Oglebay’s Good Zoo sits inside Oglebay Park in Wheeling, West Virginia, and holds a distinction no other zoo in the state can claim: accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The zoo grew out of a tragedy and a gift. After seven-year-old Philip Mayer Good died in 1971, his family pledged funding to build a zoo in his memory, breaking ground in 1972 and opening to the public on Memorial Day weekend in 1977.
What makes the Good Zoo stand out historically is that it was built from the ground up as a natural habitat area rather than retrofitted into an existing menagerie, a notable approach for an American zoo of its era. Today the 30-acre facility is home to more than 68 species, from cheetahs and zebras to red pandas and bald eagles, and it anchors Oglebay Park’s reputation as a year-round family destination.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Wheeling, West Virginia
- Opened: 1977
- Size: About 30 acres
- Species count: 68+ species
- Annual visitors: Part of Oglebay Park, which draws 3+ million visitors/year
- Famous for: Only AZA-accredited zoo in West Virginia
A Zoo Built From a Family’s Loss
The Good Zoo takes its name from Philip Mayer Good, a seven-year-old who loved animals and nature before his death in 1971. His family’s gift to Oglebay Park funded the zoo’s construction, and his brothers Jay and Paul Good presided over the 1972 groundbreaking as founding members of the Good Zoo Friends support organization. By the time the zoo opened in 1977, that group had grown to roughly four thousand family memberships, reflecting strong community investment from the start.
Conservation and Hands-On Learning
As West Virginia’s only AZA-accredited zoo, the Good Zoo participates in Species Survival Plan breeding programs for endangered animals and runs a raptor rehabilitation program for native birds. Visitors can walk through an indoor South American rainforest exhibit, watch procedures at the on-site veterinary hospital, and take part in guided animal encounters. A planetarium and a narrated train ride round out the attractions, making the zoo as much an educational stop as a weekend outing.
Explore more: More Zoos & Aquariums.
Cold water for the whole loop around the zoo, with a straw lid that doesn't leak in the bag.
A stick means no greasy hands. Reapply quickly between the penguins and the giraffes.
Let them photograph their own favorite animals — and keep your phone in your pocket.
Oglebay’s Good Zoo FAQs
Where is the Good Zoo located?
The Good Zoo is located inside Oglebay Park in Wheeling, West Virginia.
How many animal species live at the Good Zoo?
The zoo is home to more than 68 species, including cheetahs, zebras, red pandas, and bald eagles.
Is the Good Zoo accredited?
Yes, it is the only zoo in West Virginia accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
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Photo: Boston Public Library / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.