Washington Zoo entrance

The Smithsonian National Zoological Park, commonly known as the National Zoo, is one of the oldest zoos in the country, and as part of the Smithsonian Institution, does not charge admission. Founded in 1889, its mission is to provide leadership in animal care, science, education, sustainability and visitor experience. National Zoos Mission, The National Zoo has two campuses. The first is a 163-acre urban park located in northwest Washington, D.C. that is 20 minutes from the National Mall by Metro. It offers family fun, excitement and stimulating education programs. The other campus is the 3,200-acre Smithsonian Conservation and Research Center (SCBI; formerly known as the Conservation and Research Center) in Front Royal, Virginia. SCBI is a non-public facility devoted to training wildlife professionals in conservation biology and to propagating rare species through natural means and assisted reproduction. The National Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums(AZA).

Altogether, the two facilities contain some 2,000 animals of 400 different species. cite weburl=Zoo Speciespublisher=Smithsonian National Zoological Parkaccessdate=2007-03-29 About one-fifth of them are endangered or threatened. Species include, but are not limited to, birds, great apes, big cats, Asian elephants and insects. Most species are on exhibit at the Zoos Rock Creek Park campus, but SCBI is home to between 30 and 40 endangered species. National Zoos Animal Index, The National Zoo, as part of the Smithsonian Institution, receives federal appropriations for operating expenses. A new master plan introduced for the park in 2008 designs to upgrade the parks exhibits and layout.

Friends of the National Zoo(FONZ), the Zoos membership program, is the partner of the National Zoological Park that has been providing support to wildlife conservation programs at the Zoo and around the world since 1958. FONZ members receive free parking, discounts at the Zoos stores and restaurants, and Smithsonian Zoogoer, an informative bimonthly magazine filled with the latest Zoo news, research and photos.

FONZs 40,000 members include about 20,000 families, largely in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, and volunteers number more than 1,000 individuals. FONZ provides guest services, development support, eduation and outreach programs, concessions management, and financial support for research and conservation.

The National Zoo is open every day of the year except Dec. 25. On occasion, it closes early or opens late to host special events (see Special Events section).