One of Minnesota's favorite attractions by far is Como Park, 384 acres of paradise in Saint Paul. Most popular in the park are undoubtedly the Como Zoo and Marjorie McNeely Conservatory. We've all been countless times to admire the adorable animals and stunning flowers, but how much do we actually know about those places? We rounded up 10 awesome facts that might give you a better appreciation for all the history behind the park and work that went into making the zoo and gardens so magnificent.
1. Como Zoo actually started in 1897 when the city of Saint Paul was gifted 3 deer and needed somewhere fenced off to put them.
2. Como was the first zoo in the world to successfully hand raise Siberian tigers!
3. The zoo is in Polar Bears International’s network of Arctic Ambassador Centers and have sent teens to Churchill, Manitoba to see polar bears in their natural habitat as a part of Polar Bears International’s Leadership Camp.
4. Archie Brand brought his famous Seal Show to Como Zoo in 1956, bringing new popularity and allowing the expansion of the animal collection.
5. Como supports nearly 40 Species Survival Plan animals!
6. The 1937 Holiday Flower Show included a faux pipe organ in the Sunken Garden.
7. Speaking of flower shows, the conservatory has been offering them for over 100 years!
8. The McNeely Conservatory is a U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service designated plant rescue center for plants under threat of extinction. Saving nature's species, one flower at a time.
9. They give the fruits and vegetables produced in the Edible Garden (started in 2011) to the zoo animals as enrichment.
10. In 1962, a hailstorm hit Saint Paul that was so strong, the golf ball sized hailstones crashed through the conservatory ceiling shattering nearly half of the glass!
Aside from the zoo and conservatory, what is your favorite part of Como Park?
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