The Great Plains Zoo has welcomed visitors to Sioux Falls, South Dakota since opening on June 30, 1963. Spread across 45 acres, the zoo grew out of the Zoological Society of Sioux Falls, a nonprofit founded in 1957 to bring a permanent wildlife park to the city, and it has operated as a public-private partnership with the City of Sioux Falls ever since.
Today the zoo is home to more than 1,000 animals representing around 137 species, from Amur tigers and snow leopards in the Asian Cats exhibit to the hands-on Hyvee Face-to-Face Farm and the primate habitats of Japanese Macaques. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the zoo earned AZA’s Quarter Century Award in 2016 for 25 consecutive years of accreditation, and it continues to draw over 300,000 visitors annually to the region.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- Opened: June 30, 1963
- Size: 45 acres
- Species/Animal Count: About 137 species, 1,000+ animals
- Annual Visitors: 300,000+
- Hours: Daily, closing at 5 p.m. with last admission one hour before close
- Famous For: Rare Rhinos of Africa and the Fortress of the Bears exhibit
Zoo Hours & Planning Your Visit
The Great Plains Zoo is open every day of the year except for a handful of major holidays: New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. The zoo closes at 5 p.m., with last admission sold an hour before closing, and its opening time shifts a bit with the seasons, so it’s worth checking the zoo’s official site at greatzoo.org shortly before a visit to confirm that day’s exact opening time.
One scheduling detail worth building a visit around: the Rare Rhinos of Africa area closes earlier than the rest of the zoo, at 4 p.m. daily, so guests hoping to see the lions, zebras, and giraffes there should plan to visit that section earlier in the day rather than saving it for last.
What to See at the Zoo
The Great Plains Zoo’s exhibits are organized around distinct world regions, letting visitors move from the big cats of Asia to the grasslands of Africa in a single visit. The Asian Cats exhibit showcases Amur tigers and snow leopards, while Rare Rhinos of Africa and Walkabout Australia round out the zoo’s international focus. The Fortress of the Bears and Japanese Macaques habitats are consistent visitor favorites, and the Hyvee Face-to-Face Farm gives younger guests a chance to interact with domestic animals up close.
A Zoo Built on Community Support
The Great Plains Zoo operates under a public-private structure: the City of Sioux Falls owns the land and infrastructure, while the nonprofit Zoological Society of Sioux Falls manages day-to-day operations and the animal collection. That partnership has sustained the zoo for more than six decades, and on January 1, 2023, the organization expanded further when Great Plains Zoo merged with the Butterfly House & Aquarium to form the Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium, broadening the attraction’s reach across the city.
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Great Plains Zoo FAQs
What are the Great Plains Zoo’s hours?
The zoo is open daily except for a few major holidays (New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day), closing at 5 p.m. with last admission sold an hour before close. Opening time shifts seasonally, so check greatzoo.org for that day’s exact schedule before visiting.
When did the Great Plains Zoo open?
The zoo opened to the public on June 30, 1963, after the Zoological Society of Sioux Falls was founded in 1957 to establish it.
How big is the Great Plains Zoo?
The zoo covers about 45 acres in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and is home to more than 1,000 animals from around 137 species.
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Photo: Kuza18 / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.