Honolulu Zoo

This 42-acre zoo found inside Queen Kapi’olani Park is the only zoo in the entire country that was established by grants made by a sovereign monarch. Over 600,000 visitors come to the Honolulu Zoo every year to see more than 1,230 animals in their specially designed habitats.

The Honolulu Zoo started out as a grand public park established by King Kalakaua in 1876. It was originally built for the people of his kingdom but he also used it to house his personal collection of exotic birds and horses. In 1896, the City and County of Honolulu took control of the Queen Kapi’olani Park and in 1914, the newly appointed administrator Ben Hollinger further increased the park’s animal collection which included a monkey, a sun bear, lion cubs and an elephant. The zoo has experienced several redesigns to help encourage enthusiasm for animals and to feature more natural settings for them to stay in.

The Honolulu Zoo also features several artworks that showcase animals such as porpoises, hippopotami, giraffes, ostriches, pigs, geckos and more.