Philadelphia, PA – Philadelphia Zoo is ready to welcome hundreds of thousands of guests from around the globe as locals and tourists from across the city and region begin to celebrate the arrival of the FIFA World Cup and America 250. At the Zoo, guests can meet 60 species that are native to the nations playing at Lincoln Financial Field throughout the tournament: Brazil, Croatia, Curacao, Ecuador, France, Ghana, Haiti and Ivory Coast. Plus, the Zoo has opened a brand-new gift shop, Destination Philadelphia, that has everything needed to cheer on Team USA for the World Cup and celebrate America 250. And, the Zoo is offering parking to visitors looking to visit FIFA Fan Festival. Philadelpiha Zoo also is proud to present their Philly Pherris Wheel specially open for America 250 and World Cup visitors this spring at 110 feet / 10 stories tall with epic views of Philadelphia. Carey Bear Country just opened in time for World Cup visitors – and penguins and Zootopiaries have returned to the Zoo for FIFA and America 250.
International Lineup of World Cup Animals
Philadelphia Zoo is home to 1,900 animals of species native to places around the world. The Zoo is home to 60 species that are native to the team countries that will be playing in Philadelphia:
– Brazil- 21 species
– Ecuador- 14 species
– Ivory Coast- 8 species
– Ghana- 7 species
– Croatia- 4 species
– France- 3 species
– Curacao- 2 species
– Haiti- 1 species
Popular animals include:
* Brazil: giant river otters, golden lion tamarins, pied tamarins and pumas.
* Ecuador: Galapagos tortoises, giant river otters, Hoffman’s two-toed sloth, glass frogs and pumas.
* Ghana: hippos, African pygmy hedgehogs, red river hogs and lion.
* Ivory Coast: hippos, African pygmy hedgehogs, red river hogs and West African dwarf crocodiles.
Of these animals, guests can meet the following in Behind-the-Scenes tours offered throughout the World Cup: hippos, giant river otters, Galapagos tortoises and African pygmy hedgehogs.
Two of the World Cup species at the Zoo have a very close connection to the conservation work the Zoo supports:
Golden Lion Tamarins: in the 1970s, there were fewer than 200 individuals living in the wild in their native habitats outside of Rio de Janeiro. Philadelphia Zoo was one of the institutions trusted with caring for and breeding this critically endangered species. For over 30 years, Philadelphia Zoo has worked with other zoos to breed tamarins and release them into the wild, contributed funding to purchase land and increase tamarin habitat, and inspired innovative solutions to their fragmented habitat alongside our partners Associação Mico-Leão Dourado/Save the Golden Lion Tamarin. All of these efforts have proven helpful, and there are now over 2500 golden lion tamarins living in the wild, almost 75% of which are descended from tamarins that once lived in zoos.
Rio Pescado stub foot toad: This species was declared extinct in 1995 but was rediscovered in a very small area of Ecuador in 2011. Very little is known about this species in the wild, but Philadelphia Zoo’s Director of Herpetology has been working with this species for almost 10 years and has published research on their care. Working with our partners Amaru Bioparque Cuenca – Zoológico (Zoo Amaru), we currently have a breeding pair at the Zoo and are keeping our fingers crossed for successful offspring in the future.
Full List of Philadelphia Zoo Species Native to World Cup Countries Playing in Philadelphia:
Brazil
Black and white tegu
Brazilian red and white tarantula
Bolivian gray titi monkey
Caiman lizard
Cara cara
Emerald tree boa
Giant river otter
Geoffrey’s marmoset
Golden Lion Tamarin (important conservation tie-in)
Goliath birdeater
Green anaconda
Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth
King Vulture
Nine-banded armadillo
Pied tamarins
Puma
Rainbow boa
Smooth-sided toad
Turkey Vulture
Vampire bat
White faced saki monkey
Croatia
Barn owl
European glass lizard
Raven
White stork
Curaçao
American Kestrel
Barn owl
Ecuador
Caiman lizard
Common Guinea pig
Galapagos tortoise
Giant river otter
Glass frog
Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth
King vulture
Nine-banded armadillo
Puma
Rainbow boa
Rio Pescado stub foot toad
Smooth-sided toad
Turkey vulture
Vampire bat
France
Barn owl
Common Raven
White stork
Ghana
African pygmy hedgehogs
Barn owl
Eastern Senegal parrot
Hippos
Hooded Vulture
Lions
Red river hogs
Haiti
American Kestrel
Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire)
African pygmy hedgehogs
Barn owl
Eastern Senegal parrot
Hippo
Hooded Vulture
Red river hogs
West African Dwarf Crocodile
White rhino* (introduced, not originally native)
Destination Philadelphia is Open
Open just in time for the start of all the celebrations in the city, the Zoo’s brand-new gift shop, Destination Philadelphia, has everything needed to cheer on Team USA for the World Cup and America 250. The inspiration for the store comes from the pride of not only the Zoo, but the great city of Philadelphia. Guests will be able to have an assortment of customized apparel from soccer scarves to T-shirts, plush animals including Andean and sloth bears for the 2026 opening of Carey Bear Country, toys, and souvenirs to choose from as they remember their visit to the Philadelphia Zoo.
Parking for the FIFA Fan Festival in Lemon Hill
For those looking to drive to the FIFA Fan Fest, Philadelphia Zoo is offering limited paid parking for festival attendees throughout the event. Daytime parking is available at the Giraffe Lot on Girard Avenue, and evening parking is available at both the Zoo Garage on Girard Avenue and the Tiger Lot on 34th Street.
Visitors are encouraged to stop in at the Zoo to take a ride on the 110-foot tall Philly Zoo Pherris Wheel, the largest Ferris wheel in Philadelphia with the best views of the city skyline (no Zoo admission required), or make the Zoo a part of your Fan Fest experience and visit the all new Carey Bear Country, home to two species of vulnerable bears. Philadelphia Zoo is open daily from 9:30-5:00pm with additional hours on Saturday, June 20 until 8:00pm. All parking lots are a 20-minute walk to the event, and spots can be reserved in advance or on the day of at the Zoo’s website.
Come early and plan ahead, as spaces are limited. General parking is strictly prohibited at Lemon Hill.
Philly Pherris Wheel
Get the best views of the city and surrounding scenery from the top of the Philly Zoo Pherris Wheel this spring! This 110-foot tall ride features breathtaking views of the city skyline, Schuylkill River, Philadelphia Art Museum and beyond. The Pherris wheel is a part of the hundreds of events celebrating America’s 250th anniversary and World Cup in Philadelphia throughout 2026. Ride requires an additional ticket. Enjoy bundled Zoo Admission and Pherris Wheel tickets exclusively on the Zoo’s website. *Guests must be at least at least 32″ tall to ride with a supervising adult. Each gondola can fit up to six guests and the ride lasts about seven minutes.
Carey Bear Country
Philadelphia Zoo is overjoyed to announce the first-look opening of Francis J. Carey Bear Country, a $25 million state-of-the-art facility built with the highest standards of animal care in mind, making it one of the best in the country for vulnerable bears. This is the biggest project at Philadelphia Zoo since the opening of KidZooU in 2013. The newly refreshed and upgraded spaces include the addition of a third bear habitat, dedicated behind-the-scenes indoor and outdoor den spaces to support breeding programs, and a brand-new Zoo360 trail for the bears to explore, the first-ever for bears at Philadelphia Zoo. Not only does Carey Bear Country enhance the Zoo’s animal care program, it creates a dynamic, memorable and educational experience for guests of all ages and backgrounds. Now home to Andean and sloth bears, Carey Bear Country supports the Zoo’s conservation programs to protect these species in zoos and in the wild.
Zootopiaries
Philadelphia 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, only at Philadelphia Zoo. The new creations include a proud bald eagle for America’s 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.
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 dot org. Facebook: PhiladelphiaZoo; Instagram: @philadelphiazoo; X (formerly Twitter): @phillyzoo; TikTok: @philadelphiazoo