The Central Park Zoo: Its Development and Connection to Greater New York City

Abstract

For more than 150 years, the Central Park Zoo has been a dynamic institution which has become ingrained into the fabric of New York City’s social, economic, and cultural life. For many of its visitors, it has provided a respite from the tumultuous urban life which has surrounded Central Park since 1858. Rather than an institution which has remained isolated from the surround city, however, the Central Park Zoo has, since the late 1850s, reflected the various influences and movements shaping greater New York City.