Potter Park Zoo has welcomed visitors in Lansing, Michigan since 1920, making it the oldest public zoo in the state. The zoo occupies about 20 acres within the larger Potter Park, a 102-acre riverside property along the Red Cedar River that the Potter family began donating to the city in 1912.
Owned by the City of Lansing and operated by Ingham County, Potter Park Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and partners with Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine for animal care. The zoo is home to more than 350 animals representing over 160 species, from Amur tigers and African lions to snow leopards and an Eastern black rhinoceros.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Lansing, Michigan
- Opened: 1920
- Size: about 20 acres (within the larger 102-acre Potter Park)
- Species: 160+
- Animal count: 350+
- Annual visitors: about 167,000
- Famous for: Michigan’s oldest public zoo
What to See at the Zoo
The Feline and Primate Building houses some of the zoo’s biggest draws, including Amur tigers, African lions, snow leopards, lemurs, and mandrills. The Bird and Reptile House adds macaws, owls, and a variety of reptiles, while the seasonal Wings from Down Under aviary, which opened in 2009, lets visitors walk among more than 600 Australian birds.
Potter Park Zoo also features a barnyard and petting zoo area, a zoo train that has run since 1974, and an expanded Eastern black rhinoceros exhibit that opened in 2011. On December 24, 2019, the zoo celebrated the birth of Jaali, the first black rhino born there in its first century of operation.
A Century of Growth
The park’s roots date to 1912, when James W. and Sarah Potter donated land along the Red Cedar River to the city of Lansing; further donations over the following years, including a 1927 gift from Sophie Turner, grew the property to its present 102 acres. The zoo itself opened on part of that site in 1920 after animals were relocated from the smaller Moores Park. It earned accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 1986, notable for a zoo of its compact size.
The zoo’s Exploration and Discovery Center for Education opened in 2000, and staff have also notched conservation milestones, including a successful artificial insemination of a snow leopard performed without surgery in March 2010.
Explore more: More Zoos & Aquariums.
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.
Hauls kids, coolers and souvenirs across a big zoo or park, folds flat for the trunk.
Potter Park Zoo FAQs
Where is Potter Park Zoo located?
Potter Park Zoo is located in Lansing, Michigan, within the city’s Potter Park along the Red Cedar River.
How big is Potter Park Zoo?
The zoo itself covers about 20 acres within the larger 102-acre Potter Park property, and is home to more than 350 animals representing over 160 species.
Is Potter Park Zoo the oldest zoo in Michigan?
Yes, Potter Park Zoo opened in 1920 and is recognized as Michigan’s oldest public zoo.
Get More from Potter Park Zoo
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Potter Park Zoo, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Photo: Kchritz / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.