History - San Francisco Zoo & Gardens

It started with a bear

Our story began more than 130 years ago with one man and one bear. Monarch was the last California grizzly, a now extinct subspecies of the grizzly bear. He became an important symbol of the state’s evolving relationship with vanishing wildlife, and a figure of strength and rejuvenation after surviving the great earthquake of 1906.

The man was Herbert Fleishhacker, a San Francisco philanthrophist and president of the park commission. Fleishhacker believed that no major city should be without the cultural benefits of a local zoo, especially the burgeoning metropolis of San Francisco.

Monarch was a wild grizzly that was brazenly captured in 1889 as proof that the California grizzly bear still existed. He lived 20 years more, first at Woodward’s Garden, then in Golden Gate Park and was the inspiration for the bear on the California state flag. Though he never set “paw” in our current location, he inspired Fleishhacker to build a zoo for the ages.

1866 – 1891

The City's first zoo

It was 1866, 16 years after the City of San Francisco incorporated that Robert B. Woodward, one of San Francisco’s wealthiest men, opened his 5-acre nature and animal park, museum and the first aquarium in the U.S. As an amusement park, visitors could enjoy a Merry-Go-Round, circus performers and other family-friendly attractions.

Called Woodward’s Gardens and located at Valenica and 15th Streets, its zoo featured sea lions, black swans, deer and a bird aviary. In 1889, it became home of the last known wild California grizzly bear, “Monarch,” who became the inspiration for the future San Francisco Zoo. The garden closed in 1891 when the property divided into separate lots.

1922-1925

The Zoo finds a home

Philanthropist Herbert Fleishhacker purchased a 30-acre plot of land from the Spring Valley Water Company in 1922 for the Herbert Fleishhacker Playground, known as the most complete outdoor playground project ever contructed.

By 1925, he built the world’s largest swimming pool — the Fleishhacker Pool, the Mother’s Building, a haven for nursing mothers, children’s wading pool, and acquired and installed the Dentzel Carousel and Little Puffer miniature steam train.

1929

The Zoo is founded

On June 12, 1929, the Herbert Fleishhacker Zoo was established at his newly expanded playground. Animals that resided in Golden Gate Park transferred to the new site, including the Zoo’s first animals: 2 zebras, one cape buffalo, 5 rhesus monkeys, 2 spider monkeys, and 3 elephants: Babe, Virginia, and Marjorie.

Herbert Fleishhacker hired renowned animal collector George Bistany as his first director. Bistany’s knowledge of animal husbandry made him suited for the job, and he went to work building exhibits, shelters and corrals, and training keepers on how to care for different species. He died in 1935.

1935-1940

Our WPA roots

The first major exhibits were built by the depression-era Works Progress Administration (WPA) at a cost of $3.5 million. Noted zoologist Edmund Heller succeeded George Bistany as director after his passing, and along with Herbert Fleishhacker and prominent San Francisco architect Lewis Hobart, designed 10 main structures that would form the basis of what would be San Francisco Zoological Gardens.

The new structures included Monkey Island, Lion House, Pachyderm Building, a sea lion pool, an aviary and bear grottos, along with smaller exhibits and amenities like the reflecting pool (future Penguin Island).

1954-1968

San Francisco Zoological Society early work

Carey Baldwin ran the Zoo starting in 1941, and with his encouragement, helped form the non-profit San Francisco Zoological Society in 1954. The following year, Pennie, the Asian elephant, famously arrived, purchased with pennies donated by local school children.

True to its charter, the first master plan was developed in 1956, and more than 1,300 individuals became Zoo members. In 1958, the Society took over operation of concessions, including animal feedings like the sea lion and Children’s Zoo. During this time, SFZS funded the acquisition of new animals, in particular, more than 40 donated by philanthropist Carroll Soo-Hoo. During this time, they funded the development of a new African Scene in 1967, and renovation of the Children’s Zoo in 1964.

1977-1985

Influx of new construction

In 1977, a $2.5 million federal grant enabled the construction of of Musk Ox Meadow (1978), Gorilla World (1980), Wolf Woods (1985), Koala Crossing (1985), and what was called the “first ever, state-of-the-art,” Thelma & Henry Doelger Primate Discovery Center (1985).

These exhibits replaced small, sterile enclosures with open, naturalistic habitats that reflected the Zoo’s expanded mission of conservation, education, recreation and research. The benefits of naturalistic habitats became obvious on opening day of Gorilla World, when Bwana and Missy, the Zoo’s first 2 gorillas who arrived in 1959, spent their first week exploring, plucking grass and climbing real trees.

1993-1997

Public/private partnership and City Bond

The Zoological Society took over management and operations of the Zoo in 1993 from the City of San Francisco in a unique public/private Lease Partnership Agreement. Since then, the Society has made dramatic improvements and rebuilt exhibits throughout the Zoo. In 1994, the first major new exhibit was constructed—Otter River. The opening of this exhibit marked a change from the old-style enclosures as the concrete pool for North American river otters was renovated to have two deep pools, cascading waterfalls, and climbing rocks.

While the Zoological Society continued to renovate existing exhibits and construct new exhibits, including the Australian WalkAbout, Aye-Aye Forest, and a lion cub habitat, a major turning point came in June 1997. San Francisco voters approved the Proposition C $48 million Zoo Bond to rejuvenate the Zoo, and complement an additional $25 million that was raised privately. The Bond Plan called for a complete overhaul of the entire western portion of the Zoo, and included the restructuring of the entire entrance sequence, spacious new animal exhibits, and much-needed public facilities.

1998-2004

The New Zoo

With funding allocated for what was called The New Zoo, officials got to work, aligning with zoo architects to fully design the realized Bond Plan. The New Zoo encompassed both public and animal needs, and while dedicated bond construction took place, we opened Rainbow Landing (1998), Puente al Sur (1999), and renovated the aviary to accommodate a leucistic white alligator (2000).

In 2001, the first major bond project opened with