Timeline of Exhibits

The historic San Francisco Zoo was conceived in 1929 with exhibits, buildings, man-made lakes and visitor areas built over five years starting in 1935. Since 1994, the Zoo has been progressive in its goal to modernize and update outmoded animal habitats while continuing to respect the past, whether this meant repurposing historically designated buildings, renovating older habitats or constructing new ones. Here is a partial list of construction and renovation projects that have taken place since 1994. We look forward to a future of continued growth.

* designates new exhibit or facility

  • Otter River* (1994)
  • Feline Conservation Center* (1994)
  • Spectacled bear exhibit renovation (1994)
  • Lion House outdoor enclosures (1994)
  • Eagle Island renovation (1995)
  • Australian WalkAbout* (1995)
  • Flamingo Lake renovation (1995)
  • Monkey Island demolition (1995)
  • Hippopotamus exhibit renovation (1995)
  • Warthog exhibit* (1996)
  • Billabong (1996) 
  • Aviary renovation (1996) 
  • Ring-tailed lemur exhibit renovation (1996) 
  • Children’s Zoo entrance (1996) 
  • Kodiak bear exhibit (1996)
  • Avian Conservation Center* (1997) 
  • African lion cub exhibit* (1997) 
  • Aye-Aye Forest (1997) 
  • Asian elephant exhibit renovations (1997 and 1999)
  • Rainbow Landing (later called Lorikeet Landing)* (1998) 
  • Outdoor aviary demolition (1998) 
  • Restoration of Little Puffer (1998) 
  • Primate Discovery Center terrace exhibit renovation (1998) 
  • Children’s Zoo renovation (1999)
  • Puente al Sur* (1999) 
  • Infrastructure replacement (1999) 
  • Aviary renovation (2000) 
  • Seal pool/bear exhibits (2000) 
  • Connie and Bob Lurie Education Center* (2001)
  • Koret Animal Resource Center* (2001)
  • Expanded Children’s Zoo and Family Farm* (2001)
  • Wetlands habitat* (2001)
  • Cassowary Exhibit* (2001)
  • Lipman Family Lemur Forest* (2002)
  • Friend and Taube Entry Village* (2002)
  • Leaping Lemur Café* (2002)
  • Zoo Street and parking* (2002)
  • Dentzel Carousel (2002)
  • Leanne B. Roberts African Savanna* (2004)
  • Hearst Grizzly Gulch* (2007)
  • South American Tropical Forest (2010)
  • Greenie’s Conservation Corner (2010)
  • Fred Carroll Family Sea Lion Pool (2011)
  • Pachyderm Building renovation (2012)
  • Polar bear enclosure expansion (2013)
  • Komodo Alley (2013)
  • Elinor Friend Playground renovation (2013)
  • Red Panda treehouse* (2014)
  • Prehistoric Garden (2014)
  • Wolverine habitat (2014)
  • Sculpture Learning Plaza* (2015)
  • South American Tropical Rainforest and Aviary renovation (2015)
  • Dianne Feinstein and Richard Blum Animal Wellness Conservation Center (2016)
  • Wolf Canyon (2016)
  • Madagascar’s Sifaka* (2016)
  • Great Ape Passage* (2019)