Fresno Chaffee Zoo sits inside historic Roeding Park in Fresno, California, tracing its roots back to a small 1908 menagerie of two bears and about fifty birds. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums recognizes 1929 as the park’s official opening, and the zoo grew steadily through the 20th century before taking its current name in 2006 in honor of longtime director Paul S. Chaffee.
Today the AZA-accredited zoo covers 39 acres and cares for more than 190 species, drawing visitors that have topped 900,000 in a single year. Voter-approved Measure Z funding transformed the grounds over the past two decades, adding immersive habitats like African Adventure, Sea Lion Cove, and Kingdoms of Asia that anchor a modern, conservation-focused campus.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Roeding Park, Fresno, California
- Opened: 1929 (founded c. 1908)
- Size: 39 acres
- Species: Over 190
- Annual visitors: Nearly 1 million (2016 record)
- Accreditation: AZA-accredited; WAZA member
- Famous for: African Adventure and Sea Lion Cove exhibits
From Roeding Park Menagerie to Modern Zoo
The zoo’s story began informally in Roeding Park with a handful of animals in the early 1900s, decades before formal zoo accreditation existed. It became an AZA institutional member in 1957, and after Paul S. Chaffee’s death in 1990 the zoo was renamed Chaffee Zoological Gardens of Fresno in his honor, later shortened to Fresno Chaffee Zoo in 2006.
Fresno voters approved Measure Z in 2004 with 73% support, funding a wave of expansion that reshaped the zoo over the following decade, including new habitats, infrastructure, and visitor amenities that pushed attendance to record highs.
Signature Exhibits and Animals
African Adventure opened in 2015 as a 13-acre habitat home to more than 100 animals, while Sea Lion Cove, opened in 2012, features a 250,000-gallon saltwater tank with rock outcrops and islands. Roo Walkabout and Stingray Bay give guests hands-on encounters, and the 2023 addition of Kingdoms of Asia brought tigers and orangutans to the zoo’s growing collection.
The zoo’s reptile program made history in 1979 with the world’s first computer-controlled reptile habitat, reflecting a long-running emphasis on animal welfare and conservation that continues today as an AZA-accredited institution and member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Explore more: Explore more Zoos & Aquariums.
Fresno Chaffee Zoo FAQs
When did Fresno Chaffee Zoo open?
The zoo traces back to a small animal collection around 1908 in Roeding Park, with the AZA recognizing an official opening in 1929.
How big is Fresno Chaffee Zoo?
The zoo covers about 39 acres within Roeding Park and is home to more than 190 species.
Why is it called the Chaffee Zoo?
It was renamed in 1990 to honor Paul S. Chaffee, the zoo’s director since 1965, and shortened to Fresno Chaffee Zoo in 2006.
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Photo: Flyfresno / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.