Tucked into a grove of second-growth coast redwoods in Eureka, California, Sequoia Park Zoo has welcomed visitors since 1907, making it the oldest zoo in California. Despite its modest five-acre footprint, the zoo has built a reputation for intimate wildlife encounters and strong conservation programs, all set beneath towering trees in the larger 60-acre Sequoia Park.
Operated by the City of Eureka, the zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is recognized as one of the smallest AZA-accredited zoos in the nation. It houses roughly 54 species, from red pandas and spider monkeys to black bears and native birds of prey, alongside exhibits focused on the surrounding redwood ecosystem.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Eureka, California
- Opened: 1907
- Size: About 5 acres (within the 60-acre Sequoia Park)
- Species: About 54 species
- Accreditation: AZA-accredited since 1995
- Famous for: One of the smallest AZA-accredited zoos in the U.S.
A Century in the Redwoods
Sequoia Park Zoo opened in 1907 as a small city park attraction and grew over the following decades into a fully accredited zoo, earning AZA accreditation in 1995. Its age and small scale set it apart from most modern zoos, giving it a cozy, walkable layout where the redwood canopy itself functions as part of the exhibit experience.
The zoo’s grounds sit inside Sequoia Park, a 60-acre expanse of mature second-growth coast redwood forest that also includes gardens, a duck pond, and one of Eureka’s largest public playgrounds, making the zoo part of a larger community green space rather than a standalone attraction.
Exhibits and Conservation
Inside the zoo, exhibits like the Nancy Hilfiker Aviary, the Watershed Heroes habitat, and the Secrets of the Forest educational building introduce visitors to species ranging from scarlet ibis to Pacific Northwest river animals. The Watershed Heroes exhibit won an AZA award for exhibit design in 2016.
In 2021, the zoo added the Redwood Sky Walk, an elevated canopy trail billed as one of the longest sky walks in the western United States, giving visitors a rare vantage point into the redwood forest above the animal habitats below.
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Sequoia Park Zoo FAQs
How old is Sequoia Park Zoo?
Sequoia Park Zoo opened in 1907, making it the oldest zoo in California.
Is Sequoia Park Zoo the smallest zoo in the country?
It is one of the smallest AZA-accredited zoos in the United States, covering about 5 acres.
What is the Redwood Sky Walk at Sequoia Park Zoo?
It’s an elevated canopy trail added in 2021 that lets visitors walk among the redwood treetops above the zoo’s habitats.
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Photo: AuroraTeagarden / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.