<Tr> <Th> Public transit access </Th> <Td> PHLASH Stops 12 & 14, SEPTA Routes 15 & 38 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> www.philadelphiazoo.org </Td> </Tr> <P> The Philadelphia Zoo, located in the Centennial District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, was the first true zoo in the United States . Chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, its opening was delayed by the American Civil War until July 1, 1874 . It opened with 1,000 animals and an admission price of 25 cents . For a brief time, the zoo also housed animals brought over from safari on behalf of the Smithsonian Institution, which had not yet built the National Zoo . </P> <P> The Philadelphia Zoo is one of the premier zoos in the world for breeding animals that have been found difficult to breed in captivity . The zoo also works with many groups around the world to protect the natural habitats of the animals in their care . </P>

When was the first zoo opened in the us