The Fort Worth Zoo has been part of the city’s fabric for well over a century—locals have been “going to the zoo” in this same spot since 1909, when it started with a handful of animals (a lion, two bear cubs, an alligator, a coyote, a peacock, and a few rabbits).  Over time it grew from that scrappy little collection into what the Zoo calls the oldest continuous zoo site in Texas, and a place that’s evolved alongside Fort Worth itself. 
A big part of that growth came from the community rallying around it—groups like the Fort Worth Zoological Association formed early on to help raise funds and keep the Zoo improving when city budgets were tight.  In the modern era, the Zoo’s “new chapter” really kicked into gear with major reinvestment and a long-term makeover plan (the A Wilder Vision master plan, announced in 2016), which has been rolling out in phases you can actually feel when you walk it—like the African Savanna opening in 2018 and the newer habitat upgrades that followed. 
Today it’s a large, nationally recognized zoo that still keeps that very Fort Worth vibe: a hometown institution that keeps getting better, decade after decade.