Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

March 25, 2011 - Jacksonville, Fl -

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been named one of the top nine animal attractions in the nation by the third largest weekly magazine in the country: American Profile.  The magazine, which is inserted into five regional newspapers in the United States with a circulation of over 10 million and readership of approximately 25 million, celebrates the people, places, and things that make America great. To read the full story, visit http://www.americanprofile.com. 

“There is so much in Jacksonville for this community to be proud of, I’m so glad that our beautiful zoo and gardens can be considered one of them,” said Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens’ Executive Director Tony Vecchio.

Jacksonville Zoo is in excellent company.  Other zoos named were the Philadelphia, National, Omaha’s Henry Doorly, Bronx, and San Diego.  Aquarium winners included the Audubon in New Orleans, John Shedd in Chicago, and Monterey Bay. 

For more than 96 years, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been dedicated to inspiring discovery and appreciation of wildlife through innovative experience in a caring environment.  Since its beginning in 1914, with an animal collection that consisted of only one red deer fawn, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has become one of the top zoos in the nation.  It now features more than 1,800 rare and exotic animals and over 1,000 unique plant species. Preservation of sustainable biodiversity is a key mission of the Zoo.  The Zoo is a non-profit organization and an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.  It is open year-round, seven-days-a-week, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is located on Jacksonville’s north side at 370 Zoo Parkway, one-half mile east from I-95.  For more information, go to jacksonvillezoo.org.