Buffalo Zoo celebrates 150 years with special events, experiences and more
The Buffalo Zoo, a beloved Western New York institution, is thrilled to announce celebrations marking its 150th anniversary! This weekend the Zoo will kick off the festivities with its Easter-themed event, the Bunny Treat Trail.
Founded in 1875, the Zoo will commemorate this remarkable milestone with a year-long celebration filled with special events, new experiences, and opportunities for the community to connect with wildlife.
Throughout 2025, the Buffalo Zoo will host a variety of special events to mark this historic year, including:
- Bunny Treat Trail, April 12 & 13: This family-friendly Easter celebration offers kids the chance to collect some goodies as they visit the Zoo’s indoor exhibits, get up-close with animal ambassadors, meet the Easter Bunny, and more.
- Buffalo Zoo Birthday Bash Presented by Wegmans, May 31: Celebrate 150 years of wildlife wonder! Enjoy special animal encounters, birthday treats, historical exhibit highlights, and family-friendly activities.
- Wines in the Wild, June 18: Back and better than ever! Wines in the Wild is a 21+ event that features beverage and food sampling from the best wineries, breweries, and restaurants this region has to offer. Guests will enjoy a night of music entertainment, special appearances from our Animal Ambassadors, and more.
- BuffaLove Community Day, July 19: A special day for the whole family to show your love for all things Buffalo. Enjoy good times with the animals and local vendors showcasing what makes our city great.
- Art Gone Wild, July 26: Art Gone Wild is a family-friendly fundraiser that celebrates the love of animals through art. The event will feature art demonstrations, hands-on activities, performing artists, art auctions and more! All funds raised will go directly to supporting the Zoo’s mission of building community, creating connections and saving wildlife.
- Zoomagination: Check out the dinos this year at Zoomagination. Back and better than ever Zoomagination: The Festival of lanterns and lights returns this summer for a limited stay in August and September, with 37 all new lantern displays and interactive elements featuring a variety of larger than life dinosaurs, Asian Culture inspired mythical animals, and North American animals. Take your picture with our 150th logo or lighted wing display, check out our lighted history wall, and play in a variety of interactive areas.
This is just a taste of the many events happening at the Buffalo Zoo this year. Click here for a complete calendar of anniversary events, ticket information, and ways to support the Zoo’s mission.
For a century and a half, the Buffalo Zoo has been a cornerstone of the community, providing unforgettable experiences, fostering a passion for the natural world, and playing a vital role in wildlife conservation. Throughout its history the Zoo has been a leader in many areas of zoological science and conservation. From its humble beginnings, the Zoo has grown into a dynamic center for education and animal welfare, home to more than 800 animals representing 144 species from around the globe.
“Reaching our 150th anniversary is a momentous occasion for the Buffalo Zoo and the entire Western New York community,” said President and CEO, Lisa Smith. “We are incredibly proud of our rich history and the countless memories created here over the past century and a half, a history that includes pioneering work in areas like reptile and amphibian conservation, rhino breeding, and groundbreaking exhibit design.”
The Buffalo Zoo has long been a prominent leader in zoological science and conservation, a legacy that stretches back to innovative work with reptiles and amphibians in the 1930/40s under then Director/Curator R. Marlin Perkins. Perkins, who rose to national prominence, is best known as the host of the television program Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. His early leadership evolved into exceptional ongoing efforts at the Buffalo Zoo dedicated to both local and international conservation programs. Furthermore, the Buffalo Zoo stands as a pioneer in rhino artificial insemination science, achieving significant breakthroughs that have been crucial to the genetic diversity and survival of endangered rhinoceroses. Complementing these conservation achievements, the Buffalo Zoo has also been at the forefront of innovative and sustainable exhibit design, most notably exemplified by the groundbreaking Ethylene Tetafluoroethylene (ETFE) roof on the M&T Bank Rainforest Falls building, which facilitates high levels of natural light, closely mimicking animals’ natural habitats – an architectural design that has since been emulated by zoos across the country.
“This anniversary isn’t just a single day – it’s a year-long celebration,” continued Smith “We’ve curated a special calendar of events that will offer something for everyone to enjoy as we mark 150 years of the Buffalo Zoo.”
The Buffalo Zoo invites the community to join in the year-long festivities and celebrate this incredible milestone.
