Go Wild at the Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum
Written: Jun 22 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: beautiful grounds, the Delbridge Museum of Natural History, newly expanded parking lot
Cons: so much to see it is hard to get it "all in"
The Bottom Line: One of the most popular highlights of a visit to Sioux Falls, open all year, with beautiful, exotic displays
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| pansy4agirl's Full Review: Great Plains Zoo & Deldridge Museum |
With over 400 animals to amaze and amuse the whole family, and whether enjoying the Asian Cat Habitat, the Children's Zoo, or the Exotic Bird Aviary - every day is an adventure as you stroll through the natural beauty and serene landscaping of the grounds of the Great Plains Zoo.
Located in the heart of Sioux Falls, and occupying over 32 acres of beautiful park land, The Great Plains Zoo has over 45 exhibits. The Savannah, which replicates the highly forested areas of that part of the world occupies an additional 13 acres.
The original zoo in Sioux Falls was developed in the 1880's by Senator Richard Pettigrew, who housed a few specimens for viewing until 1930 when the Sioux Falls Park System took over the development. The zoo was moved to its permanent home in the heart of Sherman Park in 1962.
The zoo continued growing during the 1970's and 1980's, adding several new exhibits, including the expanded Children's Zoo, the Black-footed Penguin Rookery, the 10-acre North American Plains exhibit, Birds of Prey Aviaries, and a Primate Complex.
The mounted animal collection in the Delbridge Museum of Natural History has an interesting origin. The majority of the animals in the collection belonged to Henry Brockhouse, a Sioux Falls businessman who hunted extensively in the 1940's and 1950's. Over the years, one of the largest private collections of mounted animals in the world was developed, and he displayed a part of this collection in his hardware store for many years.
In 1978, Brockhouse passed away, and many years later his hardware store was closed, with the animal collection put up for sale. The Delbridge family purchased the entire collection, and donated it to the City of Sioux Falls, with the condition that a proper building be constructed to house the collection. The Delbridge Museum of Natural History opened its doors in 1984, and became part of the Great Plains Zoo, housed in several wings that connect to the main entrance building.
All the museum's animals were legally hunted and collected by Henry Brockhouse, and today 20 of the specimens are on the endangered species list. Illegal hunting, habitat destruction and other factors are bringing many species to the brink of extinction, and it is hoped that the animals displayed in the museum might prompt us to work harder to protect their living relatives.
There are approximately 150 mounts on display, portrayed in naturalistic surroundings called dioramas. The habitats represent the type of environment the animals lived in, including desert, grasslands and tropical forests. This helps to convey a realistic image of the natural surroundings in which they are found, and highlight the role that each species plays in its habitat.
The zoo is open year-round, with shorter hours during the colder months, with tours of school-age students held nearly daily during the spring. The zoo has an approximate yearly attendance of 170,000, which exceeds the population of the city of Sioux Falls by nearly 50,000.
You can visit them online at www.gpzoo.org for more information, including rates, hours of operation, and details about any new events or activities taking place there, as well as taking a Virtual Tour thru the zoo.
If you are in the Sioux Falls area, including a visit to this beautiful attraction will be a wonderful highlight to your stay, so I would invite you to "check it out".
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
pansy4agirl
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Location: warm and sunny Arizona
Reviews written: 30
Trusted by: 11 members
About Me:
Life is an adventure....not a guided tour
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