Funded
Arkansas Heritage Farm
A working farmstead at the heart of the Zoo, introducing visitors to the domestic breeds and agricultural history of our own state.
Since 2003 · A 501(c)(3) non-profit
Building a better Zoo for every Arkansan
The Arkansas Zoological Foundation raises the private support behind the Little Rock Zoo — new habitats, better animal care and conservation education that reaches children across the state.
501-661-7208
Talk to us about a planned or major gift
1924
The year the Little Rock Zoo opened its gates
400+
Animals cared for at the Zoo
200+
Species represented
33
Acres in the heart of Little Rock
#1
The only AZA-accredited zoo in Arkansas
Who we are
One of Arkansas's greatest treasures deserves a great partner.
The Arkansas Zoological Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to grow and develop the Little Rock Zoo.
Since 1924 the Zoo's mission has been to inspire people to value and conserve our natural world. The Foundation exists to make that mission possible — providing meaningful financial support for the programs and capital upgrades that a municipal budget alone cannot cover.
Every gift we receive goes to work on new habitat design and construction, general Zoo improvements, and conservation education programs.
Where your gift goes
Three things every donation makes possible
Foundation dollars are directed where they change the daily experience of the animals and the people who come to see them.
New habitat design & construction
Modern, naturalistic spaces that give animals room to behave as they would in the wild — and give visitors a closer, more honest look at them.
General Zoo improvements
The unglamorous essentials — barns, holding areas, pathways, shade and infrastructure — that make the Zoo safer and more comfortable year-round.
Conservation education
Programs that turn a day at the Zoo into a lasting understanding of the natural world — for school groups, families and communities across Arkansas.
The current campaign
A $12 million transformation is underway right now.
The largest project the Little Rock Zoo has ever undertaken broke ground in June 2025 and is scheduled to finish in fall 2026.
A new front entrance plaza and amphitheater. A redesigned lemur habitat. New homes for anteaters, capybaras and squirrel monkeys, and a new tortoise barn. The work is funded by a bond issue Little Rock voters approved in 2022, together with private donations raised by this Foundation.
That private share is where you come in. Bond money builds the core of the project; Foundation gifts pay for the enhancements that turn a good habitat into a great one.
A track record you can walk through
Places at the Zoo that exist because donors said yes
These are not proposals. They are finished, open, and full of animals and families every day the Zoo is open.
Funded
Diamond Express Train
A ride that has become a first memory of the Zoo for two generations of Arkansas children — and a favorite way to see the grounds.
Funded
Cheetah Outpost & Penguin Pointe
Two signature habitats that brought species Arkansans had never seen up close, and set the standard for the Zoo's next generation of exhibits.
Ways to give
Find the way that fits you
Make a donation
A one-time or recurring tax-deductible gift, online in a couple of minutes. Every amount goes directly to work at the Zoo.
Ways to donateTrees, bricks & benches
Celebrate someone special with a commemorative tree, an engraved brick or a personalized bench — a tribute that lives at the Zoo for years.
See the optionsPlanned & estate gifts
Make a lasting impact for generations to come. Call us at 501-661-7208 and we will gladly talk through the options with you.
Plan a legacy giftSpecial events
Two nights a year the Zoo belongs to the grown-ups.
Our signature fundraising events are also two of the best evenings out in Little Rock — and the proceeds go straight back into the Zoo.
AprilAnnually
Wild Wines
An evening of wine tasting among the animals, with food from local restaurants and the Zoo to yourself after hours.
SeptAnnually
Zoo Brew
Craft beer, live music and a late-summer night at the Zoo — our longest-running and best-loved fundraiser.
Help one of Arkansas' greatest treasures
Your donation goes to work the day it arrives.
Support new habitat design and construction, general Zoo improvements, and conservation education programs at the Little Rock Zoo.