Wayne Trail Footbridge. The exhibit features the southern cassowary.
Restaurants and Pubs
- Glendale Garden Café is located at 2915 Glendale Ave, Toledo, OH
- 31 Hundred Restaurant & Bar is located at 3100 Glendale Ave, Toledo, OH
- Gaters Bar And Grill is located at 1432 Ingomar Ave, Toledo, OH
Check out other attractions like Glass City River Wall