Historedia
EuropeEvent

London Zoo opens

When
1828
Where
Regent's Park
Episodes
2

London Zoo opened in April 1828 as a scientific collection for the Zoological Society of London. Founded in 1826 by figures including Sir Stamford Raffles and Sir Humphry Davy, the zoo was initially restricted to society fellows. The site in Regent's Park was designed by Decimus Burton, establishing the grounds for the world's oldest scientific zoo.

Episodes

  1. 1828 · Regent's ParkEstablishment of Grounds

    Decimus Burton laid out the initial grounds in 1828, beginning with the Clock Tower above the llama house.

  2. 27 April 1828 · Regent's ParkOpening of London Zoo

    London Zoo opened in April 1828 as a scientific collection for the Zoological Society of London, initially restricted to society fellows.

Background and detail

Background. The Zoological Society of London was established in 1826 by Sir Stamford Raffles and Sir Humphry Davy. Discussions between these figures and others led to the idea of a London establishment similar to the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. The society's purpose was to create a collection of animals for study, an associated museum, and library.

Opening. London Zoo opened on 27 April 1828, originally intended as a collection for scientific study. It was initially open only to fellows of the Society, providing access to species such as Arabian oryxes, greater kudus, and orangutans. The grounds were laid out in 1828 by Decimus Burton, the zoo's first official architect.

Early Developments. Sir Stamford Raffles died in July 1826, shortly after the society's founding. The society received a royal charter from George IV in 1829. Decimus Burton's work began with the Clock Tower in 1828, which was installed soon after the zoo first opened.

People involved

Sources

  1. London Zoo Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-02
  2. Zoological Society of London Wikipedia, revision of 2026-05-30

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.