The zoo was opened in 1912, and is named after Frank Bramble, who donated pheasants and other birds to the town to put on display.
In the 1990s, the zoo received accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) (1993),[REF] hired its first full-time educator (1996), and built the Discovery Center and a new front entrance to the zoo (1997).