Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo, Science museum and educational zoo in Palo Alto, United States.
The Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo is a small public museum in Palo Alto, California, combining science exhibits with a zoo that houses raccoons, flamingos, meerkats, and several bird species. The site has both indoor galleries and outdoor animal enclosures, laid out so visitors can move easily between the two.
The Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo was founded in 1934 by Josephine O'Hara in the basement of a local elementary school. In December 2017 the City Council unanimously approved a $25 million reconstruction, and the facility reopened to the public in 2021.
This place is where many Palo Alto children have their first close encounter with live animals, touching and observing them with guides nearby. School groups visit regularly, and the zoo has become a familiar part of growing up in the area.
The grounds are largely accessible, with paved paths and ramps throughout the outdoor areas. Many parts of the site are open to the sky, so bring sun protection on warm days, especially in summer.
The museum began in 1934 in the basement of a local elementary school, founded by Josephine O'Hara. Its science classes now serve more than 14,000 local students a year, a figure that dwarfs the size of the zoo itself.
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