North Bridgeport in Greater Bridgeport Region, Connecticut — The American Northeast (New England)
Our Past
[Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo]
Beardsley Park Zoo was founded as a menagerie featuring animals donated by the P.T. Barnum Circus and area residents. With the historic Greenhouse as a central feature of the park, the Zoo became a beautiful recreation site where visitors could observe the wild and unexplored world far away from Bridgeport, Connecticut.
1878-1881 - James Walker Beardsley donated about 150 acres to Bridgeport to create Beardsley Park.
1884 - Bridgeport contracted renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead to design the Park.
1922 - Beardsley Park Zoo opened with 18 birds and Circus "retirees", originally buildings included the Greenhouse and Casino.
1958 - First animal identification signs displayed.
1962 - Metropolitan Zoological Society of Bridgeport established.
1973 - Metropolitan Zoological Society of Bridgeport became Connecticut Zoological Society, Zoo renamed Beardsley Zoological Gardens, Siberian Tiger exhibit opened.
1984 - Asian elephant exhibit closed, Zoo focus shifted to represent the Americas.
1987 - AAZPA (American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums) accreditation achieved.
1995 -Interactive Prairie Dog exhibit, Carousel Museum Building and Research Station opened, Animal Care Clinic built.
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1997 - Connecticut Zoological Society purchased Beardsley Zoological Gardens from Bridgeport and became a non-profit organization.
Erected by Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1884.
Location. 41° 12.536′ N, 73° 11.014′ W. Marker is in Bridgeport in Greater Bridgeport Region, Connecticut. It is in North Bridgeport. It can be reached from Noble Avenue north of Crown Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1875 Noble Ave, Bridgeport CT 06610, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Connecticut Shoreline. It is also in the American Northeast, in New England, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Fairfield
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Casino (within shouting distance of this marker); Andean Condor (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); James W. Beardsley (about 600 feet away); Mexican Wolf (approx. 0.2 miles away); Red Wolf (approx. 0.2 miles away); Chacoan Peccaries (approx. 0.2 miles away); Persecution of the Wolf (approx. 0.2 miles away); Myths and Legends (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bridgeport.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 15, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 390 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 15, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
