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The San Antonio Zoo hopes to begin construction on the estimated $50 million to $60 million project in 2028.<\/p>\n
San Antonio Zoo<\/p>\n
The San Antonio Zoo<\/a> has been sitting on a piece of property across U.S. 281 since it began operating in 1914.<\/p>\n Now, 112 years later, one of the city\u2019s top tourist attractions is making its way across the highway. The zoo is planning an estimated $50 million to $60 million expansion, including a new section showcasing native Texas species, an animal hospital and an educational building. The project covers approximately 3 acres and would result in a 10% increase in guest space.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cThe zoo is busy, and we\u2019re seeing record attendance this year with the addition of Congo Falls,\u201d zoo President and CEO Tim Morrow said. \u201cWe\u2019ve strategically been working toward this for 10 years.\u201d<\/p>\n RELATED:\u00a0San Antonio Zoo generated $283M economic impact in 2025, report says<\/a><\/p>\n In its annual report, the zoo estimated it had an economic impact of $283 million<\/a> last year, drawing nearly 1.2 million visitors. In June, Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler named it one of the best zoos in the world<\/a>. USA Today ranked it No. 7 among the nation\u2019s top 10 wildlife destinations in its 2026 \u201c10 Best\u201d Reader\u2019s Choice Awards<\/a>.<\/p>\n A map shows where the San Antonio Zoo plans to expand across U.S. 281.\u00a0<\/p>\n San Antonio Zoo<\/p>\n The zoo\u2019s goal has been to have a new project every year that aligns with funding it receives city bonds and leverages donor funds. It started with the parking garage expansion, which\u00a0was completed in 2021<\/a>. Then it upgraded and expanded the zoo\u2019s entrance<\/a> for greater efficiency in late 2023. In December 2025, it celebrated the return of gorillas after 35 years with the opening of its largest enclosure<\/a>, Congo Falls.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n San Antonio Express News Logo<\/p>\n Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt has all gone so far, knock on wood, as planned,\u201d Morrow said.\u00a0<\/p>\n This next phase will help boost the zoo\u2019s educational programming, which is already operating at capacity.<\/p>\n There will be enclosures dedicated to native species, such as horned lizards, mountain lions, ocelots and porcupines. The expansion also will highlight the zoo\u2019s conservation work with Edwards Aquifer species, including Texas blind salamanders, and its Center for Conservation & Research<\/a> by giving guests an up-close look at the center\u2019s work to protect endangered species and what it takes to bring a species back from the brink of extinction.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n MORE ZOO NEWS: Endangered tree kangaroo joey debuts at San Antonio Zoo<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cMany kids live in inner cities, where they don\u2019t see animals like porcupines or horned lizards anymore, so we\u2019re really educating the kids about these species that live or used to live right here in our area,\u201d Morrow said. \u201cYou need to know about them to understand what has happened to them and how we can help them in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n The zoo\u2019s expansion will help expand its educational programming, which is operating at capacity.<\/p>\n San Antonio Zoo<\/p>\n The educational building will help expand the zoo\u2019s programming for nature-based education, camps and field trips year-round. The zoo currently boasts the Will Smith Zoo School <\/a>for pre-schoolers, kindergartners and first-graders. Morrow said the goal is that the new building will allow them to host pre-K through fifth-grade students.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cOur camps and our field trips are at capacity,\u201d Morrow said. \u201cWe did 123,000 field trips last year, so we\u2019re very busy with field trips. There\u2019s not a lot of space to put the kids in if they want to be in classrooms for anything, and same with our camps. So, we want every child in San Antonio to have the opportunity to come to the zoo on field trips.\u201d<\/p>\n The new animal hospital will have an on-site classroom and public viewing areas for guests to watch veterinary staff complete surgeries, checkups and lab work. The zoo hopes to partner with local high schools, colleges and state universities for educational opportunities and internships alongside the zoo\u2019s veterinary team.<\/p>\n The zoo\u2019s expansion will include a new animal hospital where guests can\u00a0watch veterinarians operate.\u00a0<\/p>\n San Antonio Zoo<\/p>\n “\u200aThere\u2019s a major shortage of veterinarians in the United States, so we want to start connecting our veterinarians to students at an early age now,\u201d Morrow said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n To access the expanded zoo footprint, guests will walk underneath the U.S. 281 bridge, which Morrow said the zoo plans to transform into a cave- or aquifer-like experience that tells the story of the Edwards Aquifer<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n READ MORE:\u00a0San Antonio\u2019s zoo is better than yours, says USA Today. See where the outlet\u2019s readers ranked ours.<\/a><\/p>\n The zoo is in its initial design phase for the expansion, working with St. Louis-based PGAV Destinations<\/a>, an international zoo design firm. Morrow said the zoo hopes to break ground in 2028, and construction could take 18 months to two years.\u00a0<\/p>\n The majority of the funding will come from donations, but it\u2019s also working with the county and the state for assistance.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The San Antonio Zoo also plans to ask the city, which owns the 15 acres west of U.S. 281, for support on the project. The land has no infrastructure, so the zoo will need power, water, drainage and a lot of improvements on that site to be able to build. The zoo hopes to receive funding through San Antonio\u2019s\u00a0Midtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone<\/a>, as it has previously for its other phases.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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