Staten Island Zoo

 When construction began in 1933-34, the zoo's plans were state of the art. Parks used New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps labor to help build the $150,000 facility. The exhibits and the zoo's care for its animals were modern for their time and helped the institution avoid some of the trouble other city zoos faced when their facilities became out of date. The Staten Island Zoological Society was devoted early on to its educational mandate, and the Society's objectives have been the same since the zoo's opening: to disseminate a knowledge of zoology and an appreciation of animal life; to maintain animals for observation and study; to instill an understanding and appreciation of creatures; to provide lectures and facilities for the study of natural history.

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