ZooTampa at Lowry Park (formerly known as Lowry Park Zoo or Lowry Park Zoological Garden) is a nonprofit zoo located in Tampa, Florida. In 2009, Lowry Park Zoo was voted the #1 Family Friendly Zoo in the US by Parents Magazine, and is recognized by the State of Florida as the center for Florida wildlife conservation and biodiversity (HB 457). The zoo is operated by the Lowry Park Zoological Society, an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The zoo also exists as a center for conservation of endangered wildlife both locally and around the globe. Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) as well as a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG), the Florida Association of Zoos and Aquariums (FAZA) and the Florida Attractions Association (FAA). ZooTampa traces its origins to a small animal exhibit that was located on the campus of the University of Tampa in downtown beginning in the 1930s. It moved to its current location in the Seminole Heights neighborhood 1957 and become known as the Lowry Park Zoo, with various small rides and other entertainment facilities added in the following years. The animal enclosures were run down and deemed unhealthy by the 1980s, and after several years of fundraising, the zoo was completely redesigned and rebuilt in 1987-1988. Since reopening, several new sections and attractions have been added, often with a geographic theme. In 2018, the zoo was rebranded as "ZooTampa at Lowry Park" as part of another large renovation and expansion project. Nearly 1 million people visit the 65-acre zoo a year to see its more than 1,300 animals. History Tampa's first zoo was a small collection of exotic animals in Plant Park on the grounds of the University of Tampa across the Hillsborough River from downtown. In the 1950s, city council member and (later) mayor Nick Nuccio led the push to establish a larger zoo at a more spacious location. and the city chose a plot of land across the street from existing Lowry Park, a public greenspace in the neighborhood of Seminole Heights along the Hillsborough River. The park had been created in 1925 and named after Sumter de Leon Lowry Sr., a Tampa city commissioner and gubernatorial candidate who was a somewhat controversial figure for his vocal support of segregation and his active membership in the Sons of