Sacramento Zoological Society

The William Land Park Zoo opened its gates on June 2, 1927. At that time, the 4.2-acre zoo was home to a collection of 40 animals that included monkeys, raccoons, birds, deer and other small animals. In the early 1960s, the zoo was enlarged to its current 14.7-acre size and new habitats began to spring up. In 1965, the zoo began charging admission: twenty-five cents. In 1970, the Sacramento City Council adopted the name "Sacramento Zoo."

During the 1980s, zoos began to provide a new experience for visitors by replacing iron bars and concrete walls with protective moats, larger animal enclosures and a more naturalistic look. In 1997, as City funding continued to decrease, the Sacramento Zoological Society took over complete financial and managerial control of the zoo. The role of zoos has changed dramatically over the past several decades. The focus of zoos has shifted from showcasing as many animals as possible, to creating a recreational experience that also focuses on the importance of providing an educational premise for which zoos exist. Today, the Sacramento Zoo has three very distinct purposes - education, conservation, and recreation. 

At the Sacramento Zoo, we lead with animal welfare. Nearly 400 native, rare and endangered animals represent over 100 unique species at the Sacramento Zoo. Staff strive daily to not only provide uncompromising care for the animals, but also work to conserve species and habitats around the world. Our staff are active leaders in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), an organization that establishes standards for the well-being of zoo animals and is a leader in global wildlife conservation. The Sacramento Zoo has been accredited by the AZA since 1975. 

The current Zoo is more than 95 years old and requires extensive renovations to both habitats and other facilities to meet current – let alone future – animal care standards. At just 14.7 acres, the Zoo’s footprint is landlocked and unable to provide the necessary space for many of the Zoo’s larger residents including giraffes, big cats, apes, and others. Over the past 30 years, the Zoo has lost many of its iconic animal species due to space constraints, including tiger, hippopotamus, and bear. This decline will continue if the Zoo stays where it is. 

With an eye toward building a larger, more modern zoological park for the animals and for generations of zoo visitors from throughout the Greater Sacramento Region and beyond, the Sacramento Zoological Society and the City of Elk Grove entered into an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement in September 2021 to evaluate building a New Zoo in Elk Grove. Since then, this exciting process has continued to move forward and build momentum. A well-situated 100-acre plot of land has been purchased in Elk Grove, a talented and knowledgeable team of zoo architects, wildlife experts, engineers, former Disney Imagineers, and others have continued to refine the design and layout, a series of conceptual drawings and maps have been released illustrating the vision for this project, and an Environmental Impact Report, schematic design, and a finance plan are all in progress. 

A New Zoo – the first major zoo to be built from the ground up in more than 30 years - will allow our wildlife care professionals to create expansive natural habitats, bolster our conservation programs, and allow the Zoo to better serve its educational mission by accommodating a million or more guests per year. A larger zoological park will also allow the Society to do even more to support its mission by providing more educational partnerships, greater support for conservation programs, and larger and better spaces for the animals.

The New Zoo will be designed to house populations of rare and endangered animal species. Just as importantly, we will tell the story of these species and engage our guests to take action. The Zoo is currently an active participant in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP). The Sacramento Zoo is proud of its support of species both locally and around the globe and is looking forward to expanding that support with a new, expanded zoo.

The New Zoo will be a triumph of imagination and innovation – incorporating world-class design and employing best practices in animal care and conservation.

The challenge to meet the needs of all animals in our zoo and to fulfill our mission of engaging people to help save wildlife requires more than our current and aged 14.7-acre zoo. Our region needs a new, expanded zoo that can increase its capacity to care for populations of rare and endangered species, as well as provide a truly unique and wonderful educational experience for visitors for the next 100 years.

But we need the help of our community to build the next great zoo...right here in our region!