Zoos

In their early years, several local Columbus parks offered menageries, or collections of exotic animals, for public view. In 1873, Goodale Park began to acquire animals for its menagerie, which included wolves, bears and foxes. City Park had its own animal attractions including buffalo and deer. These early parks struggled to keep menagerie animals secure and healthy and both had closed by the 1890s. As the park menageries closed, they made way for early zoos, which appeared in Columbus around the turn of the 20th century. Zoos owned by the Columbus Zoological Company and Olentangy Park picked up where the early park menageries had left off, but they struggled with similar problems of keeping animals and visitors safe and were relatively short-lived ventures.

In December 1926, The Columbus Dispatch brought live reindeer to Columbus for the Christmas season. After the holiday, they were moved to Franklin Park. In October 1927, they were relocated to Riverside Park, an intended game refuge north of the city. The Dispatch continued to offer support through additional animal donations and construction of the first zoo building. In 1937, the city of Columbus officially re-named the site the Columbus Zoo and it began to resemble the institution residents know today.

Columbus Zoological Company

The Columbus Zoological Company, established in 1895, had 156 animals by 1902 but no place to house them. They eventually acquired land in the Beechwold area. Once up and running, the venture continued to face challenges. In June 1903, an elk escaped followed by a 500-pound sea lion in August 1903. The sea lion found its way into the Olentangy River and wasn’t recaptured until April 1904.

Columbus Zoo Football Team

The Columbus Zoological Company’s venture had more emphasis on entertainment than the animals themselves. It featured a toboggan ride and carousel (which were later moved to Olentangy Park), a clubhouse, bandstand, shooting gallery, bath house, boat house, old log cabin and only one building for animals. They also had several sports teams including a football team.

Rice’s Dog and Pony Show

Riders and ponies from Rice’s Dog and Pony Show performed as part of the Columbus Zoological Company’s efforts to draw in visitors to the first Columbus Zoo in Beechwold.

Old Columbus Zoo in Beechwold

The Columbus Zoological Company closed on May 28, 1905. The property was purchased by J.A. Jeffrey of the Jeffrey Manufacturing Company in 1906 and was enjoyed by the Jeffrey’s as a private estate, which they named “Beechwold.”

Courtesy of Clintonville Historical Society

First Columbus Zoo Animals

Development of the present-day Columbus Zoo began in 1927 when The Columbus Dispatch gifted six reindeer to the city of Columbus. They were the first animals to be housed at site.

Columbus Zoo Aerial View

Aerial view of the current Columbus Zoo as it looked in 1940. Today, it includes over 800 species on 140 acres and is ranked among the top zoos in the United States.

Courtesy of Ohio History Connection