Philadelphia, PA – Philadelphia Zoo is thrilled to share the exciting happenings in its 42-acre gardens as the region embraces spring, family and friends find ways to connect with nature outdoors, and the Zoo gears up for its busiest season. This includes the much-anticipated return of “ZooTopiaries: Nature’s Sculptures” featuring three new mosaic topiary animals that can only be seen exclusively at Philadelphia Zoo; brand new guided garden tours on Tuesdays and Saturdays starting April 18; new blooming flowerbeds designed by the experts at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society; plus, an insider’s guide from the Zoo’s horticulture team to all the can’t miss spots for those trying to soak in every bit of spring.
“Have you ever noticed that it says Zoological Gardens on the ironwork at our historic gate? The many gardens and trees work with our 1,900 animals on our 42-acre campus to create a one-of-a-kind experience,” said President & CEO Dr. Jo-Elle Mogerman. “With more than 1500 trees, 500 plant species and 40 garden beds, our grounds blend nature, wildlife and historic architecture into America’s first zoo. Plants are essential to a healthy ecosystem, and we hope all of our new garden programming will spark a curiosity about what we can all do to take better care for the planet.”
“Our small but mighty team of horticulture experts puts their all into creating beautiful spaces and wow moments for our guests to immerse themselves in,” said Horticultural Manager Tim Dunham. “What started 150+ years ago as Victorian gardens has now transformed into an ecologically friendly garden landscape focused on being an oasis for wildlife and native species. We like to call it ‘pretty with a purpose.’ You’ll notice all the fine details if you look for them.”
Brand New “ZooTopiaries: Nature’s Sculptures” Displays
The Zoo has teamed up once again with the designers at Santoline Mosaïculture to bring back three new mosaic topiary animals for guests to marvel at this spring, summer and fall. Officially opening on Saturday, April 18, the new creations, include a proud bald eagle for America 250th Anniversary (and our Philadelphia Eagles!), a larger-than-life Galapagos tortoise to celebrate the Zoo’s oldest resident and world-famous mom, Mommy, and playful mother and baby bear for the much-anticipated grand opening of Carey Bear Country later this spring. Spread out across the campus, these whimsical figures highlight the interconnection of art, plants and animals. Each is skillfully designed in meticulous patterns, creating likenesses of feathers, scales and fur. “ZooTopiaries: Nature’s Sculptures” is included in Zoo admission or membership.
ZooTopiaries: Nature’s Sculptures by the Numbers
Three total designs using 8,800 plants.
Bald Eagle for America 250
10 feet tall, 8 feet long from beak to tail
4,400 pounds
3,200 plants
Galapagos Tortoise celebrating the most famous animals on the planet
7 feet tall, 12 feet long
6,400 pounds
3,100 plants
Bear and Cub celebrating the soon-to-grand Bear Country and the Zoo’s new major exhibit for America 250 visitors
8 feet tall, 4 feet wide
2,600 pounds
2,500 plants
Partnership with Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Plants of different textures, colors and scents come together in each of the Zoo’s garden beds to create the perfect setting for time together with family and friends. In collaboration with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Zoo is in the process of enhancing four garden beds in key locations as a part of its mission to be an urban oasis where people and animals thrive. These garden beds are blueprinted by designers at PHS.
This spring, the continued transformation includes a multi-season garden around the Zoo’s top location to relax and recharge, Backyard Kitchen and the SEPTA PZ Express Train. At the Zoo’s main entrance, the team will be planting new beds featuring a carefully selected mix of sun and shade species, with a strong emphasis on native plants that enhance ecological diversity while maintaining visual appeal.
In 2025, the new designs included the garden beds in front of the Zoo’s Elephant and Calf statue near the main entrance. This garden bed features bright and colorful pollinator plants like prairie coneflower and butterfly weed to attract and be a food source for bees, butterflies and birds. Guests can now enjoy a series of more than 18 large planters next to Flamingo Cove. The planters feature small flowering or evergreen trees surrounded by plants like Plectranthus ‘mona lavender’, hydrangea, and begonia.
PHS Partnership by the numbers:
8150 number of square feet to plant
78 plant species
New Limited Time Specialty Garden Tours
To celebrate spring and give guests a brand-new way to experience the historic grounds, the Zoo will be offering semi-private garden tours every Tuesday and Saturday from April 18 through May 31. These hour-long tours are led by knowledgeable docents and weave together horticulture, history and habitats. This tour will highlight the plants that shape the garden, the people and events that shaped its past, and the diverse habitats that support birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. This tour offers a rich look at the connections between gardens and the world around them through the lens of historic Philadelphia Zoo.
Tour Details:
Saturdays at 11:30am:
April 18, April 25, May 2, May 9, May 16, May 23 and May 30 from 11:30am-12:30pm
Tuesdays at 10:00am:
April 21, April 28, May 5, May 12, May 19, May 26 from 10-11am.
Tours last one hour
Led by Zoo docent
Subject to weather and capacity. Children must be accompanied by an adult. A valid Zoo membership or admission ticket is required for admittance. Guests must check in with their tour guide at Guest Services by 15 minutes prior to tour start.
Tickets are an additional $8-10 per person in addition to Zoo admission or membership.
An Insider’s Look at the Gardens for Spring
Spring is always a special time at Philadelphia Zoo. Not only are the animals more active as the weather warms up, but the 42-acre campus and gardens come into full bloom in shades of pink, purple, white and yellow. Across the Zoo, guests can find eleven species of spring flowering trees, including dogwoods, red buds, magnolias, hawthorns, serviceberries, crabapples and two beautiful cherry blossom varieties. In early April as kiddos take a spin on the PZ SEPTA Express Train, they’ll ride past a dozen flowering trees, including light-pink to nearly-white higan cherry blossoms. In mid to late April, kwanzan cherry blossoms in deep pink hit peak bloom next to the Zoo’s Impala Lawn. Other magnificent flowering trees include the saucer magnolias that line the Zoo’s main entrance, flowering crabapple trees throughout the Bird Valley exhibit and the deep pink and purple red bud trees along the main path near KidZooU and the Reptile and Amphibian House. Plus, guests will delight in spring ephemerals like daffodils and hellebores as they signal that spring has really arrived. Native and non-native azaleas throughout the campus bloom from spring to mid-summer in whites, pinks, reds, purples and oranges.
Philadelphia Zoo’s spring flowering trees by peak bloom date:
March
Cornelian-cherry dogwood trees (March)
Saucer magnolia (late March/early April)
Ornamental pear trees (late March/early April)
Star Magnolia (late March/early April)
April
Higan cherry trees (early April)
Kwanzan cherry trees (mid-late April)
Flowering crabapples (late April/early May)
Winter hawthorns (late April/early May)
Serviceberries (late April/early May)
May
Catalpas (May)
Yellowwood (late May)
Insider Tip: The best place to soak in the beauty of spring at the Zoo is to grab a bite at Backyard Kitchen and take a ride on the PZ SEPTA Express Train. In this area designed for relaxation, guests can soak in flowering dogwood, cherry, red bud, star and saucer magnolia trees throughout the spring season.
Philadelphia Zoo sits on 42 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens filled with trees, formal shrubbery, and scenic walkways. Designed to feel like a park as much as a zoo, the grounds blend nature, wildlife viewing, and historic architecture. With more than 40 garden beds and 500 plant species, the gardens create vibrant habitats and support the Zoo’s conservation, education, and biodiversity mission.
All of the gardens are thoughtfully curated to support the Zoo’s overall commitment to animal care, featuring safe, non-toxic plant life that creates beautiful and enriching spaces and habitats. They are designed with the intention of supporting our resident animals and local wildlife that are crucial to our ecosystem.
About Philadelphia Zoo
At Philadelphia Zoo, the Zoo moves around you! Pioneering Zoo360, a first-in-the-world system of animal exploration trails, Philadelphia Zoo has inspired more than 70 zoos around the globe to design new ways to invite animals to travel and roam through their own campuses. Passing through treetops, crossing over pathways and connecting habitats, Zoo360 provides Philadelphia Zoo’s beautiful big cats, playful lemurs, and lively monkeys innovative ways to explore and marvel at one another and our guests. Visit Mommy the Galapagos tortoise and her world-famous hatchlings at the Reptile & Amphibian House, our quickly-growing orangutan infant in PECO Primate Reserve, the Ankole cattle hillside, Amur tigers at Big Cat Falls, Victorian crown pigeons at McNeil Avian Center, and hippos, zebras and white rhino throughout African Plains. Share a space with critically endangered lemurs as you wander through Lemur Island, look up as you feed the world’s tallest animal at Giraffe Experience, or get up-close as you hand-serve colorful birds their meals at Wings of Asia. Philadelphia Zoo is one of the region’s foremost conservation and education organizations and home to endangered, and in some cases extinct, animals in the wild. At Philadelphia Zoo, our mission is to flourish as an urban oasis where people and animals thrive, transformative memories are made, and our passion for conservation helps save wildlife. Philadelphia Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is a non-smoking facility. For more information, visit philadelphiazoo.org. Facebook: PhiladelphiaZoo; Instagram: @philadelphiazoo; X (formerly Twitter): @phillyzoo; TikTok: @philadelphiazoo