Mill Mountain Zoo was founded in 1952 as a nursery-rhyme themed petting zoo that featured farm animals, birds, and native Virginia wildlife. For the first twenty-five years, we were operated by Roanoke’s Parks and Recreation Department. In 1978, the Roanoke Jaycees renewed the zoo and replaced old exhibits to create a place appealing to all ages. Governance was turned over to the Blue Ridge Zoolog
ical Society of Virginia, Inc. in 1988 (more commonly known as Mill Mountain Zoo). In the early 1990’s, a citizens’ committee created a master plan for exhibitions, visitor amenities, and expansion of the site to our current eight acres. Other improvements included new exhibits and an upgrade of infrastructure. In 1995, Mill Mountain Zoo first received accreditation from the AZA, which sets the highest standards in the nation for zoos. Of our nation’s 2,000 government-licensed animal exhibition facilities, only about 200 qualify for AZA accreditation. AZA membership also provides a network of zoological expertise and reciprocal member arrangements with zoos across the country. Within Virginia, only four AZA accredited facilities exist—Mill Mountain Zoo in Roanoke, the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach, the Virginia Living Museum and the Virginia Zoological Park in Norfolk.
