Washington DC's National Zoo

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Location: 3000 Connecticut Ave., Washington, DC

Washington DC's National Zoological Park is a part of the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum and research complex. The Smithsonian includes 16 museums, as well as the National Zoo. The National Zoo is far more than a place where people can see wild animals.

They are a 163-acre zoological park set amid Rock Creek National Park in the heart of Washington, D.C. Open to the public 364 days a year, they are home to more than 2,700 individual animals of 435 different species. Their best known residents are the giant pandas, Tian Tian and Mei Xiang. The Zoo is a one of Washington's and the Smithsonian's most popular tourist destinations.

They welcome up to three million visitors—from the local community, the country, and the rest of the world—every year, free of charge. This is a place where people can marvel at wonderful animals, learn about wildlife and its conservation, and enjoy a beautiful, peaceful experience among our gardens. It is also a research, conservation, and education center for endangered species.

And, apart from the public areas, they boast a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital and extensive research facilities. It is also a 3,000-acre rural campus in Front Royal, Virginia, at the edge of Shenandoah National Park. (This campus, called the Conservation and Research Center, is closed to the public.) Here, various endangered species breed in more expansive facilities. Many of the scientists studying endangered species and offering education and professional training are based here, too.