Thanks to Natch, the Southern black bear mascot of the Memphis Turtles baseball team, Col. Robert Galloway had a brilliant plan of building a zoo in the city of Memphis in 1904. That time, the poor bear was just being tied up to a tree in the Overton Park.

Today, the Memphis Zoo continues to be a dwelling place for over 500 species of animals since it was built in April of 1906 at Overton Park. The 76-acre land it stands on is owned by the city government of Memphis, but only 55 acres of which are developed.

Through the years, the zoo has earned various recognitions from two surveys, one of which ranked it number 1 among all zoos in the United States. It is also one of the most visited attractions in the city and considered as the crown jewel of Memphis.