7 1911 Caring members of the community form the DZS to plan a world-class Zoo in the heart of metro Detroit. 1928 The Detroit Zoo opens to the public on Aug. 1, 1928. The seasonal Zoo included bear dens, lion dens, a birdhouse, an elk yard, raccoon and wolverine habitats, an African veldt and lakes stocked with fish. 1931 The miniature railroad — now known as the Tauber Family Railroad — opens after being donated by The Detroit News. 1939 The Horace Rackham Memorial Fountain, one of the Zoo’s most recognizable landmarks, is dedicated. 1955 The Great Ape House — today reimagined as the Great Apes of Harambee habitat — opens. 1960 The Holden Museum of Living Reptiles — now known as the Holden Reptile Conservation Center — opens. 1969 The Detroit Zoo opens year-round. 1995 The Wildlife Interpretive Gallery, which houses the Matilda R. Wilson Free-Flight Aviary and the Butterfly Garden, opens. 2000 Amphibiville, home of the National Amphibian Conservation Center, opens. 2001 The Arctic Ring of Life, North America’s largest polar bear habitat, opens. 2004 The Ruth Roby Glancy Animal Health Complex opens to provide expert veterinary care to the animals who call the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Center home. 2005 Elephants Winky and Wanda moved in order to live and roam in an expansive habitat at the Performing Animal Welfare Society Sanctuary in California. 2006 The DZS assumes daily operations and financial management of the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Center. 2008 Voters in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties approve a property tax millage to help support Detroit Zoo operations. 2009 The Center for Zoo and Aquarium Animal Welfare and Ethics is established to study and ensure animal well-being. 2012 The Cotton Family Wetlands and Boardwalk opens. 2016 The Polk Penguin Conservation Center, the largest penguin facility in the world, opens. 2020 The DZS wins the WAZA Environmental Sustainability Award. 2021 Longtime CEO Ron Kagan retires. Dr. Hayley Murphy, DVM, takes over the helm as executive director/CEO of the DZS. 2022 The Great Ape Heart Project, a group of dedicated experts who aid in understanding and treating cardiac disease in ape species, moves to the Detroit Zoo. 2023 The DZS continues to thrive as an organization where animals, nature, people and resources are valued. Timeline
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