Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium - Pennsylvania

Address:One Wild Place
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Tel: (412) 665-3640

The Pittsburgh Zoo is famous for its large children's zoo and the fact that it is one of only six zoos in the country housing a major aquarium. Some of the highlights in the aquarium are a clear tunnel through which children can crawl while watching stingrays swimming alongside them and The Amazon Rainforest Exhibit that recreates the lush plant life of the area while featuing both piranhas and huge South American pacu. There's also a two-story 100,000-gallon tank full of sharks, fish, and artificial coral. Among the exhibits in the zoo itself are Cheetah Valley and the Asian Forest, where the Siberian tiger as well as the highly-endangered Amur leopard are on display. Other highlights include a walk-through bat flyaway, a rare Komodo dragon, and a well-stocked African Savanna.

Especially for kids: Petting Zoo, Train Rides. Stroller rentals available.

Extras: Educational Presentations.

Open 9 am to 4 pm. $$ (Moderately Priced)

Statistics: Approximately 4,000 animals and sea creatures belonging to 430 species on 77 acres.

In June 2000, the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium celebrated the grand opening of its newest jewel, a 45,000-square-foot state-of-the-art aquarium. It is Pennsylvania's only public aquarium and makes Pittsburgh one of only six zoos in the country to house a major aquarium. With the theme "Diversity of Water," the new PPG Aquarium is home to more than 4,000 aquatic animals from around the world, including penguins, stingrays, jellyfish, an electric eel and thousands of exotic fish.