Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Nation's Third Oldest Zoo
Druid Hill Park
| — | Baltimore City Recreation & Parks | — |
An 1865 inventory of the Baltimore Zoo listed "9 deer, 4 swans, 3 wild geese and 24 ewes." By the 1880s still more creatures, including bears were exhibited in ornate but small Victorian cages. In those days animals were seen as objects of curiosity with little attention given to their natures and needs. Park employees with no formal training as keepers managed the collection.
Today the focus of the Maryland Zoo of Baltimore is on conservation and education. The Zoo strives to provide quality environments for animals, support for research, and memorable experiences for visitors both in the heart of Druid Hill Park and in outreach programs across the State of Maryland.
Erected by Baltimore City Recreation and Parks.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Education • Environment • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1865.
Location. Marker has been permanently removed. It was located near 39° 19.341′ N, 76° 39.023′ W. Marker was in Baltimore, Maryland. It was in Druid Hill Park. It was on Beechwood Drive just east of Safari Place,
this page online
We have been informed that this marker is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.
Regionally, this marker was in Central Maryland. It was also in the American Mid-Atlantic, in the Chesapeake Bay Region, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: Druid Hill Park (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Planted by the National Service Star Legion (about 400 feet away); Westward Expansion (about 500 feet away); Welcome Back to the Main Valley (about 700 feet away); The Crane Barn (about 800 feet away); Before Lawnmowers (approx. 0.2 miles away); Victorian Cages (approx. 0.2 miles away); State-of-the-Art in 1876
Additional commentary.
1. Claims about the nation's third oldest zoo
Multiple zoos in the United States claim to be the nation's third oldest. Another notable zoo that has made the claim is Buffalo, New York's.
— Submitted December 11, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 17, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 27, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 256 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 27, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
