Sunny Weekend Alert
The Zoo anticipates high attendance on sunny weekends. Parking is limited, so arrive early, carpool, and check our site / social pages often for more updates!
Animal Habitats
More than 1,700 animals call the North Carolina Zoo home. The animals live in habitats representing two regions—Africa and North America—plus a global Desert. As the world's largest natural habitat zoo, the animals at the North Carolina Zoo have plenty of room to roam.
A New Zoo Experience Coming Soon
The North Carolina Zoo is thrilled to announce the new 10-acre Asia Continent expansion is in development and is scheduled to open in 2026. Asia will highlight iconic species such as tigers, Komodo dragons, Asian otters, majestic cranes and hornbills and many more exciting additions!
North America
The year 1994 was memorable at the Zoo as it’s when the North America region opened and when three polar bear siblings arrived, creating a statewide buzz. Our current polar bear stars are joined by black bears, red wolves and hundreds of other animals in this diverse region.
Africa
Ground was first broken for the Africa region in the spring of 1976, and the grand opening of the original five habitats took place in the summer of 1980. Today, it’s home to a multitude of habitats, including those showcasing chimpanzees, giraffes, gorillas, zebras and, of course, elephants.
