Great Plains Zoo

The Great Plains Zoo is a 45-acre zoo located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The zoo opened its doors to the public in 1963. During the 1970s and 1980s new exhibits were added which included a Children's Zoo, the Black-Footed Penguin Rookery, a Birds of Prey aviary, a Primate Complex, and a 10-acre North American Plains Exhibit. In 1984, the Delbridge Museum of Natural History was added and more than 150 mounted animals have been housed including 36 vanishing species. More exhibits were added in 1990s to include the Asian Cat Habitat, the Wild Dogs of America exhibit, the Australian Outback, the Bear Canyon, and the Galapagos Tortoise exhibit. Other improvements were made in the 2000s and zoo attendance more than doubled. More than 272,000 people visit the zoo per year.