Then and Now: Entrance of the National Zoo

History

Then and Now: Entrance of the National Zoo

by Kent Boese • December 14, 2009 4:00 pm

Between 1926 and today, the entrance to the National Zoo has changed considerably.

When the plan to revamp the National Zoo was unveiled in 1963, it aroused controversy (see below), causing the Smithsonian to reevaluate the plan prior to seeking approval from the Fine Arts Commission. Nonetheless, the major change of eliminating the roadways from the main entrance and moving the vehicle entrance to the northwest was retained and implemented, resulting in the plan that is familiar to visitors today.

Historic image from the National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress.

Controversial Plan for Revamping National Zoo

Source: The Washington Post, September 20, 1963

5 comments

Tags: DC, history, National Zoo, Woodley Park

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Kent Boese posts items of historic interest primarily within the District. He's worked in libraries since 1994, both federal and law, and currently works on K Street. He lives in the Park View neighborhood, and is the force behind the blog Washington Kaleidoscope.

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Larger entrance or not, the National Zoo is a national disappointment. It barely qualifies as a zoo, rather it is a series of long walks, briefly interrupted by empty animal exhibits. There are often more statues of animals then actual live animals on display. Its free, so I guess you can't really complain. But its pretty sad when a city like Battle Creek, Michigan has a nicer zoo than Washington, DC.

by caphillviking on Dec 14, 2009 4:38 pm • link • report

I have often wondered if the zebra painted on the street at the pedestrian entrance is the world's largest zebra.

by tour guide on Dec 14, 2009 7:25 pm • link • report

I suppose it depends on how you count. Shibuya in Tokyo has to have some claim.

http://images.nextstop.com/e3f9bd10-4c16-4a51-a913-2ada6affb763_300sq

by ah on Dec 14, 2009 8:36 pm • link • report

Why did they want to remove the mature trees? That hardly seems conducive to "revamping".

by Matthias on Dec 15, 2009 10:55 am • link • report

And when did "Zoological Park" get shortened to "Zoo" ... In the US we have a tendency to shorten our words. telephone becomes phone, automobile becomes auto or car ... Why are we in such a rush that even our words get shortened so that we can say them faster ... Just a thought ... Maybe our rushing to get nowhere/somewhere faster has to do with the popularity of the car/automobile vs. the bicycle/bike ... or walking or s-t-r-o-l-l-i-n-g to get 'somewhere/anywhere'?

by Lance on Dec 15, 2009 6:33 pm • link • report