Phoenix Zoo

The Phoenix Zoo is a zoo in the Papago Park area of Phoenix, opened in 1962 and founded by Robert Maytag. It occupies 125 acres and is the largest privately owned nonprofit zoo in the United States. It holds over 1,400 animals and 2.5 miles of walking trails, and is divided into four themed areas: the Arizona Trail, covering flora and fauna of the American Southwest; the Africa Trail; the Tropics Trail, given to rainforest species; and the Children's Trail, which includes a petting zoo. The zoo was conservation-minded from its inception. Soon after opening it housed what was then thought to be the last few Arabian oryx, which formed the basis of the world herd created for Operation Oryx and eventually allowed the species to be reintroduced to the wild. It now also operates a sanctuary caring for endangered or unwanted animals. It has been designated a Phoenix Point of Pride.

Where it is

Phoenix Zoo is a zoo or aquarium near Phoenix, in Maricopa County. It is one of the zoos & aquariums in this database, and appears in the statewide ranking of Arizona attractions.

How this ranking was reached

No official visitor count is published for Phoenix Zoo, so its score rests on public interest and tourism significance, and is capped below the level a measured attraction can reach. That is why the medium confidence above is not higher. The weighting is explained in full on the methodology page, and every axis is broken out under Facts and sources at the foot of this page.

Note on the data: No official visitor count is published for this attraction.

Sources

• Public interest: Wikimedia pageviews (en.wikipedia, human traffic), 2024
• Coordinates and designations: Wikidata(opens in a new tab)
• County: U.S. Census geography via FCC Area API, resolved from coordinates
• Official site: https://www.phoenixzoo.org/(opens in a new tab)

Record last verified 2026-08-12.