July 1, 1874
The Philadelphia Zoo, a Philly landmark, opened it’s doors as America’s first zoo on this day in 1874. Originally chartered in 1859 as the Zoological Society of Philadelphia, the zoo’s core purpose is to oversee “the purchase and collection of living wild and other animals for the purpose of public exhibition” and “for the instruction and recreation of the people.”
Thank you to 6ABC and History Making Productions for sharing this fact today.
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