Kansas City Zoo
The Zoo is divided into several sections: Australia; Tiger Trail (Asia); Tropics, an indoor rainforest; KidZone, which includes the Discovery Barn, Peek-A-Boo Tree and an Endangered Species Carousel; and a 100 acre-African Plains. The new Tropics, an indoor rainforest, opened in 2009 in the orignal Zoo building and polar bears will return in 2010.
Three historic features within the Zoo are:
The 1909 Zoo Building: Opened as the first building in the Zoo, the Bird and Carnivora House housed the entire animal collection. Altered in 1969 and again 1974, it housed traveling exhibits and education programs. Rennovated with city bond money, it re-opened as the Tropics, an indoor rainforest in 2009.
Suspension Bridge: Built in 1907 by the Midland Bridge Company, this bridge was originally meant to span a nearly inaccessible area of dense underbrush and to connect the Grand Entrance with a proposed athletic field. It was rennovated in the 1990s. The 227 foot long bridge connects the African plains area of the Zoo to the Congo area.
Lagoon and Boathouse: The lagoon once was on Wildcat Hollow Road and Lewis Road, sat near the Swope Park swimming pool. In 1912 the first boat was allowed and a boathouse was built on the west bank. In 1922 a beach area opened near the original boathouse; in 1949 a new boathouse was built on the beach and the original boathouse was torn down. In 1994, the lagoon became a focal point for the African plains exhibit. | 
