Swinea Hall
Resort hotel, Swinea Hall, and private zoo built on acreage that is now Dickerson Park Zoo.
Land Acquired
Estate of Jerome Dickerson, Sr. sold land to the Springfield Park Board.
Dickerson Park Zoo Founded
Dickerson Park established by the Springfield Park Board.
WPA Work Project
Works Progress Administration helped expand the zoo, but little development continued after the 1930s.
Friends of the Zoo Gets Its Start
With the park on the verge of closing, a revitalization effort with the City of Springfield, Springfield Park Board and a small organization now known as Friends of the Zoo saved the zoo.
Improvements & New Positioning
The next 10 years marked significant improvements and a repositioning of the zoo as a valuable cultural asset to the community. The Friends organization developed a membership base, launched education programs and garnered support of donors for new projects and improvements. The City of Springfield committed budget dollars and instituted an admission fee to help offset expenses. The zoo, located on a beautiful tract of land with much potential, had been saved. Now it was time to plan an orderly approach to its future.
A New Master Plan Is Created
The master plan visualized a new zoo, utilizing geographic themes and phased development addressing the mission objectives as guiding concepts. The zoo became involved in several Species Survival Plans, most notably Asian elephants, maned wolves and cheetahs, finding success with each endeavor. In-house and outreach education programs became valuable services offered and used by the community, and fun, family-oriented special events drew large numbers and gained additional support for the growing zoo. The growth of tourism in the region also contributed to increases in attendance and offered visitors to the community another attraction when visiting the Ozarks.
Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Accreditation
The zoo receives accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and has successfully maintained re-accreditation with subsequent reviews. With success comes expectations for additional services and exhibits, and the need for increased revenues for operation of the zoo.
Update Master Plan
An update and revision of the master plan was completed in 1996, and efforts were underway to assure that funding, both private and public, were in place to enable the projects in the master plan to be accomplished by 2010.
Master Plan Realized & Reengineered
By 2010 the Dickerson Park Zoo had accomplished the goals set out in the 1996 master plan. With a passion for protecting wildlife and educating the public, zoo staff and Friends of the Zoo work together to reengineer the zoo’s strategic plan and master plan to lead the zoo into the future. These plans and goals reflect the passions and commitments of a diverse group dedicated to making Dickerson Park Zoo a successful regional leisure destination as well as a leader in conservation education.