The Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park has grown from a modest 1934 city menagerie of local bears and elk into a full AZA-accredited zoo tucked inside one of Idaho Falls’ busiest recreation parks. Exotic animals began arriving the following year, and the grounds have kept modernizing ever since into the naturalistic habitats visitors walk through today.
Known locally as the “best little zoo in the west,” it’s run by the City of Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation Department and holds the distinction of being the first zoo in Idaho to earn Association of Zoos and Aquariums accreditation. Despite a compact footprint, it draws roughly 145,000 visitors each season and participates in more than 40 Species Survival Plans for threatened species.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho
- Opened: 1934
- Size: About 10 developed acres
- Species/Animals: About 300 animals, 130 species
- Annual Visitors: About 145,000
- Famous For: First AZA-accredited zoo in Idaho
What’s Inside the Zoo
The zoo’s collection spans continents on a compact footprint, with African lions, an Amur tiger, snow leopards, Bactrian camels, and Chilean flamingos among the residents. The Asian Adventure area houses the snow leopards, including a pair named Lenny and Pandora, in a densely planted, mesh-enclosed habitat, while a separate big cat habitat gives the lions and tiger naturalistic terrain with running water.
Penguin Cove is one of the zoo’s most popular stops, home to a colony of African penguins viewed through clear underwater windows as part of the AZA’s Penguin Species Survival Plan. The zoo’s newest addition, the Islands exhibit, is an interactive habitat housing a dozen species, including ring-tailed lemurs and a fossa, reflecting its ongoing push to modernize.
A Small City Zoo With Big Conservation Ties
Despite its size, the zoo punches above its weight on conservation, taking part in more than 40 Species Survival Plans coordinated with other AZA institutions to support breeding and genetic diversity for vulnerable species. That accreditation, held since the zoo’s earliest recognition in Idaho, requires meeting rigorous standards for animal care, safety, and conservation education.
The surrounding Tautphaus Park itself has a longer history than the zoo, tracing back to German immigrant Charles Tautphaus, who developed the land’s irrigation system in the 1880s and 1890s before the city dedicated the park in 1910 and later built the zoo on part of its grounds starting in 1934.
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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.
Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park FAQs
How big is the Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park?
The zoo covers about 10 developed acres within the larger 84.5-acre Tautphaus Park, housing roughly 300 animals representing about 130 species.
When did the Idaho Falls Zoo open?
The city took over the park and began the zoo in 1934, with exotic animals arriving starting in 1935.
Is the Idaho Falls Zoo accredited?
Yes. It was the first zoo in Idaho to receive accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and participates in more than 40 Species Survival Plans.
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Photo: City of Idaho Falls / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.