Ledges History Series: The Zoo
Often at the Ledges, visitors encounter historical remnants of days gone by. These relics all
represent a little bit of history still alive in the park. The Ledges History Series focuses on these
remnants and provides insight into the people, places, and land that help tell the story of this
unique state park.
Established in the early 1940’s, the Ledges Wildlife Exhibit, or zoo more commonly called,
showcased animals that were native to the state of Iowa in an up-close setting. The exhibit
allowed visitors to observe these animals and their natural behaviors. The exhibit was home to
animals such as timber wolves, coyotes, deer, squirrels, many types of birds & raptors, and
even a pair of black bears for a time.
The journey to discover this cache will lead you to the ruins of the original Ledges Wildlife
Exhibit. After 20 years in this location, the exhibit was moved south, up out of the river valley to
where the present day Boone Wildlife Research Station is found. It operated out of that setting
for another 20 years, finally closing in 1981.
