Portland zoo...

Portland Zoo, Oregon: Portland zoo, Oregon, is the best rated tourist attraction, with a yearly visit of more than 1.3 million people. Founded in 1887, the Portland zoo, Oregon, is the oldest zoo in North America. Initially, it opened to the public with a small number of animals. It grew steadily and by 1894, the number of animals reached over three hundred. The city park keeper dug the first ever sunken, bar-less bear exhibit in the world. Today, the tradition of maintaining animal exhibits in spacious natural and semi-natural environments continues. The Portland Zoo, Oregon, gained popularity in 1962, with the birth of ‘Packy’, the first elephant in the Western Hemisphere in forty-four years. It is recorded as the largest Asian elephant in the United States, at 10.5 ft or 3.2m tall and weighing 13,500 lbs or 6,100kg. The Portland Zoo, Oregon has witnessed the birth of another twenty-seven calves, via this breeding program. It shelters more than two hundred animal and bird species, among which twenty-one are endangered.

Portland Zoo Concert: Every summer, the lawn of the Portland zoo becomes an attractive outdoor Oregon concert venue. You could enjoy the evenings amidst enchanting music and socialize with your dear friends and family members. Owing to the popularity of these shows, the tickets sell very fast and it is advisable to book them in advance. You could also reserve spaces through the zoo office, via telephone, as well as the Internet. It is necessary to purchase the Portland zoo concert tickets for every individual. No additional service charge is commissioned on the tickets bought at the Portland zoo office. However, you would be charged an extra for every reservation made from the outside sources.

Portland zoo- a name associated with home-schooled children: The Portland zoo has earned repute and home-schooled children easily relate to the name of this zoo. It has extended its horizons and now the Portland zoo has become a popular name that holds educational programs for home-schooled children, aged six years and above. It provides the home-schooled children with the rare opportunity to view the exotic animals in the Portland zoo, in the moonlight. It gives them the opportunity to view the animals, insects and reptiles and observe their behavioral patterns. This program helps the developing minds to understand the importance of these animals and the various conservation programs, even as they add to special childhood memories.

Washington Park Zoo- the former name for Portland zoo: The Washington Park zoo, as the Portland zoo was formerly called, celebrated its hundredth birthday in 1987. The venture began within the space behind a pharmacy in downtown Portland. Today, it is recognized as a popular attraction in Oregon. Since the humble beginnings, it has undergone many changes.

Richard Knight, being an animal enthusiast, presented his collection to the city in 1887. The address changed, when the zoo shifted to the City Park and became the first zoo of Portland. Gradually, the number of animals increased and crossed the three hundred mark. In 1905, the Portland zoo witnessed a decline in revenue and visitors that continued until the end of World War II.

Jack Marks became the director of the zoo in 1947 and worked efficiently towards the improvement of the health of the animals and the enclosures. In 1951, the Portland City Club proposed a new makeover for the zoo and the city council accepted. They created a .85 million bond issue on the ballot, to finance the new zoo. The forty- acre site of the West Hills Golf Course, Washington Park, was chosen as the new address for the Portland zoo.