As one of the largest zoos in the country that does not receive government support, we rely on our donors for everything we do. Every dollar we spend is strategically put to work, and every donor that joins us in our mission of conservation is appreciated. See the strides we have made in the past years through our annual reports and tax forms below.
Consistent with the Indianapolis Zoological Society’s mission and values, the Indianapolis Zoo is committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive culture in which visitors, employees, suppliers and community partners are respected and valued.
Dr. Robert W. Shumaker, President & CEO
Karen Burns, Executive Vice President
Bill Street, Senior Vice President for Conservation, Education and Life Sciences
Ronda Shrewsbury, Chair
Beth Klapper, 1st V Chair
Blake Koriath, 2nd V Chair
Marisol Sanchez, Secretary
Steve Alonso, Treasurer
Christa Adkins
Luke Bosso
Steve Cagle
Stanley Chen
Larry Coan
David DeWitt
Cheri Dick
Patrick Early
Lauren Edmundson
Nancy Elder
Julia Gard
Shash Goyal
Whit Grayson
Shane Hageman
Anita Harden
Jeffrey Harrison
Peter Jorgenson
Todd Katz
Kristi Lee
Karen Ann Lloyd
Kent Morris
Myrta Pulliam
Mel Raines
Carolina Rashidfarokhi
April Sasso
Andy Sellers
John Sharpe
Robert Shoemaker
Connie Bond Stuart
Richard J. Thrapp
David Trogden
Pete Ward
Michael W. Wells
Amy Willis
Allen Wright
Mike Alley
Devin Anderson, Immediate Past Chair
Dan Appel
Holly Banta
Kathryn G. Betley
Mike Bosway
Beth E. Cate
Matthew Claymon
Christine Duncan
Suzanne Fehsenfeld
Eric Gillispie
Ann Hunt
Fran Jacoby
Kay Koch
Deborah Lilly
Lisa McKinney
Polly Nicely, M.D
Jim Powers
Bill Rosenbaum
Steven Schenck
J. Albert Smith
Doug Tillman
Steve Walker
Dan Yates
Joseph D. Barnette, Jr.
Robert H. McKinney
James T. Morris
Dr. Suellen Reed
Jerry D. Semler
Deborah Simon
Faith Blackwell
Pam Boas
Mellissa Boggs
Stuart Buttrick
Tamara Cypress
Bethanie Danko
Cicely English
Phil Fowler
Jasmin French
Michael Hill
Josh Malarsky
Ben Matherly
Mike McCaslin
Lawren Mills
Julie Moyers
Kristen Nunery
Jason Spilbeler
Linda Sullivan
Kevin Wright
Robert R. Baxter
Eleanor F. Bookwalter
Alan Cohen
Laura George
Polly Horton Hix
Scott A. Jones
Michael Maurer
John Mutz
John Neighbours
DV Pace
The concept for the Indianapolis Zoo first emerged in the 1940s when newspaper columnist Lowell Nussbaum began voicing his dream of establishing a zoo in Indianapolis. Through his column “Inside Indianapolis,” which first appeared in the Indianapolis Times and then in the Indianapolis Star, Nussbaum campaigned for a zoo, spurring community leaders into action. By 1944, he and other founders had begun discussing potential sites for the facility. Their ideal was that the Zoo would be supported by admission, in-park sales, contributions and memberships, and that still holds true as the Indianapolis Zoo is one of the the largest privately funded zoos in the country.
Momentum for the Zoo slowed during World War II, but Nussbaum and the other founders persevered by collecting animals, planning exhibits and finalizing the location for George Washington Park. Construction began Aug. 6, 1962, and the first Zoo opened at its original East 30th Street location on April 18, 1964. After following his dreams through to reality, Nussbaum later became known as “the father of the Indianapolis Zoo.”
The original Indianapolis Zoo was called the Washington Park Children’s Zoo, and had exhibits with an Asian elephant, penguins, camels, tortoises, buffalos and more! Visitors especially loved the Dutch windmill at the entrance as well as giant replicas of a giraffe and a blue whale, which were icons of the old Zoo. In its inaugural year, the Zoo welcomed 270,000 visitors.
Over the next 22 years, the Indianapolis Zoo encountered many additions and changes. Partly through donations of personal “pets” such as monkeys, large cats, zebras, wallabies, alligators and more, the collection had doubled in size by the Zoo’s 20th anniversary. The designation of a children’s zoo had outlasted its use and the Zoo needed a new, bigger site.
A vision for a new, world-class Zoo began to emerge in 1982. In addition to having more space, Zoo officials wanted the new location to be in a more visible and accessible site in the heart of Indianapolis to attract more visitors. They found the ideal location in the newly incorporated White River State Park. The Zoo’s founders also knew it would be important to preserve natural habitats, showcase diversity in species, and observe natural behaviors to help save endangered species in the wild. Central to this plan was the concept of a cage-less zoo, one with exhibits that simulated the animals’ natural environments. The shift in how the exhibits are presented was because, since the Indianapolis Zoo’s 1964 opening, zoos had become more than a place to see animals; they are institutions of conservation and education.
Attended by state and local dignitaries, important Zoo supporters and even a few animals, the new facility broke ground in September 1985 in White River State Park. The new Indianapolis Zoo was the first attraction to open in White River State Park.
As construction on the new facility neared an end, the 23-year run of the old Zoo came to a close, and on Nov. 1, 1987, the Washington Park Children’s Zoo closed its gates for the last time. With the arrival of new animals, the new Zoo grew to five times its former size. Before the opening, staff continued training and working hard to adapt to new exhibits, equipment and employees. One of the biggest challenges was relocating the Zoo’s 500 animals, which took weeks to prepare for and execute.
The new Zoo includes five areas: Oceans, showcasing more than 90 species of aquatic life from the world’s oceans, seas and rivers; Deserts, highlighting life in desert habitats around the globe; Plains, including animals of the African plains; Forests, featuring animals of temperate and tropical forests; and Flights of Fancy, featuring birds from warmer climates around the world including Africa, South America, Asia and Australia. Other major exhibits include the Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center, the award-winning exhibit that is home to the Zoo’s twelve orangutans.
In the more than five decades since the first Zoo opened its doors, many things have changed about the Indianapolis Zoo. Yet one thing remains unchanged — the vision of Lowell Nussbaum to provide the people of Indianapolis and surrounding areas with a place to learn from and be inspired by animals. That vision is reflected even today in the mission of the Indianapolis Zoo: to protect nature and inspire people to care for our world.
As the first major development undertaken by the Indianapolis Zoological Society since the Indianapolis Zoo opened at its current White River State Park location in 1988, the addition of White River Gardens broke ground in October 1997. The Gardens’ designers intended to present traditional garden elements in a contemporary way, and White River Gardens is not the traditional garden that most people imagine.
White River Gardens formally opened to the public on June 13, 1999. The Zoo and Gardens share the same main entrance; however, the Gardens were initially maintained as a separate attraction until 2006 when it was included as part of the Indianapolis Zoo. Central to White River Gardens are the more than 16,000 plants, including both native and exotic species, many of which are rare or historic in value. The Gardens also include a glass-enclosed conservatory, outdoor design gardens, water garden, numerous artistic fountains and features, a wedding garden for ceremonies and receptions, 1.5 miles of winding paths and walkways, and an indoor/outdoor dining facility with a dramatic view of the downtown skyline and riverfront.
Visitors can enjoy the best of gardening ideas, plant information and inspirational design in the DeHaan Tiergarten, enjoy the lush tropical oasis year round in the Hilbert Conservatory, and can learn about Indiana wildlife and habitats while visiting the Family Nature Center.