About the Zoo & Wildlife

The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium is a zoo and aquarium in the United States, one of only six major zoo and aquarium hybrids in the United States. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Highland Park, the zoo sits on 77 acres (31 ha) of park land where it exhibits more than 4,000 animals representing 475 species, including 20 threatened or endangered species. First opened in 1898 as the Highland Park Zoo, the zoo evolved from a menagerie to a conservation-focused institution. Pittsburgh saw its zoo grow beginning in the late 1930s when the Works Progress Administration and donations from foundations spearheaded expansions, including then the second largest aquarium in the United States. The zoo was known as the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium from 2002 to 2022, incurred during a 20-year naming rights agreement with PPG Industries. The zoo's accredited membership of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) was dropped in 2015, and later regained in 2024.