Abilene Zoological Gardens
Museums, Historical Sites, and ZoosTexas, United States11-50 Employees
Abilene Zoological Gardens, commonly called The Abilene Zoo, operates as a museum, historical site, and zoological park in Abilene, Texas. Spread over sixteen acres in Nelson Park, it houses more than 1,000 animals representing over 250 species from around the world. It participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums accreditation program (since 1985) and supports conservation through its involvement with the AZA's Species Survival Plan and the Conservation Fund program Quarters for Conservation. It traces its origins to 1919 and was formally established as a zoological institution in 1966, and it positions itself as a prominent local attraction within Abilene with a Master Plan for expansion. In 2026, marking its 60th anniversary, the zoo began construction on A Bold Adventure, its most ambitious expansion to date.