Zoo Miami is Florida’s largest zoo, spread across roughly 750 acres in Miami-Dade County. Its roots trace back to 1948, when a small collection of animals from a stranded road show — three monkeys, a goat, and two black bears — was housed at Crandon Park on Key Biscayne. The zoo relocated to its current South Miami-Dade site and reopened as Miami MetroZoo on July 4, 1980, before being renamed Zoo Miami in 2010.
Today the zoo is operated by Miami-Dade County and accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Visitors walk roughly 4 miles of pathways through cage-free, open-air exhibits themed around Florida, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Amazon, encountering more than 2,000 animals representing over 375 species along the way.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Miami-Dade County, Florida
- Opened: 1948 (Crandon Park); relocated and reopened July 4, 1980
- Size: About 750 acres
- Species: Over 375 species, 2,000+ animals
- Annual Visitors: Nearly 1 million
- Famous for: Florida’s largest zoo and open-air, moated exhibit design
The Zoo Experience
Zoo Miami’s exhibits are organized by continent, letting visitors move through re-created habitats such as Amazon and Beyond, Asian rainforests, African savanna areas, and the Florida-focused Mission Everglades. The Wings of Asia aviary is a standout walk-through habitat, home to roughly 70 bird species. Long-term residents have included Dalip, an Asian elephant who lived at the zoo from 1967 until 2022, reflecting the zoo’s decades-long role in South Florida’s cultural landscape.
Because the grounds are so expansive, the zoo offers a tram service and rentable bikes and personal transporters to help guests cover the distance between exhibit zones comfortably, especially in Miami’s heat and humidity.
History and Growth
The zoo’s original Crandon Park location was devastated by Hurricane Betsy in September 1965, which flooded the grounds under roughly three feet of water and killed about 250 animals. The disaster, combined with growing criticism of the cramped concrete enclosures, pushed county planners to develop a larger, more resilient site inland with open, moated habitats. The current Coral Reef Drive location opened July 4, 1980 as Miami MetroZoo, and it later survived Hurricane Andrew in 1992, one of the most destructive storms in Florida history, before extensive rebuilding and expansion continued into the 2000s and beyond, including the 2016 opening of the Florida: Mission Everglades exhibit.
Explore more: Explore more Zoos & Aquariums.
Zoo Miami FAQs
How big is Zoo Miami?
Zoo Miami covers about 750 acres, making it the largest zoo in Florida, with roughly 4 miles of visitor pathways.
How many animals live at Zoo Miami?
The zoo is home to more than 2,000 animals representing over 375 species, housed largely in open-air, moated habitats rather than caged enclosures.
When did Zoo Miami open at its current location?
The zoo’s original animal collection dates to 1948 at Crandon Park, but it reopened at its present South Miami-Dade site as Miami MetroZoo on July 4, 1980, and was renamed Zoo Miami in 2010.
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Photo: Alexf / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.