The Jackson Zoo is located in Jackson, Mississippi. The Jackson Zoo has attracted people from across the state and beyond for more than 90 years. The zoo boasts an animal collection representing over 200 species and nearly 380 individual animals that provide glimpses of native wildlife from around the world.The Jackson Zoo is situated within the historic 110acre Livingston Park and welcomes approximately 112,000 visitors annually from Mississippi and surrounding states. 20,000 school children make their way to the zoo throughout the school year.Guests can also enjoy fare from the Elephant House Cafe, purchase keepsake merchandise from the Jackson Zoo Trading Company. Picnics are permitted in Livingston Park and rides are available on the Endangered Species Carousel or the train. A Splash Pad is open in the summer.The Jackson Zoo is the second largest zoo in the state (behind the 175acre Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo) and is the only zoo accredited by the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA) in the state.History of the Jackson ZooIn 1916, the city of Jackson purchased from Samuel Livingston 79acre of undeveloped land, then on the outskirts of town. By 1919, a group of firefighters were collecting various animals, housing them in the central fire station, what is now the Chamber of Commerce Building.In 1921, after the collection had evolved from rabbits and squirrels to include exotics like zebras, the city decided to move them to the newly purchased land and the Livingston Park Zoo was created.In the 1930s, many new buildings were erected with help from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. The City of Jackson, like almost every other city and state, used funds from the New Deal programs to create construction jobs for its citizens in those hard times. With the public works, the City and zoo director Irl Bennett left a heritage of facilities that have served Jackson for some 80 years. Today, many of the buildings constructed by the WPA are still standing. At the time, the Castle served as Monkey Island, housing several dozen rhesus macaques and the Elephant House Café was home to a young Asian elephant. The grounds also served as a park to its visitors, with much of the zoo's land remaining open, a scenic location with a lake for visitors to enjoy during the hot summers.
