About Us
About San Antonio Zoo
San Antonio Zoo, operated by San Antonio Zoological Society, is a nonprofit organization committed to securing a future for wildlife. Through its passion and expertise in animal care, conservation, and education, the zoo’s mission is to inspire its community to love, engage with, act for, and protect animals and the places they live. The zoo averages more than a million visitors annually and is open year-round. San Antonio Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Zoological Association of America, and Humane Certified by American Humane.
San Antonio Zoological Society was established in 1929 and is a nonprofit organization committed to securing a future for wildlife. The society operates San Antonio Zoo, Will Smith Zoo School, Edutainment, Center for Conservation and Research at San Antonio Zoo, and Kiddie Park.
It starts with the heart. We are the stewards of our planet and it’s animals. Through the stories, connections and interactions we make between guests and each other, we will inspire others to care.
The spark forms a flame. Our hope is to see guests and zoo crew become advocates for wildlife, carrying the torch for conservation and education and lighting the way for others around them.
Turning passion into action. We invite others to join us in our mission, investing their time, resources and talents in the work of securing a future for wildlife.
Multiplying the mission. Our aim is to see guests and zoo crew own the mission for themselves, becoming partners with us in a shared vision.
San Antonio Zoological Society Board of Directors
Meet the Board of Directors of YOUR San Antonio Zoo.
View Our Board of Directors
San Antonio Zoo 2022 Annual Report
San Antonio Zoo released its 2022 Annual Report which detailed the zoo’s global conservation impact in addition to its economic impact to the City of San Antonio and Bexar County. Last year, the zoo welcomed 1.14 million visitors and supported wildlife conservation projects on 6 different continents around the world!
READ REPORT
San Antonio Zoo 2022 Economic Impact Report
READ REPORT
San Antonio Zoo History
San Antonio’s first zoo consisted of animals assembled in San Pedro Park in the 1800s. In 1914, Colonel George W. Brackenridge donated buffalo, elk, deer, monkeys, two lions, and four bears on land he had deeded to the city in what is now known as Brackenridge Park. These animals were the original residents of San Antonio Zoo.
In November 1929, two of the first cageless habitats in America–the Barless Bear Terraces and the Primate Paradise–opened, offering visitors unprecedented views of animals. When the Richard Friedrich Aquarium was dedicated in 1948, it was described in the local press as “the world’s greatest.” The F.C. Hixon Bird House, funded through the efforts of Colonel Frederick C. Hixon, opened in 1966, featuring a simulated tropical rain forest and free-flying birds. The zoo’s bird residents are now one of the largest populations in the world.
San Antonio Zoo is a 50+ acre zoo home to over 800 species, some of which are endangered or extinct in the wild, and an average annual attendance of more than 1 million guests. The San Antonio Zoological Society is also home to the largest nature-based preschool, Will Smith Zoo School, which opened in 2004, and the Center for Conservation and Research at San Antonio Zoo (CCR), which opened in 2018 and leads conservation work around the world. Through its many efforts, San Antonio Zoological Society contributes to over 245 conservation projects on six different continents worldwide.
Since 2014, the zoo has reinvested over $115 million in upgrades, including new and expanded animal habitats and guest amenities, and, more recently, becoming a sensory-inclusive space to ensure every visitor can fully enjoy their experience.
2022 Annual Report
Read the 2022 Annual Report
2021 Annual Report
Read the 2021 Annual Report
2020 Annual Report
Read the 2020 Annual Report
2019 Annual Report
Read the 2019 Annual Report
2018 Annual Report
Read the 2018 Annual Report
2017 Annual Report
Read the 2017 Annual Report
2016 Annual Report
Read the 2016 Economic Impact Report
2015 Annual Report
Read the 2015 Annual Report
MAKE YOUR ZOO VISIT AN ADVENTURE.
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS
Starting at $36 per person
There's always something new to see at the zoo. Each year is packed with events and exciting additions.
PROJECT SELVA 4D THEATER
Tickets for just $5!
The action spills out of the screen over the audience with thrill-enhancing sensory special effects— bubbles, snow, scent, FX lighting, water mist, seat vibrations, and wind.