The David Traylor Zoo of Emporia sits inside Soden’s Grove Park in Emporia, Kansas, and has grown from a modest early-1900s animal collection into one of the smallest zoos in the country to earn accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The zoo opened in its modern form in 1978 and offers free admission to every visitor, a rarity among AZA-accredited facilities nationwide.
Named for longtime parks director David Traylor, who spent decades redeveloping the grounds with support from the nonprofit Emporia Friends of the Zoo, the facility now houses around 400 animals representing roughly 80 species. Naturalized exhibits, dense landscaping, and participation in multiple Species Survival Plan breeding programs give this small-town zoo an outsized reputation for conservation work relative to its footprint.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Emporia, Kansas (Soden’s Grove Park)
- Opened: 1978 (informal collection dates to the early 1900s)
- Animal count: About 400 animals
- Species count: About 80 species
- Annual visitors: Around 80,000
- Famous for: One of the smallest AZA-accredited zoos in the U.S., with free admission
What to See at the Zoo
Visitors can walk naturalized habitats featuring bald eagles, bobcats, mountain lions, river otters, bison, prairie dogs, and cotton-top tamarins. The zoo’s Monkey Island exhibit traces back to 1934, when the city’s mayor brought rhesus monkeys from Kansas State University, making it one of the longer-running exhibit concepts in the zoo’s history.
The zoo also takes part in more than a dozen Species Survival Plan programs for threatened species, including ruffed lemurs, cinereous vultures, and trumpeter hornbills, tying its small-town setting to broader national conservation efforts.
A Community-Built Zoo
The zoo’s transformation is closely tied to its namesake, David Traylor, who became Emporia’s parks director in 1973 and worked with the newly formed Emporia Friends of the Zoo to rebuild exhibits and acquire new animals, starting with a one-winged bald eagle named Tweety. The zoo was renamed in his honor upon his 2006 retirement after roughly 30 years of service.
Longtime director Lisa Keith later grew annual attendance from about 30,000 to over 80,000 visitors during her 32 years with the zoo before retiring in 2024. A major renovation push beginning in 2019 culminated in a new Education Center building unveiled in 2024 under incoming director Brenda Young.
Explore more: Explore more zoos and aquariums.
David Traylor Zoo of Emporia FAQs
Is the David Traylor Zoo of Emporia free to visit?
Yes, admission is free, which is unusual for a zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
How many animals live at the zoo?
The zoo houses roughly 400 animals representing about 80 species.
Where is the zoo located?
It’s located within Soden’s Grove Park in Emporia, Kansas, alongside the historic Marsh Arch Bridge and an All Veterans Memorial.
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Photo: KCZooFan / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.