Audubon Zoo is a 58-acre zoo in Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana, on the Mississippi River side of Magazine Street. It opened in 1914 and is home to roughly 2,000 animals. It is managed by the Audubon Nature Institute and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The zoo is known for its Louisiana focus. Its Louisiana Swamp exhibit features leucistic (white) alligators, and its Jaguar Jungle has a Mayan temple theme. It also has Monkey Hill, an artificial hill built in the 1930s, and a Reptile Encounter that houses Komodo dragons.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Opened: 1914
- Size: 58 acres
- Animals: About 2,000 animals
- Operator: Audubon Nature Institute
- Accreditation: Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA)
- Annual visitors: Not published separately; Audubon Nature Institute reported about 2 million visits across all its sites before COVID
- Famous for: White alligators in the Louisiana Swamp, Jaguar Jungle and Monkey Hill
Exhibits and Animals
The Louisiana Swamp is the zoo’s signature exhibit. It shows the state’s bayou wildlife, and its leucistic alligators became a symbol of the zoo after their discovery in 1987. Jaguar Jungle places jaguars among the ruins of a Mayan-style temple.
The Asian Domain includes Sumatran orangutans, Asian elephants, Amur leopards, sun bears, Malayan tigers and babirusa. The Reptile Encounter has Komodo dragons. Monkey Hill was renovated in the early 21st century, and its additions include a waterfall and a 20-foot “safari outpost.”
A Zoo Rebuilt
Animals were shown on this site during the 1884 World Cotton Centennial Exposition, and the modern zoo opened in 1914. During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration spent about $400,000 on an expansion that added cages and Monkey Hill.
By the early 1970s the WPA-era brick-and-bar cages were considered inadequate. In 1975 voters approved financing for a major rebuild, and the grounds grew from 14 to about 50 acres. The zoo came through Hurricane Katrina in 2005 with only minor damage, thanks to its high ground and advance disaster planning.
Explore more: More zoos and aquariums.
Zoo days are long and the shade isn't always where the animals are.
Clips to a stroller, wagon or backpack strap. Quiet enough that it won't wake a napping toddler.
Cold water for the whole loop around the zoo, with a straw lid that doesn't leak in the bag.
Audubon Zoo FAQs
How big is Audubon Zoo?
Audubon Zoo covers about 58 acres in Uptown New Orleans and is home to roughly 2,000 animals.
When did Audubon Zoo open?
The modern zoo opened in 1914. Animals had been exhibited on the site earlier, during the 1884 World Cotton Centennial Exposition.
Did Audubon Zoo survive Hurricane Katrina?
Yes. The zoo sustained only minor damage in 2005 because it sits on high ground and had disaster plans in place.
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Photo: Clem from Paris, France / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.