History is everywhere at Audubon Zoo with historic buildings, sculptures and more.
Audubon Zoo is filled with historic buildings, sculptures and notable architecture. It is around every turn enhancing your visit and seamlessly flowing around the landscape. Have you seen the sea lions? The historic Odenheimer Sea Lion Pool was built in 1928 and still stands as an iconic Zoo landmark.
Historic brick buildings graced with bas-reliefs from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) era are found throughout the grounds. Maintaining the integrity of these early structures is a priority and adapting them for new uses has been practiced whenever possible. For example, our animal hospital combines modern clinical structures with a restored WPA hay barn converted into administrative offices.
Notable architecture is complemented by dozens of sculptures and the use of cultural artifacts. In the Louisiana Swamp Exhibit look for the turn-of-the-century cypress bateau, a 1930s "Lafitte skiff." In the front of the Zoo, notice the John James Audubon sculpture standing high on his pedestal. This monument was created by Edward Virginius Valentine who received the commission for the John James Audubon statue in 1906. The plaster cast of the statue was created in Valentine’s Richmond, Virginia studio, cast at a foundry in Providence, Rhode Island and unveiled on November 26, 1910 in Audubon Park, New Orleans.
