Brief History of The Queens Zoo & Aquarium Quenns
The Queens Petting Zoo & Aquarium Queens was built in 1968 at the site of the 1964-65 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York City. The zoo was initially known as the New York City Wildlife Conservation Park and was home to a wide variety of animals, including flamingos, otters, pumas, and birds of prey.
The first shovel at the site was turned by Robert Moses, for construction of the facility on 20th August 1966, with the ri9bbon cutting ceremony taking place two years later, in 1968, for what was called Flushing Meadows Zoo.
The aviary is mainly a geodesic dome which was designed by Thomas C. Howard and Synergetics, Inc, and was also used during the 1964 Fair. The dome in question was originally meant to serve as the indoor assembly hall without having any indoor supports to ensure that everyone would have a clear view. It was later repurposed for the 1965 season and would pay tribute to the UK’s Winston Churchill after his death in 1965. The dome measured 175 feet and was the largest single-layer structure of that time. However, it was later dismantled to be stored after the fair but later reassembled to be used in its current location, with a mesh netting covering it instead of having a solid tent which the original structure had.
