In 1922, philanthropist and president of the San Francisco Parks Commission, Herbert Fleishhacker, purchased a 60-acre site in southwestern San Francisco. Fleishhacker Pool was built in 1925 and an adjoining zoo added in 1929. Originally called Fleishhacker Zoo, it featured a variety of exotic wildlife. Major exhibits were built in the 1930s Depression era as part of the Work Progress Administration (WPA). This book celebrates the San Francisco Zoo's 80-year history as it revisits cherished animals and structures like Monkey Island, Storyland, and Dentzel Carousel. The zoo holds a special place in the hearts of many, as it is a great San Francisco treasure along the foggy shores of Ocean Beach.
A fifth-generation native San Franciscan, Katherine Girlich has lived in the shadow of the zoo all her life. As a child, she was lulled to sleep by the soothing sounds of the lions' roaring and the trumpeting elephants. At age 12, she became a volunteer on the Nature Trail and continues to spend her weekends and summers as a junior zoologist, caring for the animals in the Koret Animal Resource Center. As many San Franciscans like Katherine can attest, the zoo is a source of fond memories, pride, and wonder.